ILLINOIS JUDO NEWSLETTER – IPPON!!!

ILLINOIS JUDO NEWSLETTER – IPPON!!!

May 10, 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.

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Contents:
EDITORIAL – Changing of the Guard

Referee Corner –

Local News

Something to Think About –

Upcoming Events

USA Judo Life Members

USA Judo News

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EDITORIAL – Changing of the Guard

When I hear “CHANGING OF THE GUARD”, I always think of Arlington National Cemetery or Buckingham Place. But a changing of the guard can also refer to organizations, to business, to your personal life, to the way you look at things and yes, even life. Change is good, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse, but generally good nonetheless.

Change brings on a new season, a renewal of ideas, a rebirth of thought. Change means looking at things in different ways. Change means adapting and maybe making things better. In any organization, change is particularly important because new volunteers bring new ideas and new enthusiasms and excitement. Why else is there such excitement over our new President? Even in business, new people bringing in new ideas and can energize a company, if the lead person is doing his/her job. And in volunteer organizations, change is critical to its life blood. New ideas are needed, if for nothing else, to get more volunteers involved to help.

In volunteer organizations, in particular, stagnation is the bane of growth. The idea of “if it ain’t broke, why fix it” I believe is the start of the death of an organization. At one point, a leader enters a position of leadership and leads. They get to institute new ideas, promote programs, and grow the organization. A lot of the work is done by the leaders themselves or a small group of individuals who are dedicated to his/her goal. Most organization will accept this leadership for a certain period of time, especially if the rank and file do not have to do anything. But as with any idea, any one person is only as good as the weakest link and therefore if the ideas come from only the few, the rest of the organization will not grow with you and subsequently lose interest. Change can renew passion and effort and help an organization become become greater than it individual parts.

Leadership means power and stature, recognition and appreciation. Everyone seeks it, some achieve it, few excel in it. Implicit in the definition of leadership, however, is the ability to balance your goals with those of the organization and to empower everyone to buy into the program. Leadership used to be from the top down, in more or less a dictatorial manner. But times change and this paradigm does not work any more. I believe that leadership should be to empower the rank and file from the top down and to work from the bottom up. Think of it as trickle up empowerment rather than trickle down authorization.

Now read carefully what I just wrote. I did not say that you should dictate from the top down, although there is a component of this – I said you need to empower people from top so that the rank and file will bring about the expected change you desire. I believe leadership today is a balance of guiding people and of allowing folks to make mistakes. Leadership is sometimes knowing when to intervene and knowing when to let well enough alone. Leadership is to lead, to guide, to advise, to show by example and yes, to work just as hard as everyone else.

I have seen many changes in leadership in Illinois and USA Judo in the 50 plus years of observations. Some of these changes have been good, some not. Some successful and some abject failures. But throughout it all, Judo has been resilient and is still around, sometimes in spite of our best efforts to undermine its true principles. I believe that we must remember just a few principles that remain the cornerstone of sport.

1. Leadership is a privilege, not a right. It is earned, not given. Use it wisely and it will bring about successful change. Wise decisions and actions bring about wise leadership. Squander it and the organization dies.

2. Successful organizations do not just happen. They happen because of the dedication of the many to the principles of good governance. It is up to the people to make those in leadership positions accountable for their actions. Don’t be apathetic. Question constantly and relentlessly. But also understand that if you are not a part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Squander this and the organization dies.

3. Everyone in an organization must hold dear the principles of Mutual Welfare and Benefit for All. Said another way, what is good for the organization is good for all and what is good for all is good for the organization. They are not mutually exclusive but are intertwined inexorably by a sense of honor, rightness and evolution. It is the organization and its strength that transcends the individual.

4. Leaders are not born, they are nurtured and developed. Leadership then can be a learned response. Leadership must be practiced at all levels of an organization. It is up to those in leadership positions to train their replacement. Let me repeat: Leaders must train their replacement. By training your replacement, you will/can move onto other leadership positions or you can know that your legacy was one that allowed for the growth of Judo. Either way, the organization wins.

5. Finally, everyone in Judo must understand that working together and being a part of the greater good will ultimately trickle down to the club and its individual members. Support of USA Judo and Illinois Judo and/or other organizations dedicated to these same principles will allow Judo to become strong and viable for future generations to come. Forget this and you will not have Judo for your children or your grandchildren. Squander this and not only will the organization die but Judo will as well.

That will be a sad day and hopefully one that I will never see.

Referee Corner

Over the past few months, several individuals have worked very hard to put out referee information that is useful to players, coaches, referees, players and other interested parties, including parents. I would like to acknowledge this effort and hope that you will all thank them when you see them.

