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ILLINOIS JUDO NEWSLETTER – IPPON!!!

February 19, 2009

President:              Tim Schultheis

VP:                       Chuck Clark

Secretary:              Mary Gail Ford

Treasurer:              Frank Oliveri

Editor:                    Kei Narimatsu

THIS NEWSLETTER MAY BE PASSED ON TO ANYONE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK WHO MIGHT NOT GET THIS DIRECTLY FROM THE EDITOR.  I DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE CURRENT EMAIL ADDRESSES BUT CLUB INSTRUCTORS, STATE PRESIDENTS AND OTHERS MAY WANT TO LET THEIR MEMBERS HAVE THIS AS WELL.  PLEASE DISTRIBUTE AS YOU WISH.  IF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WISH TO GET THIS EMAIL  FIRST HAND, PLEASE CONTACT ME AT knarimatsu@microlamps.com  with subject:  Add to Illinois Judo Newsletter

Illinois Judo Newsletter – IPPON!! is the voice of Illinois Judo, sent whenever convenient to members of Illinois Judo and other interested parties. All articles and content are the opinion of the editor unless otherwise noted and do not reflect the opinion of Illinois Judo, its officers or members.  Information is gathered from various sources expressly sent for distribution.  Contents may contain inaccurate information.  If anyone can correct any inaccuracies, they will be published as soon as possible.  Information presented will be of a general nature only and will not promote any national organization except USJI/USA Judo or any of its state governing bodies.  Tournament and clinic notifications will be made for all organizations and will be guaranteed posted if sent to the editor in electronic format ONLY and in a timely manner.  Illinois Judo will make every effort to respect your privacy and never sell, trade, or otherwise abuse the privilege of serving you via this e-mail newsletter.

Cancellation: We're committed to Permission Distribution, so if you prefer not to receive the IPPON!!!, simply send a blank e-mail to knarimatsu@microlamps.com or hit reply with unsubscribe-IPPON in the subject line.  You will be omitted from my list FOREVER.  It is also appreciated if you would indicate your name in the tag line.  I do not use email addresses to segregate emails, only real names.  Thank you.

 

Contents:
EDITORIAL – What we put up with

            Guest Editorial – Tim Schultheis

Referee Corner – 4 penalties but only 3 will count - WHAT?

Local News

            From the President

            Great Ippons

            Judo Icons and someone you should know

Something to Think About – A Survivor's Story - Flight 1549

Upcoming Events

USA Judo Life Members

USA Judo News

 

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EDITORIAL – What we put up with

Some folks are saying that 2008 was a tough year economically.  It might be that 2009 is shaping up to be the same or maybe worse.  With a stimulus package that seems suspect at best and a Congress (notice I did not say President) that may or may get it right, the average American family will be cutting back significantly, which I suspect might affect 99.9% of all American Judo families out there.  I know I will be cutting back on the number of events I attend.  I know others in the same situation.  Trips to Philadelphia, San Diego, Florida are going to try the financial patience of many clubs, instructors, parents, referees.  The cost of travel in just gas (ok it is down, but WILL get higher this summer), hotels, food can take a toll in the family budget.  For tournament directors, the cost of a venue, the cost of mats, the cost of feeding staff has driven many to cut back in space and quality to accommodate this increasing burden.   There is no easy answer unless the economy starts to grow, unemployment is controlled, everyone starts to buy.  The stimulus is not a stimulus unless it affect you directly.  Hopefully it will and everyone, especially our country, will come out stronger because of the grit and will of the American people. 

But what to do immediately.  There is a saying:  Think globally, act locally.   I would suggest that we do exactly this within our JUDO community.  We can support our national events but that requires more effort and money, something that could be in short supply this year.  Therefore, it is becoming all too apparent that we must support our local events even more.  And what I mean by local is anything within driving distance to YOU.   A reasonable distance for me(Chicago) would be to St Louis, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Iowa, maybe Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee.  For those in Indiana, it might mean Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Wisconsin, etc.  You get the idea.

