John Sharkey, renowned Naperville karate instructor whose students have gone on to Hollywood, dies at 69

John Sharkey was a legend in the karate community.

His Naperville dojo — Sharkey's Karate Studio — is known for churning out dozens of tournament champions who've turned their craft into careers in Hollywood as stuntmen.

His students have appeared in movies, including "Everything Everywhere All at Once," and shows ranging from "Cobra Kai" to "Power Rangers."

But, more importantly, his acolytes say, he helped shape thousands of young men and women of good character.

He was known to open his home to students with unstable living situations who otherwise might have been on the street, or in jail, said Juan Hernandez, a karate instructor who trained under Mr. Sharkey from a young age.

"He had this unique quality where he could look at a kid and see something good in them that probably not too many other people saw, and he would work to bring that out of you," Hernandez said.

Mr. Sharkey said in a podcast interview that the original "Karate Kid" was one of his favorite movies.

"It tells such a great story, and I feel like it's somewhat my story with some of the boys," he said.

He was widely respected for setting an extremely high bar at his dojo for achieving a black belt. Since opening his karate school in Naperville in 1973, he has only awarded 164 black belts — three a year.

"In the pantheon of karate, he would be on the Mount Rushmore," said Hernandez. "You could go anywhere in the karate world and say his name and anyone would know who he is, like Babe Ruth in baseball, but he didn't seek attention or do interviews often."

Mr. Sharkey died Jan. 25 at Edward Hospital in Naperville from pulmonary disease. He was 69.

Known simply as "sensei," he practiced a very traditional form of karate.

At five nine and 140 pounds, he could easily be underestimated.

"You might look at him and say 'Who is this scrawny little nut?'" said Joseph Sener, a black belt who trained under Mr. Sharkey and fought competitively.

"I was a national champion," said Sener. "And we sparred, and he'd pull s—t where I was like 'Where did that come from?'"

Mr. Sharkey was also the longtime president of the American Karate Association, a certifying organization that hosts the annual Warrior Cup, a tournament that draws top talent from around the world to Chicago. It was held most recently in January at the downtown Sheraton hotel.

The history of his students performing captivating maneuvers on film traces back to a student named Mike Chaturantabut, known for his role as the Blue Power Ranger in the "Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue" television series.

In 1988, when he was 12, Chaturantabut told Mr. Sharkey he wanted to pursue a type of karate that was choreographed and set to music.

"He didn't just dismiss it. He took time off work to drive me to Virginia to attend a week long summer camp held by the champion in that form of karate," Chaturantabut said.

"And it didn't stop there, he took me all over the country to train with the best. He ran a business, and he was doing all this to help one kid," said Chaturantabut, who helped teach other students at Mr. Sharkey's studio what he'd learned.

When Chaturantabut faced strife with his parents over enrolling in business school in the Midwest versus chasing his dream of pursuing martial arts as a career in the entertainment industry, Mr. Sharkey drove Chaturantabut to California. The trek became a tradition for Mr. Sharkey, who drove about 40 of his students to California to work in the industry.

"It only takes one person to believe in you, and you can do anything, and he was that for thousands of people," Chaturantabut said.

"Everyone has a photo of sensei holding their first born kid. He was there, just like a parent," he said.

Mr. Sharkey was a ninth degree black belt at the time of his death.

Several martial arts organization tried to award him with a tenth degree — the highest achievement — but he refused, noting that as long as you are alive, there is more to learn.

A group of his students in town for his funeral held a ceremony to posthumously honor Mr. Sharkey with a tenth degree black belt.

Mr. Sharkey was born Feb. 27, 1956, in Momence, Ill., to John Sharkey Sr., a parts manager for an appliance manufacturer, and Mary Sharkey, an insurance secretary.

He took his first martial arts classes in grade school at a local YMCA after overcoming hesitancy to take off his shoes because the floor mats appeared stained with dry blood and spit.

His father, although not a participant, was a martial arts enthusiast who helped promote karate tournaments and drove his son to competitions and to train with different instructors.

Mr. Sharkey opened his first karate studio at 17 while a junior at Momence High School.

He later graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Wheeling, but his career plans in that industry were derailed after he had to attend to the bodies of several young people who died in a tragic accident.

"He wanted to help families, ease their pain, but he said working on the deceased kids, he just couldn't do it anymore, it was too traumatizing," his sister, Julie Dinkins, said, noting that her brother leaned into karate and never looked back.

Services have been held.