Rick Celotto: Chairman of the Referee Education Committee of the Referee Commission. He has two programs in place which will help all understand the rules better.

· Beginning Referee Education Program – this is a program designed for the new and younger referees to develop their skills in refereeing. It is a training program to develop National Referees in each state using National referees as teaching resources. This program will standardize the teaching so that everyone will be taught the same materials.

· Under the guidance of the USA Judo Referee Commission, the 2009 Rule Changes and Interpretational Adjustments – Official Order of Implementation has been adopted. This document concisely summarizes the changes that have recently been adopted by the IJF and briefly describes how to interpret these changes. It is by no means a complete guide to the interpretations. A more complete explanation of the rules should be reviewed from higher level referees (International, Continental or PJC referees).

SEE HANDOUT ATTACHMENT.

Several local referees have stepped up to the plate to coordinate the referee efforts in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

David Malek of Wisconsin, Referee Chairmen
Don Bordeau of Illinois Referee Coordinators
Paul Tarrant of Indiana Chairman, Indiana Referee Development

They along with other National referees and in coordination with Senior referees* will be directing the education of referees in the Midwest. This is a welcome relief to those who have been carrying this responsibility for so many years. All of the senior referees listed will be there to advise and assist in any way possible.

* Kei Narimatsu, International, Illinois
David Smith, International, Indiana
Russ Scherer, International, Ohio
Joon Chi, International, Minnesota
Noboru Saito, International, Michigan
Jay Kim, International, Michigan
Jim Colgan, Continental, Illinois
Paul Jordan, Continental, Ohio
Tom Sheehan, Continental, Michigan
Cary Yamanaka, PJC, Minnesota
Paul Tarant, PJC Indiana
Jerry Wee, PJC, Michigan
Don Flagg, PJC, Michigan

OTHER or LOCAL NEWS:

REMINDER: - IL Open Workout

Next Saturday (May 16) is the IL Judo Open Workout at Barrington Judo. This practice will be mostly Ran Dori, as a final tune-up for the Wolf tournament on the 23^rd.

Flyer is attached, with all the nuts & bolts details.

See you there.

-mike

Tohkon Classic XIV

To All Judo Friends,

The Tohkon Classic XIV registration packet is now available on line on the Tohkon website (www.tohkon.com). You can use the link below to go directly to the registration packet as well.

http://www.tohkon.com/events/tcxivreg.pdf

Our tournament will be on Saturday, June 6^th, 2009. Please note we have a NEW LOCATION for the tournament, The University of Chicago’ Henry Crown Field House in Chicago’s Hyde Park area.

If you have any questions, you can send me an e-mail. All of us at Tohkon look forward to seeing you there!

Sincerely,

Douglas Tono

President & Tournament Director

Spirit of the Eagle International Judo Training Camp ~
TRAINING OPPORTUNITY IN TIME FOR THE 2009 WORLD MASTERS!
The Spirit of the Eagle International Judo Training Camp is July 5-11th in Adrian Michigan. From rookie to blackbelt, junior, senior or master, Eagle Camp offers training that will improve and enhance your skills and abilities.

· Kata and Shiai Instructional tracks

· Daily Randori

· Rookie Coach class

· Instruction by World Class Coaches

· Family Friendly
Please go to www.judocamp.org to register or you can email juleecope@hotmail.com for further information.

Something to Think About –

This is something you should watch: Sensei Fukuda is a National Treasure and a lady in its truest Judo sense.

Keiko Fukuda
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8UiYo-5vzA <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8UiYo-5vzA>

Edie Connolly

http://www.hcnonline.com/articles/2009/04/29/conroe_courier/news/lupus0430.txt

Thanks to Hayward Nishioka for sending these video clips

YouTube - Judo Tokyo 1964: Inokuma (JPN) - Kiknadza (USSR)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfqFog35FJM&NR=1

YouTube - Yamashita's combination o uchi gari/o soto gari

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPmk5fmCHgg&NR=1

UPCOMING EVENTS – 2009

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

May 9 Morris Cup Burnt Hills, NY

Contact info: Jason Morris silver92@albany.net http://judo.teamusa.org/event/event/908

May 16 N-S Judo Tournament Glen Carbon IL

Contact Eiko Shepherd

May 16 IJI Open Workout Barrington IL

Contact Mike Minton 1-312-543-9551 email: mminton@rsimail.com

or Tim Schulteis or Brett Wolf for more detail

May 16 Ohio State Championships Lodi OH See Flyer above

Contact Mike Mooney 440-376-1376 mmooney@academymediagroup.com

May 23 VIII Wolf Junior Tournament Chicago IL
Contact Brett Wolf azumah4@yahoo.com

May 23-24 Am Can International Judo Challenge Buffalo, NY

Contact http://www.amcanjudo.org/

Jun 14 USA Judo National Presidents Cup Championships Gwinnett County, Ga.