Complacency is the key to overcome.  There is too much of a tendency to dismiss local events as not high enough in caliber to be worthy of your attendance.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Local events are the life blood of Judo.  Just as the local club is life blood of grassroots Judo, so to are Wahadachi, Midwestern Championships, Winter Classic, Steven’s Point, N-S, kata clinics, Konjo, Illinois States, Gurnee, Welcome Mat, Santa’s Shiai and many more the life blood of our tournament system.  These events whet the appetite for further travel to the National and maybe international events.  The local events are where you make the mistakes that you do not want to make at Nationals.  The local events are where you cement relationships/friendships, learn how to work a scoreboard, referee coach.  Local event are critical to developing well rounded JUDOKAs.   As a coach, why would you not want to promote the opportunity?  As a referee why would you not want to hone your skills?  As a parent why would you not want to spend $60 in gas instead of $500 in airfare AND hotel?  As a player, challenge yourself to fight on the opposite side, to win over an opponent only with perfect technique or to win by that new throw you learned last week.  You could move up a division or up a weight class.  There are so many things you can do at local events that you would not or could not do that the majors.  Think about it.  Let’s all support locally first so we can get global later.

 

Guest Editorial

Some of Illinois Judo senior leaders have begun to consider our promotion trends, particularly among our elite teen-age/high school athletes.  We should evaluate accelerating their promotions and better recognizing their accomplishments.  But first, let me be clear that IJI places full confidence in the criteria, qualification standards and final determination used by its head coaches in their selections to black belt.  No one should prescribe how/when a head coach should promote any of his/her students.  Nonetheless, an open discussion of junior promotion trends and desired outcomes is worthwhile.  I can think of numerous Illinois athletes, currently in high school, who have competed and placed/won at junior, national and/or even international elite-point judo competitions, who still don brown belts.  Their proven potential and quality/skill in technique deserve black belt certificates.  Similarly, some of our athletes may or may not have the best competition records, but they have given-back to judo through club support, assistant-coaching, technical-table-service or refereeing.  As our IJI athletes apply to colleges and compete for scholarships, we should support them with black belt certificates, adorned with the coveted USA Judo emblem, adjacent to the U.S. Olympic Committee symbol. A black belt from USA Judo is not a black belt in Rex Kwon Do (rent the movie, Napoleon Dynamite, to understand this reference).  As such, a head coach assesses numerous criteria--length/duration in judo, competition record and/or judo-community service, along with overall individual maturity.  We should view a high school student with a black belt in judo like most people view an Eagle Scout.  In terms of sacrifice, accomplishment and tenacity, both these milestone accomplishments--judo black belt and Eagle Scout--are similar.  Again, documenting our athletes' accomplishments with black belt certificates becomes an important citation for our aspiring high school and college students, applying to their first-choice college or for scholarships. Meanwhile, we should leverage the media to print announcements in the local papers, publicizing these outstanding scholar-athletes' culminating accomplishments, generating further interest in the great sport of judo.  Let's discuss further, I would be interested in your views of this subject.

 

Tim Schultheis, IJI President

 

REFEREE ISSUES – 4 penalties but only 3 will count – What? 

The history of penalties is long and tortuous.  As mentioned before, the rules were pretty simple back in the stone ages – in other words, when I was competing.  Nevertheless, penalties have evolved interestingly enough to now include minor penalties and those against the spirit of Judo.  But just to give you a flavor of why penalties have come to play such an important part of Judo, let’s take a look in time.  I think you will all agree that the changes, at least most of them, make sense. 

As I mentioned, there were relatively few penalties. 

§         Players stepping out side were brought back into the center of that mat and restarted.  If you were in newaza/osae (mat work), sonomama (freeze) would be called and the referee pulled both of you back into the center of the mat.  Hajime would start the contest again.  Once the players started to abuse this, a penalty was imposed.  The original penalty for this was Keikoku (the equivalent of a Waza-ari).  In the wisdom of the IJF, this was soon downgraded to a Chui (the equivalent of a Yuko to the other player).  In the last iteration of this rule, stepping out intentionally was penalized with a mild Shido (or Koka).  In the 2009 version, stepping out for all practical purpose can be eliminated UNLESS, there is an obvious effort to get outside the contest area to avoid combat. 

§         At the opposite end of the penalty spectrum, players have been known to head butt or come across the face with a fist as they enter into an O-Soto-Gari.  How else could you explain the so-called “cauliflower” ears so commonly seen in the champions of the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s (I cannot comment before that believe it or not – it was before I was born.)  Judo was pretty tough back then but I think we can all agree that head butting and punching someone in the face was against the spirit of Judo.  Early on, the rules were pretty clear on this – Hansoku-make (disqualification from the match and the Shiai).

§         So today, there are two major groupings of penalties:  SHIDO and HANSOKU-MAKE.  Shido penalties are characterized as relatively minor penalties that are not against the spirit of Judo.  They are OPP’s.  They are minor mistakes.  They are not meant to hurt the opponent and could be interpreted as just trying to gain a slight advantage.  If you collect enough (4) of them however, you will be eliminated.   Hansoku-make on the other hand are much more serious events.  Techniques meant to injure or insult your opponent or insult the referee or other officials are dealt with a DQ.   The only penalty that you could get a hansoku-make and still come back in the next round or keep your medal would be a head dive.  While dangerous, the danger is to the self and not to your opponent.

§         Under the 2009 rules, the first shido can be given as a warning with no corresponding score to the opponent.  However, a subsequent shido would result in a Yuko score for the opponent.  A third and fourth shido would result in a Waza-ari and Ippon for the opponent and elimination of the player for that match.  In other words, if the elimination was a result of progressive shido’s, that player could come back to fight again OR receive a medal. 

§         In Golden Score, the same rules apply.  The first shido given is not counted.  It is a warning to not do that again.  If they do, then they should be penalized and lose the match.  If a GS match then goes the full time limit, the first shido given should not enter into any decision concerning the ultimate winner of the match.

§         In Golden Score, if a second shido is given, this would be a match ending event.  It is the equivalent of a hansoku-make.  A conference is to  be called and ideally, all three referees on the mat should agree that a penalty should be given.  If this is the case, the player getting the penalty will lose the match.  However if 2 of the three referees agree for or against a penalty, then a split decision situation occurs.  The rules are clear, the majority of three will prevail.  HOWEVER, it has been my experience that in split decision situations, it is recommended, but not required, that the jury be consulted.  The jury, generally the highest ranking referee, can give an opinion and agree with the majority or disagree with the majority.  The referee team can then accept the opinion of the jury or disregard the opinion of the jury.  In many cases, especially at the highest levels of refereeing, a jury’s opinion will prevail.  There may be many reasons for this.  The jury’s experience is highly respected.  The jury may have access to the CARE system (Computer Aided REplay).  The jury may have a better angle.  Whatever the reason, the team, which includes the three referees on the mat and the jury will be making a decision that will determine the result.  It would seem that coaches, players and spectators might feel more assured that the right decision has been made if the jury has been consulted.  Can these three or four individuals make a mistake?  Of course, but every effort will have been made to discuss the situation to hopefully come to the right decision. 

§         Penalties are given to prevent one player from taking an unfair advantage over the other.  In some respects it is too bad that penalties have to be given.  One would hope that all players would fight by the rules fairly.  But this is not usually the case.  In a recent study by the IJF, fully 70% – 80% of all matches have at least one observable penalty associated with that match.  It is not always caught by the referees on the mat however.  NOW, all of you referee out there, please DO NOT give penalties just because they are reported to be so prevalent.  That is for another lesson and another day.

OTHER or LOCAL NEWS: 

From the IJI President.  We held the IJI annual board elections on 8 Feb.  The current Executive Board will remain in their positions. Please see attached IJI Board Meeting Minutes, prepared by the IJI Treasurer, Frank Oliveri.  IJI has several top priorities in 2009.

 

First, successful conduct of the 2009 Illinois Open State Championships on 14 March in Yorkville, IL.  We have received positive responses that all active Illinois Judo clubs will be participating, so expect good competition.  Please support this event as much as possible.

 

Second, scheduling near-monthly Illinois Open Workout.  Junior Development Director, Brett Wolf, is scheduling Open Workouts with the first to be on 28 Feb with Atlas Extreme Team.  Please see attached flyer.  Great training opportunity!