Contact Alyssa Johnson johnsona@usajudo.us http://www.judo.teamusa.org/event/event/928

Jun 20-21 USJA Junior National Championships San Diego, Calif.

Jul 11-12 USJF Junior National Championships San Francisco, Calif.

Jul 18-19 2009 International Blind Sports Association World Youth and Student Championships Colorado Springs, CO

Contact: Heidi Moore judoheidi@comcast.net

Jul 24-26 USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships Orlando, Fla.

Contact: Alyssa Johnson johnsona@usajudo.us

Aug 1-2 Junior US Open Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Contact: Gerry Navarro GerryNavarro@aol.com http://www.judonationals.net/

Sept 25-27 USA Judo Senior Open Championships San Jose CA

Nov 7 Gurnee Veterans Day Tournament -- Gurnee, IL
Contact Tim Schultheis (847)244-7847 annetims@comcast.net http://judo.usoc.org/event/event/1157

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.

Earn Senior C-Level Points at the National President's Cup Championships, June 13-14 in Atlanta, Georgia

Tomorrow, May 8, is the deadline for early entries to be postmarked for the National President's Cup Championships, June 13-14 in Atlanta, Ga. Click here to download entry information.

The President's Cup replaces the Fall Classic National Championships and is a Senior C-Level Point Tournament that also will include Masters and Kata divisions.

Athletes who advance to the podium will earn C-Level points on the Senior Elite National Roster.

USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships Entry Packets Now Available

USA Judo is pleased to announce that entry packets are now available for both the domestic and international divisions of the 2009 USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships which will be held July 24-26 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort, WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort in Orlando, Fla.

The domestic competition will be held July 24-25 for athletes born between 1990 and 2003.

Athletes are encouraged to stay for the international competition on July 26 where they will get to compete against players from North and South America.

The USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships is a USA Judo Junior Point Tournament for athletes in the Intermediate, Juvenile and IJF-Junior divisions. Athletes who win a gold medal will receive 10 points on the appropriate Junior Elite National Roster. Silver medalists receive six points and bronze medalists receive four points.

Don't forget... the Junior Olympics also will serve as the Junior World Trials for athletes competing in the IJF-Junior (Born 1990 or Later) division with the winners going on to fight for the gold at the 2009 Junior World Championships, Oct. 22-25 in Athens, Greece.

Click here to download the entry packet and submit your entry today!

Nations looking to send delegations to compete in the International Division can find information on that event by clicking here.

2009 USA Judo Junior Olympics at Disney World: An Event for the Whole Family!

Reminder... The following are two junior point tournaments that will be held in Korea and the Netherlands this summer. Both are great opportunities for athletes under-20 to get valuable international experience.

Partially Funded Junior Competition Opportunity
Jikji Cup
Cheongju, Korea
June 30-July 4, 2009

The Jikji Cup will be held for athletes born in 1990 or later in Cheongiu, Korea from June 30-July 4. Competition will be held in Olympic weight divisions only. U.S. athletes placing in the top five will receive 10 points for a gold medal, six points for a silver medal, four points for a bronze medal or two points for a fifth-place finish on the appropriate USA Judo Junior Elite National Roster(s).

This is a closed tournament with a maximum of one competitor per weight division allowed to compete from each country. Therefore, athletes will be selected for this tournament based upon their ranking on the USA Judo IJF-Junior National Roster following the close of the USA Judo Senior National Championships, April 17-18 in San Diego, Calif.

Invitations will be offered to the highest ranked athlete in each Olympic weight division on the IJF-Junior roster. Should the highest ranked athlete decline to participate in the event, the next highest ranked athlete in that weight division will be offered the slot with subsequent declinations resulting in a progressive movement down the roster, according to the same criteria.

Each athlete will receive free room and board during the competition. USA Judo also will designate a coach and manager for the trip.

Click here for more information.

Judo Vereniging International Judo Tournament
Venray, Netherlands
June 6-7, 2009

The Judo Vereniging International Judo Tournament will be held June 6-7 in Venray, Netherlands.

Competition will be held for athletes born 2001 or later; however, only the Juvenile B (Born 1993-1994) and IJF-Junior (Born 1990 or later) divisions will be pointable as a Junior Tournament Not Listed event. Athletes will be eligible to earn five points for a gold medal, three points for a silver medal or two points for a bronze medal in the aforementioned divisions only. In addition, although the tournament will be contesting 42kg and 46kg divisions for male players born in 1993 or 1994, athletes will not receive points in these divisions as they are not IJF-Junior weights and are not rostered by USA Judo.

In addition, athletes may only compete in ONE DIVISION, per tournament organizer regulations. No double entries will be allowed.

This is an open tournament with no maximum number of competitors allowed per weight division per country. As such, tournament organizers estimate 1,500 athletes will compete in this tournament.

Should at least six U.S. players register for this event by May 15, USA Judo will supply a coach for athletes participating in the tournament.

Click here for more information.

Olympians, Coaches and Referees Support Judo Through the Circle of 100... You are Invited to Join Them Today!

USA Judo launched its new Circle of 100 program over the weekend at the USA Judo Senior, Visually Impaired, Kata and Masters National Championships in San Diego.

The Circle of 100 is a premier group of donors formed to support the growth of judo at all levels - from grassroots through Olympic - in the United States.

"This is a program for those who have been waiting the opportunity to show their support of USA Judo and our athletes," said USA Judo President Lance Nading (Denver, Colo.) "The time has come to reach out to everyone who feels as we all do that, first and foremost, we are all members of Team USA Judo and joining the Circle of 100 will make that statement heard loud and clear." ... more>

Senior National Results

Upsets Abound on First Day of Senior Nationals

Nicole Jomantas April 18, 2009

Aaron Cohen (blue) upset top seed Garry St. Leger in the 90kg division.

(San Diego, Calif.) - There are several fundamental principals of judo that came into play during the finals of the Senior Nationals on Friday night at the Town & Country Resort and Conference Center.

#1: Weight doesn't always matter. #2: Anything can happen when the clock runs down. #3: Watch your penalties.

In the case of Aaron Cohen (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / NYAC / Cohen's Judo), all three of these rules were evident when he upset two-time Pan Am medalist Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC / Legrosports Starrett) in the 90kg division to win a berth on the World Team that will compete in Rotterdam, Netherlands from Aug. 26-29.

Cohen, a two-time World Team member and 2008 Olympic Team alternate in the 81kg division, made the decision to fight up to 90kg shortly after Trials last year.

"I just wanted to have fun and go back to just enjoying judo for awhile. I'll probably go back to 81s in the next year and a half or so, but I figured why worry about the weight when qualification doesn't start til next year anyway," Cohen said of his decision and the recent announcement by the International Judo Federation that Olympic qualification for the 2012 Games would begin in May 2010.

Cohen advanced to the finals against St. Leger where the two seemed to be headed to Golden Score (overtime) with a penalty each when the referees gave St. Leger a second penalty with one second on the clock.

The match was called for Cohen and a fight-off for the World Team slot would be held later in the evening as St. Leger was the #1 seed and all top seeds were given a best-of-three fight-off should they lose a match during the Nationals.

"I was happy in my mind that I won the match, but I didn't totally agree with Garry getting the penalty," Cohen said of the call.

Later, the referees reconvened and brought the players back to the mat. It appeared that a technical problem at the table meant the clock had stopped and the regulation period should have ended before the penalty was awarded.

So they brought St. Leger and Cohen back out for a three-minute Golden Score (overtime) period. Although St. Leger was given a warning penalty, neither player scored and Cohen was awarded the win by a split referee's decision.

"I talked to my Dad before I went out and he just said 'Forget about everything and just go, go, go," Cohen said. "I've been in similar situations before and you just have to get it out of your head.

"Refereeing's a tough job, though, and there's probably a lot more calls that go my way then don't, but you don't ever remember those!" he laughed.

Their first fight-off match for the World Team slot nearly went to overtime as well, but Cohen threw St. Leger with a yuko (quarter-point) score with eight seconds left.

In their second fight-off match, penalties were handed out right and left for stalling and failing to take a grip. As the clock wound down, the score was two penalties by St. Leger to three by Cohen when St. Leger threw Cohen for a yuko and guaranteed the win.

"We were both getting a lot of penalties and I was down, so I tried to pick it up and attack 'cause you've got nothing to lose, but then he just got me," Cohen said.

Cohen would go on to win the third match and a World Team slot when she threw St. Leger with a kata garuma (fireman's carry) for ippon (instant win).

"Garry's one of my best friends and it's hard fighting him, but it's all business on the mat," Cohen said. "I knew me and Garry would be just like when I fought Harry [St. Leger's twin brother who Cohen fought often as an 81kg player]. They're both very athletic, strong players who are tough to throw and you have to grind it out."

Cohen's former division of 81kg became the marquee lineup on Friday when three 2008 Olympians chose to compete at the same weight.

In what many hoped would have been a final match-up, Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center), fought up from 73kg and met Travis Stevens (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) in the second round.