 

Third, accelerate promotions.  Illinois Judo wants to recognize its teen-age/high school athletes, many of whom, have competed very successfully at the national and, sometimes, international levels with promotions to black belt.  IJI Promotion Chairman, Jim Colgan is both the state and national (USA Judo) promotion chair and is happy to provide promotion guidance to club coaches.  As a general rule, IJI places full confidence in the criteria determination/qualification of its head coaches in selection to Shodan, Nidan and Sandan.

 

Let's look forward to another positive year in Illinois Judo through inter-club cooperation and support.

 

Thanks,  Tim

 

Great ippons ..choose one    http://www.judovision.org/?p=3554

Judo Icon, a Fighter for Her Sport, Is Facing a New Battle

By JOSHUA ROBINSON Published: February 16, 2009

Rusty Kanokogi learned to scrap when her name was still Rena Glickman and she wandered the Brooklyn boardwalk. She learned to struggle when her parents ignored her in a tiny house near Coney Island. She learned to attack when she discovered judo in a dojo on Flatbush Avenue. She learned to argue in plush offices when she lobbied for women’s judo to become an Olympic sport. And at age 73, Kanokogi is still fighting.

Rusty Kanokogi, who fought long and hard to make women’s judo an Olympic sport, is now battling illness.  Kanokogi’s opponent these days is kidney failure and multiple myeloma, a rare cancer of the blood.

The competition has changed. The attitude has not.

“Can I still clobber somebody if I have to?” she said recently, her Brooklyn accent loading her words with a punch. “Absolutely.”

But Kanokogi, considered the mother of women’s judo, is also a great-grandmother who keeps a collection of Mickey Mouse memorabilia, takes the children in her family to the zoo, and has given a lifetime to judo, which in Japanese means “the gentle way.” For more than 20 years, she devoted herself to pushing the sport into the Olympic Games. Last year, she was recognized by the government of Japan with the Order of the Rising Sun, its highest honor for a foreigner, two decades after giving women’s judo a new life. It was the least she could do after it saved hers.

And she believes it is not time for it to end. She has too much left to do.

“I’ll always fight for what I think is fair,” Kanokogi said.

Kanokogi learned judo from a man on Flatbush Avenue who had picked it up in the military, but her real fight started in 1959, when she went to Utica, N.Y., for the Y.M.C.A. championships. She was Rusty Glickman, nicknamed for a local stray dog, and because women were not explicitly barred from the Y.M.C.A. championships, she figured it was worth a shot.

Used to changing in broom closets and using the bathroom at a nearby diner, she knew that she would still have to blend in. “It’s not like I walked in like a flower,” she said.

Kanokogi, with her hair cut short, competed with her breasts taped down. Her coach put her in the final bout and she won, although she said her team would have won anyway. But as one of the organizers looped medals over each player’s neck, he suspected something. He called Kanokogi into his office.

“Are you a female?” he asked bluntly. Strangely ashamed by the question, Kanokogi nodded.

“Had I said no,” she said, “I don’t think women’s judo would have been in the Olympics. It instilled a feeling in me that no woman should have to go through this again.”

Kanokogi was not allowed to compete at the national championships because she was considered a professional. She was making $5 a week teaching lessons at the Y.M.C.A., and those were the days when amateurism was sacred.

In 1962, Kanokogi took the next step in her judo education. She moved to Japan to study at the Kodokan, the sport’s spiritual home in Tokyo. She returned as one of the top female judo competitors. The problem was, she had no place to put her skills to use. There was no national competition in the United States and pushing a full-contact women’s sport in the Olympics seemed unlikely.

“Everyone used to say it would have been a guaranteed gold medal had there been Olympic competition,” Kanokogi said. “And you know what? I can’t deny that.”

While she was in Japan, she met a small, powerfully built man who first read in his local newspaper about an American woman learning judo. He had to take a look for himself. That look turned into a courtship when Ryohei Kanokogi took some time to visit New York. And the courtship became the prelude to a 45-year marriage that began in 1963.

“With judo fighters, we were never thinking about who came from where,” Ryohei Kanokogi said. “We just wanted to see the strongest girl fighters.”

Having her husband around — it was her second marriage after a brief, unfortunate one when she was a teenager — meant Kanokogi was free to continue fighting the battle of her life. While she fed her two children food from McDonald’s, Kanokogi spent nights on the phone raising money, mailed letters to help women gain entry to competitions and lobbied every official she could get on the line.

And just like when she was growing up, when she wore scars on her knuckles and her brother’s bayonet strapped to her leg, her reputation began to spread. Back then, she had a gang of girls in the neighborhood — the Apaches — to help. Now, she was on her own. That hardscrabble upbringing and the survival skills she picked up in the burnt-out remains of Luna Park and the dark street corners of Coney Island were still with her. She could choose to be the hammer or the nail. She refused to be the nail.

That her parents never liked her, she said, only made her tougher. “If you’ve got a chip on your shoulder and you’re dysfunctional, you’ll either be depressed or repressed or aggressive,” she said. “I took responsibility.”

Kanokogi stormed into offices and wrote so many letters threatening legal action she said she should have a law degree by now. Most of them wound up in the International Olympic Committee’s mailbox.

“That’s all I talked about,” she said. “I was totally crazy. You said, ‘Hello, Rusty,’ and you had three hours of judo conversation on your hands.”

In 1980, Kanokogi mortgaged her house to help finance the first women’s judo world championships, at Madison Square Garden. At the same time, other prominent women in sports began to take notice.

“She was better than me,” said Billie Jean King , tennis’s legendary pioneer, who has been close friends with the Kanokogis since the 1970s. “She could get people to do anything.”

By the early 1980s, Kanokogi had women’s judo up for Olympic consideration. It was made an exhibition sport for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and gained medal status for the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea. Kanokogi went as the United States coach. Yet despite the strides she made for women in sports, Kanokogi refused to call herself a feminist. She was doing it for judo.

“It had nothing to do with burning your underwear,” she said. “I knew they were ready to compete, so why shouldn’t they have that opportunity?”

To Kanokogi, it was worth fighting for.

Something to Think About – A Survivor's Story - Flight 1549

 

The shared experience of Gerry McNamara, a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549.

 

Every day is a great day now."


Thursday was a difficult day for all of us at the firm and I left the Park Avenue office early afternoon to catch a cab bound for LaGuardia Airport.


I was scheduled for a 5pm departure, but able to secure a seat on the earlier flight scheduled to leave at 3PM. As many of us who fly  frequently often do, I recall wondering if I'd just placed myself on a  flight I shouldn't be on!


Just prior to boarding I finished up a conference call with my associate, Jenn Sparks (New York), and our placement, the CIO of United Airlines. When I told him that I was about to board a US Airways flight,  we all had a little fun with it.


I remember walking on the plane and seeing a fellow with grey hair in the  cockpit and thinking "that's a good thing... I like to see grey hair  in the cockpit!"


I was seated in 8F, on the starboard side window and next to a young business man. The New York to Charlotte flight is one I've taken what  seems like hundreds of times over the years. We take off north over the  Bronx and as we climb, turn west over the Hudson River to New Jersey and tack south. I love to fly, always have, and this flight plan gives a great view of several NY landmarks including Yankee Stadium and the George Washington Bridge.

 

I had started to point out items of interest to the gentleman next to me when we heard a terrible crash - a sound no one ever wants to hear while flying - and then the engines wound down to a screeching halt. 10 seconds later, there was a strong smell of jet fuel. I knew we would be  landing and thought the pilot would take us down no doubt to Newark  Airport. As we began to turn south I noticed the pilot lining up on the  river still - I thought - en route for Newark.

 

Next thing we heard was "Brace for impact!" - a phrase I had heard many years before as an active duty Marine Officer but never before on a commercial air flight. Everyone looked at each other in shock. It all happened so fast we were astonished! We began to descend rapidly and it started to sink in. This is the last flight. I'm going to die today.  This is it.  I recited my favorite bible verse, the Lord's Prayer, and asked God to take care of my wife, children, family and friends.

 

When I raised my head I noticed people texting their friends and family....getting off a last message. My blackberry was turned off and in my trouser pocket...no time to get at it. Our descent continued and I prayed for courage to control my fear and help if able.