Both players were tied with a penalty each when Stevens took the lead, throwing Reser for a yuko score. The match would be tied again, though, when Stevens was given a second penalty, sending the match to overtime where Stevens threw Reser to win a match that was watched by nearly every person in the venue.

While Stevens would advance to the final, Reser fought through to the bronze medal match, but was thrown for ippon by Harry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC / Legrosports Starrett).

Earlier in the day, St. Leger had advanced to the semifinals, but was armbarred by Taraje Williams-Murray (Bronx, N.Y. / NYAC / Spartak Sports Club). A 60kg player at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games, Williams-Murray fought up three weight divisions on Friday.

"Well, really I'm just getting back into it again and the best guys were fighting 81s and you always want to compete against the best players, so why not?" Williams-Murray said.

Williams-Murray led late in his final match against Stevens, but was thrown by Stevens with 19 seconds left in the match.

The win will send Stevens, a two-time Pan Am Champion and ninth-place finisher in Beijing, to his second World Championships.

Nina Cutro-Kelly (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo) may have been the only player to give up more weight to her opponents than Williams-Murray when the top-ranked 78kg player decided to move up to +78kg where being outweighed by 20 or 30 kilos isn't unusual.

"I worked a lot this year," said Cutro-Kelly who teaches university classes in Rennes, France. "It was hard to keep on weight and compete at a high level at the same time. I cut a lot to fight at the French University Nationals and I missed weight, so I decided to fight up there earlier this year."

Cutro-Kelly had little difficulty winning her first Senior National title in an Olympic weight division when she beat each of her opponents by ippon to advance to a World Team fight-off with two-time Pan Am Team member Mindy Swanson (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri).

"I'm 25 and I've never made a World Team, so I thought I'd move up and try it," Cutro-Kelly said. "I fight big girls all the time in France where they're known for having great heavyweights who are small and they told me that there's no reason why, at 185, I couldn't do it."

In the fight-offs Cutro-Kelly gave up a match to Swanson, but won the other two to qualify for her first World Team.

"I'm going to work in London this summer and train with the British Team, so I won't be far away from the Netherlands at all," she said. "So I'll have no real jet lag to deal with, no weight cutting and I feel good at heavyweight so I'm looking forward to it."

Reigning 63kg National Champion Janine Nakao (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE) and top seed Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center) split their matches in 2008 with Nakao taking the win at Nationals and Ransom winning their U.S. Open match.

This time, Janine led their gold medal final by a yuko before pinning Ransom in the final 30 seconds.

In the fight-off, Ransom threw Nakao with 12 seconds left in the first match, but Nakao forced a another match where she threw Ransom in round two.

In the third round, with Coach Jimmy Pedro (Methuen, Mass.) nearly hoarse from screaming "Tai o!!!" for the past three matches, Nakao threw Ransom with a tai o toshi (body drop throw) to win the match by ippon.

Djamaldin Aliev (Denver, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center) earned his third World Team slot when he threw 2009 Pan Am Team member Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason morris Judo Center) for ippon in the 100kg final.

Olympian Daniel McCormick (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) fought a close match against Steven Sciandra (Forest Hills, N.Y. / NYAC) in the +100kg final, but won both his first Senior National title in the +100kg division and his first trip to the Senior Worlds.

Katie Sell (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center) also won her first Senior National title and World Team berth when she defeated 2008 Junior World Team member Helen Delpopolo (Westfield, N.J.) in the first minute of the 70kg gold medal final.

At only 18-years-old, Junior World Champion Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) added a third Senior National title to her collection of honors and will compete in Rotterdam in the 78kg division.

Competition continues on Saturday with the men's and women's light, middle and Open weight divisions at the Town & Country Resort and Conference Center, 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108.

Preliminary competition begins at 9 a.m. with finals and fight-offs at 5 p.m.