 

I quickly realized that one of two things was going to happen, neither of them good. We could hit by the nose, flip and break up, leaving few if any survivors, bodies, cold water, fuel. Or we could hit one of the wings and roll and flip with the same result. I tightened my seat belt as tight as I could possibly get it so I would remain intact.


As we came in for the landing, I looked out the windows and remember seeing the buildings in New Jersey, the cliffs in Weehawken, and then the piers. The water was dark green and sure to be freezing cold. The stewardesses were yelling in unison "Brace! Brace! Brace!" It was a violent hit - the water flew up over my window - but we bobbed up and were all amazed that we remained intact. There was some panic – people jumping over seats and running towards the doors, but we soon got everyone straightened out and calmed down. There were a lot of people that took leadership roles in little ways. Those sitting at the doors over the wing did a fantastic job...they were opened in a New York second! Everyone worked together - teamed up and in groups to figure out how to help each other.


I exited on the starboard side of the plane, 3 or 4 rows behind my seat through a door over the wing and was, I believe, the 10th or 12th person out. I took my seat cushion as a flotation device and once outside saw I was the only one who did....none of us remembered to take the yellow inflatable life vests from under the seat.

 

We were standing in 6-8 inches of water and it was freezing. There were two women on the wing, one of whom slipped off into the water. Another passenger and I pulled her back on and had her kneel down to keep from falling off again. By that point we were totally soaked and absolutely frozen from the icy wind.


The ferries were the first to arrive, and although they're not made for rescue, they did an incredible job. I know this river, having swum in it as a boy. The Hudson is an estuary - part salt and part fresh water – and moves with the tide. I could tell the tide was moving out because we were tacking slowly south towards Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, and The Battery. The first ferry boat pulled its bow up to the tip of the wing, and the first mate lowered the Jacobs ladder down to us. We got a couple people up the ladder to safety, but the current was strong pushing the stern of the boat into the inflatable slide and we were afraid it would puncture it...there must have been 25 passengers in it by now. Only two or three were able to board the first ferry before it moved away.

 

Another ferry came up, and we were able to get the woman that had fallen into the water on the ladder, but she just couldn't move her legs and fell off. Back onto the ladder she went; however, the ferry had to back away because of the swift current. A helicopter arrived on station (nearly blowing us all off the wing) and followed the ferry with the woman on the ladder. We lost view of the situation but I believe the helicopter lowered its basket to rescue her.

 

As more ferries arrived, we were able to get people up on the boats a few at a time. The fellow in front of me fell off the ladder and into the water. When we got him back on the ladder he could not move his legs to climb. I couldn't help him from my position so I climbed up the ladder to the ferry deck where the first mate and I hoisted the Jacobs ladder with him on it...when he got close enough we grabbed his trouser belt and hauled him on deck. We were all safely off the wing.


We could not stop shaking. Uncontrollable shaking. The only thing I had with me was my blackberry, which had gotten wet and was not working. (It started working again a few hours later).


The ferry took us to the Weehawken Terminal in NJ where I borrowed a phone and called my wife to let her know I was okay. The second call I made was to Jenn. I knew she would be worried about me and could communicate to the rest of the firm that I was fine. 

 

At the terminal, first responders assessed everyone's condition and sent people to the hospital as needed. As we pulled out of Weehawken my history kicked in and I recall it was the site of the famous duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1804.   Thankfully I left town in better condition than Mr. Hamilton who died of a mortal wound  the next day! I stayed with my sister on Long Island that evening, then flew home the next day.


I am struck by what was truly a miracle. Had this happened a few hours later, it would have been pitch dark and much harder to land. Ferries would no longer have been running after rush hour and it would not have been the same uplifting story. Surely there would have been fatalities, hypothermia, an absolute disaster!


I witnessed the best of humanity that day. I and everyone on that plane survived and have been given a second chance. It struck me that in our work we continuously seek excellence to solve our client's leadership problems. We talk to clients all the time about the importance of experience and the ability to execute Experience showed up big time on Flight 1549 as our pilot was a dedicated, trained, experienced professional who executed flawlessly when he had to.


I have received scores of emails from across the firm and I am so grateful for the outpouring of interest and concern. We all fly a great  deal or work with someone who does and so I wanted to share this story - the story of a miracle. I am thankful to be here to tell the tale.