Men's 81kg

1. Travis Stevens (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)*

2. Taraje Williams-Murray (Bronx, N.Y. / NYAC / Spartak Sports Club)

3. Colton Brown (Piscatoway, N.J. / Cranford Judo)

3. Harry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC / Legrosports Starrett)

5. Phillip Farabaugh (Pittsburgh, Pa. / South Hill Judo)

5. Ryan Reser (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center)

Men's 90kg

1. Aaron Cohen (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / NYAC / Cohen's Judo)*

2. Garry St. Leger (Brooklyn, N.Y. / NYAC / Legrosports Starrett)

3. Tony Comfort (Los Angeles, Calif. / LA City College Judo)

3. Jacob Larsen (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Team FORCE)

5. Harry Chandler (Pittsfield, Mass. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

5. Remi Fatoke (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State )

Fight-off Results

Cohen def. St. Leger, 2-1

Men's 100kg

1. Djamaldin Aliev (Denver, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center)*

2. Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

3. Shintaro Higashi (Scarsdale, N.Y. / NYAC)

3. Armen Babayan (Alendale, Calif. / Valley Judo Institute)

5. Damian Ohara (Little Egg Harbor Township, N.J. / Craford Judo)

5. Mark Fletcher (Atlanta, Ga. / Georgia Judo)

Men's +100kg

1. Daniel McCormick (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)*

2. Steven Sciandra (Forest Hills, N.Y. / NYAC)

3. Matthew Walker (Tacoma, Wash. / Ippon Judo)

3. Mark Staniszewski (Garden City, N.Y.)

5. Darryl Sexton (Long Beach, Calif. / Torrance Judo Club)

5. Eric Anderson (Moore, Okla. / USA Stars)

Women's 63kg

1. Janine Nakao (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)*

2. Christal Ransom (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center)

3. Sarah Black (Chico, Calif. / Stanford Judo)

3. Paola Genao-Butler (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center)

5. Jillian Roman (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center)

5. Alix Desmole (San Francisco, Calif.)

Fight-off Results

Nakao defeated Ransom, 2-1

Women's 70kg

1. Katie Sell (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center)*

2. Helen Delpopolo (Westfield, N.J.)

3. Laquinta Allen (Lauderdale Lakes, Fla. / Onikusu)

3. Samantha Bleier (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center)

5. Jennifer Tutass (El Cerrito, Calif. / El Cerrito, Calif. / Stanford Judo)

5. Meagan Higgins (Livermore, Calif. / Northern California Elite Team)

Women's 78kg

1. Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)*

2. Allison Clifford (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)

3. Katinna Rodriguez (Anchorage, Alaska / All Star Judo)

Women's +78kg

1. Nina Cutro-Kelly (San Antonio, Texas / Universal Judo)*

2. Toni Geier (Dumont, N.J. / Tech Judo)

3. Melinda Swanson (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)

Fight-off results

Cutro-Kelly def. Swanson, 2-1

Day 2 Results -

Katelyn Bouyssou Becomes Youngest U.S. Player to Qualify for Senior World Championships

Nicole Jomantas April 19, 2009

(San Diego, Calif.) - At 14-years-old, Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I. / NYAC / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club) became the youngest U.S. player ever to qualify for a Senior World Team on Saturday when she won both the Senior National Championships and the World Team Trials.

Bouyssou advanced to her first Senior National final after wins against Angela Ross (Livermore, Calif. / Northern California Elite Team) and 2008 Junior World Team member Angela Creutzberger (Ballston Lakes, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center).

The #2 seed in the division, Bouyssou was in a must-win situation in her final match against reigning National Champion Natalie Lafon (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center). As the top seed, Lafon would earn the World Team slot if she won the final match. Bouyssou, however, would force a best-of-three fight-off for the slot if she won gold.

"Everyone always says 'You're only 14, there's no pressure. You have plenty of time.' But I always want to be the best," Bouyssou said. "I'm young, and I know I have many years ahead of me, so I just went out there and said that whatever happens, happens. You just have to leave it all out on the mat."

Bouyssou looked calm during her gold medal match, winning by three yuko (quarter-point each) scores.

After winning the final, Bouyssou beamed as she accepted first her gold medal and then her award for the Outstanding Female Competitor of the tournament before going back to preparing for her fight-off series 30 minutes later.

Bouyssou controlled that match as well, throwing Lafon for an early yuko and later for a waza-ari (half-point). In the last minute, Lafon increased her attacks, but Bouyssou countered with a second waza-ari throw to end the match.

In their second fight-off, Lafon attacked continuously, throwing Bouyssou for a yuko in the first minute, but the ninth-grader took Lafon back down to the ground for a second yuko score to tie the score and send the match to overtime.

In the three-minute sudden death period, Bouyssou was given a warning for stalling, but neither player scored. When the match was sent to a referee decision, the match was called for a more aggressive Lafon, forcing a third fight-off.

This time, Lafon appeared to be the more tentative player and Bouyssou capitalized, throwing her for ippon to win the berth on the Senior World Team.

"I'm pretty thrilled. I feel very privileged to be going to the Worlds and I'm going to be training hard," said Bouyssou who set her eyes on Olympic gold at the young age of six. "I told my dad I wanted to win the tournament with the five rings and he didn't know what I was talking about."

Bouyssou's father and coach Serge Bouyssou laughed and said: "I didn't know what she was talking about at first and when your 6-year-old says 'I wanna win the Olympics,' you say 'Oh, ok. Great honey.'"

But his daughter was serious.