There is a great deal to be learned including: Why has this happened to me? Why have I survived and what am I supposed to do with this gift? For me, the answers to these questions and more will come over time, but already I find myself being more patient and forgiving, less critical and judgmental.


For now I have 4 lessons I would like to share:

  1. Cherish your families as never before and go to great lengths to keep your promises.
  2. Be thankful and grateful for everything you have and don't worry about the things you don't have.
  3. Keep in shape. You never know when you'll be called upon to save your own life, or help someone else save theirs.
  4. When you fly, wear practical clothing. You never know when you'll end up in an emergency or on an icy wing in flip flops and pajamas and of absolutely no use to yourself or anyone else. 

 

Thanks to all who have reached out ...I look forward to seeing you soon!


UPCOMING EVENTS – 2008


Please note the following events on the horizon for Illinois and the Midwest.  Communication and download information can be gotten directly through this email by attachments or by going to www.judofdl.com  (Welcome Mat Judo). OR www.judocalendar.com  (Jim Carmer).  Either site is a wealth of information on Judo events.  Both have more events listed than I have, so visit their sites often.  Thanks.

 

2009 dates

 

Feb 22    Winter Judo Classic          Chicago  IL            NEW NOTICE

                Contact Yarina Birnbaum 773-348-8641/ philya@ameritech.net /Fax:773-442-1550)

                PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FLYER SENT TO ME IS A 5MB DOCUMENT.  This is      generally too large to send out in an  email, SO, please contact Yarina for a copy of the flyer.            Thank you.  ED

 

 

Feb 28   Illinois State Open Workout -- Yorkville, IL

Contact  Chuck Clark      (630)553-5741             clarkmail4@comcast.net

 

Feb 28    Konjo Dojo St. Louis Championships   Fenton MO
                Contact:  Randy Pierce  konjo7@aol.com            636-464-6487(eve)          636-343-2481 (day)

 

Mar 14   Illinois State Open Championships -- Yorkville, IL                           
                Contact  Chuck Clark      (630)553-5741         clarkmail4@comcast.net

 

Mar 20-21  Midwestern Championships          Waukegan  IL

                Contact Aaron Cohen  judo21@aol.com         1-847-372-7373

 

Mar 28-29  2009 Youth and Scholastic National Championships            York PA

                Contact Click here for more information and to download the entry packet.

 

Apr         Welcome Mat Open            Fond du Lac WI

                Contact Mark Frankel

 

Apr 25    Steven Point Judo Tournament     Stevens Point, WI
                Contact Tom Gustin     trmegustin@charter.net

 

May 16   N-S Judo Tournament        Glen Carbon IL

                Contact Eiko Shepherd

 

Nov 7     Gurnee Veterans Day Tournament -- Gurnee, IL
                Contact  Tim Schultheis    (847)244-7847                annetims@comcast.net  

 

 

LIFE MEMBERSHIPS INFORMATION – USA JUDO

 

For more information on Life Membership in USA Judo, please contact USA Judo and click on “LIFE MEMBERSHIP”  

Nat’l       Order       Name

030          1             Henry Okamura(deceased)

041          2             Kei Narimatsu

065          3             James Colgan

122          4             Richard Fukuyama(deceased)

125          5             Joanne Barthold(deceased)

139          6             George Stanich

148          7             Mary Gail Ford

161          8             Kevin Narimatsu (CA)

162          9             Scott Narimatsu (CA)

164          10           Byung Chul Cho

167          11           Yung Kim

177          12           Kyu Yoon

181          13           John Bek

189          14           Quentin Thompson

201          15           Michiyuki Sasa

216          16           George Weer

271          17           Susan McConnell

289          18           William Jaconetti

291          19           Jean S Narimatsu

292          20           Susan Narimatsu

324          21           Timothy Tremaine

342          22           Stephen Bergren

349          23           Timothy Canty

355          24           Tim Schultheis

358          25           Bradford Lee (NV)

363          26           Frank Oliveri

364          27           Michael Ogata (FL)

370          28           Jeanette J Narimatsu

371          29           Julie K Narimatsu

374          30           Joe Kajita (CA)

378          31           Eiko Shepherd

381          32           Bill Dunning(deceased)

382          33           Yasko Odagiri

383          34           Wren Odagiri

385          35           Cary Yamanaka (MN)

387          36           Don Bordeau

There are currently only 36 Life Members in Illinois.  You can start a membership for $75 minimum start payment and $25 per payment thereafter until completed.  You can pay by cash, check or credit card.  For more information, please contact www.usjudo.org  and select “LIFE MEMBERSHIP” Let’s do our share in Illinois.   Thanks.