"I'd heard somewhere about a guy who won the Olympics and did 1,000 push ups a day, so I decided I'd do that too," Katelyn said. "I could only do 20 at first, but I worked up to 1,000 by around nine and I did 500 situps and jump squats too."

Fortunately, by the ripe old age of 11 Katelyn had become wiser about her habit.

"I found out that doing that many push ups kind of deteriorates your joints so I stopped that, but I'd still sneak some in when nobody was watching," she laughed.

With less than five months until the World Championships, Aug. 26-29 in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Bouyssou plans on continuing her training schedule through the summer when she will compete in the Cadet World Championships during the first week of August in Budapest, Hungary.

"I think Cadets will be a good chance to help make me mentally prepared for what tournaments that size are like," she said.

In a day filled with hotly contested matches, Bouyssou's was just one of eight World Team slots awarded.

Marti Malloy (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) earned her first World Team berth the hard way when she entered the 2007 Senior Nationals as an unranked 63kg player and won a fight-off to compete in Rio de Janeiro. In Brazil, Malloy surprised many when she placed ninth as one of the smallest players in the 63kg division.

Now back down to 57kg, Malloy defeated both top-ranked Angelica Delgado (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami) and 2008 U.S. Open Champion Hannah Martin (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) en route to winning her third straight Senior National title.

After winning the Female Best Technique Award, Malloy threw Delgado for ippon in their first fight-off match.

In their second meeting, Malloy threw Delgado in the last minute for a yuko score and held on to a pin to win the match and her second Senior World Team slot.

Kim Carpenter (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) was not heavily favored to win the 52kg division, but used her underdog status to her advantage, throwing former 48kg Pan Am Games medalist Jeanette Rodriguez (Davie, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami) to win the semifinals and pinning top seed Kayla Chappell (Oklahoma, City, Okla. / USA Stars) to win her first Senior National title.

In their first fight-off, Carpenter armbarred Chappell and then threw her for ippon. Carpenter used her ground game again in her next match when she choked Chappell. Both wins gave Carpenter her first trip to the Senior Worlds.

Beijing Olympic Team alternate Josh O'Neil (Racine, Wis. / Cohen's Judo) had three of the most decisive victories of the night, throwing #1 seed Jeff Fong (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University) for ippon first in the gold medal final and later in two fight-off matches.

Daniel McCormick (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE), a ninth-place finisher in the +100kg division in Beijing, won his first World Team berth on Friday, but he matched the achievement on Saturday when he added the Open division to his World schedule.

Although he lost his final match in the Open division to Tokuzo Takahashi (JPN), McCormick finished as the top American in a division that admits international players and earned a fight-off against Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) who won a silver medal in the 100kg division on Friday.

In their semifinal match earlier in the day, McCormick threw Vashkulat and later choked him to advance to the final.

In the fight-off, however, Vashkulat took an early lead when he armbarred McCormick to win the first match.

McCormick came back, however, throwing Vashkulat in the next to matches to win the Trials.

Three other divisions awarded World Team slots by virtue of the #1 seed winning the division.

One of the most exciting finals of the day was between 73kg top seed Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute) and 2007 Senior Nationals silver medalist Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE).

Although both players attacked throughout a fast-paced match, neither scored until Delpopolo threw Eldred for a yuko in the last eight seconds. Delpopolo attacked again on the next exchange, though, and Eldred countered for a waza-ari score as the buzzer went off to win his first National title.

Aaron Kunihiro (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) won the 60kg division when 2008 National Champion Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center) was awarded four penalties that ended the match.

Reigning Junior World Champion Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE) qualified for the World Team in the 78kg division on Friday, but she added the Open division when she threw heavyweight Melinda Swanson (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri) on the first exchange.

Harrison, McCormick and Kunihiro are just three of five World Team members from the USA Judo National Team FORCE program whose athletes won seven of 16 World Team slots.

Athletes from USA Judo National Training Sites earned 11 slots overall, including two players from the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and one each from San Jose State University and the Jason Morris Judo Center.

Two non-World Championship lightweight divisions also were contested on Saturday.

Veronica Prado (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami) won the 44kg division with four matches each ending in ippons.

Fifty-one-year-old Mickey Matsutmoto (Torrance, Calif. / Gardena Judo) won his fifth Senior National title in the 55kg division.

A complete list of the top five finishers in each division is as follows. * Indicates World Team members. In divisions where fight-offs were needed to determine the World Team member, results of the best-of-three fight-offs are noted as well.

Men's 55kg (Non-World Championship Division)

1. Mickey Matsumoto (Torrance, Calif. / Gardena Judo)

2. Matt Dong (San Jose, Calif. / San Jose Buddhist Judo Club)

3. Hiram Cruz (Jacksonville, Fla. / Ryu Judo Jacksonville)

3. Aaron Fukuhara (Torrance, Calif. / Gardena Judo Club)

5. Ronald Hawthorne (Kansas City, Kans.)

5. Joshua Prado (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami)

Men's 60kg

1. Aaron Kunihiro (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)*

2. Nick Kossor (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)

3. Nico Harriman (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)

3. Vitaliy Vanyan (North Hollywood, Calif. / Mojica Judo)

5. Arnold Toriumi (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)

5. Anthony Kwon (Kaneohe / Hodokan Judo Club)

Men's 66kg

1. Josh O'Neil (Racine, Wis. / Cohen's Judo)*

2. Jeff Fong (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)

3. Brad Bolen (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

3. Rafael Ramos (Union City, N.J. / Camal Judo)

5. Kyle Taketa (Torrance, Calif. / Gardena Judo)

5. Julio Rodriguez (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center)

Fight-off Results

O'Neil def. Fong, 2-0

Men's 73kg

1. Michael Eldred (Fruitland, Idaho / Western Idaho Judo Institute)*

2. Nick Delpopolo (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)

3. David Torres (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)

3. Danny Satinsky (Buffalo Grove, Ill. / Cohen's Judo)

5. Joseph Hashimoto (San Jose, Calif. / Northglenn Judo)

5. Alfred Raymond (Providence, R.I. / Mayo Quanchi Judo Club)

Men's Open

1. Tokuzo Takahashi (JPN)

2. Daniel McCormick (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)*

3. Kyle Vashkulat (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

3. Leonardo Allan (BRA)

5. Brian Pereira (Dambury, Conn. / Stamford Judo)

5. Mike Kannianen (Greeley, Colo. / Northglenn Judo Club)

Fight-off Results

McCormick def. Vashkulat, 2-1

Women's 44kg (Non-World Championship Division)

1. Veronica Prado (Coral Springs, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami)

2. Victoria Burke (Livermore, Calif. / Northern California Elite Team)

3. Nicole Padron (Davie, Fla. / Panther Judo)

3. Vanessa Calimquim (Long Beach, Calif. / South Bay Judo)

Women's 48kg

1. Katelyn Bouyssou (Hope, R.I. / NYAC / Mayo Quanchi Judo)*

2. Natalie Lafon (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center

3. Taylor Ibera (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)

3. Angela Creutzberger (Ballston Lakes, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

5. Lisette Abad (San Jose, Calif. / After-School All-Stars)

5. Amelia Fulgentes (Simi Valley, Calif. / Mojica Judo)

Fight-off Results

Bouyssou def. Lafon, 2-1

Women's 52kg

1. Kim Carpenter (Glenville, N.Y. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)*

2. Kayla Chappell (Oklahoma City, Okla. / USA Stars)

3. Tracy Nagai (Bellevue, Wash. / Budokan Judo)

3. Jeanette Rodriguez (Davie, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami)

5. Jessica Irons (Yorkville, Ill. / USA Judo National Team FORCE / Yorkville Judo)

5. Chrissy Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)

Fight-off Results

Carpenter def. Chappell, 2-0

Women's 57kg

1. Marti Malloy (San Jose, Calif. / USA Judo National Training Site at San Jose State University)*

2. Hannah Martin (Glenville, N.Y. / NYAC / USA Judo National Training Site at the Jason Morris Judo Center)

3. Hana Carmichael (Wakefield, Mass. / USA Judo National Team FORCE)

3. Mindy Chow (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)

5. Angelica Delgado (Miami, Fla. / USA Judo National Training Site at North Miami)

5. Pauline Macias (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center)

Fight-off Results

Malloy def. Delgado, 2-0

Women's Open

1. Kayla Harrison (Wakefield, Mass. / NYAC / USA Judo National Team FORCE)*

2. Mindy Swanson (Honolulu, Hawaii / Hawaii Tenri)

3. Natalie Laursen (Livermore, Calif. / Northern California Elite Team)

3. Vanessa Molina (Uniondale, N.Y. / Combat Judo Academy)

5. Kaitlyn McKim (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center)

5. Meagan Higgins (Livermore, Calif. / Northern California Elite Team)

USA Judo Visually Impaired National Championships Results
Nicole Jomantas April 19, 2009

Ron Hawthorne throws Adam Gonzales in the 66kg division.

(San Diego, Calif.) - USA Judo played host to the first ever Visually Impaired National Championships on Saturday in which blind and visually impaired judo players competed for National titles as the first step on the road to the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

After placing seventh in the his 100kg division in the Senior Nationals for sighted players