USA JUDO NEWS:  Complete coverage of articles are available at the USA Judo website at http://www.usjudo.org/   Click on the What’s New page to see all the recent news items.

 

Senior Competition Opportunities 


2009 British Open

The 2009 British Open, a USA Judo Senior B-Level Point Tournament, will be held May 2-3 in London.  Athletes interested in competing must contact Alyssa Johnson with travel itinerary by April 6 at JohnsonA@usajudo.us.                    Click here for more information.

 

2009 Swiss Open  

The 2009 Swiss Open, a USA Judo Senior B-Level Point Tournament, will be held April 18-19 in Baar/Zug, Switzerland.  Athletes interested in competed must submit their names to Alyssa Johnson by March 6 at JohnsonA@usajudo.us.

Nina Cutro-Kelly to Compete at Paris Grand Slam on Sunday (Colorado Springs, Colo.) - Former Senior Nationals silver medalist Nina Cutro-Kelly (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo) will be the first U.S. player to compete in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament when she takes the mat at the Paris Grand Slam on Sunday

 
In a new move, the International Judo Federation recently announced that selection for the 2012 Olympic Games would be largely based upon World Rankings in a system where athletes begin earning points at the Paris Grand Slam and continue doing so through April 2012.

 
Cutro-Kelly - one of only two U.S. players to currently hold an A-Level ranking - will have plenty of high level international competition in her 78kg division... more> 

 

Paris Grand Slam Results
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) - The sole U.S. player competing at the Paris Grand Slam, Nina Cutro-Kelly (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo),was eliminated in the first round of the 78kg division on Sunday.  Cutro-Kelly lost her opening match by ippon (instant win) Seda Unal (TUR).  Click here for complete tournament results. 

Early Entry Deadline Extension for the Youth and Scholastic National Championships
Due to President's Day weekend, the early entry deadline for the 2009 USA Judo Youth and Scholastic National Championships will now be Wednesday, February 18.  All entry forms must be postmarked by February 18th in order to receive the discount.  Any entry forms postmarked after the 18th will be considered late entries and will need to include the correct entry fee as listed in the entry packet.

The 2009 USA Judo Youth and Scholastic National Championships will be held March 28-29 in York, Pa.  Click here for more information and to download the entry packet.

 

2009 Cadet World Team Trials to be held during the Youth and Scholastic National Championships
USA Judo is pleased to announce that the 2009 USA Judo Youth and Scholastic National Championships (March 28-29 in York, Pa.) will serve as the Trials for the 2009 Cadet World Championships.  As such, in order to qualify for the Cadet World Championships, all athletes MUST compete in the Juvenile B division of the 2009 USA Judo Youth and Scholastic National Championships... more>

The Cadet World Championships will be held August 6-9, 2009 in Budapest, Hungary. The Cadet division coincides with our Juvenile B's and includes athletes born in 1993 or 1994. 

 

San Jose Buddhist Sensei Memorial Tournament Results
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) - One hundred and thirty-six athletes competed in the elite divisions of the San Jose Buddhist Sensei Memorial Tournament at San Jose State University. 
 
Among the competitors, 2008 U.S. Open silver medalist Jeff Fong (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San JoseStateUniversity) had more than just a medal on the line while competing on his home turf.
 
Fong needed to place in the top two of the 66kg division to move from #1 to #2 on the USA Judo Senior Elite National Roster, passing Olympian Taylor Takata (Wahiawa, Hawaii / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center), and earn a berth to the Pan American Championships in March... more>

Pedro's Challenge Results
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) - Pedro's Challenge, the first USA Judo Senior E-Level Point Tournament of the year, was held in Wakefield, Mass. on Saturday.
 
Among the gold medalists at the event were the following players: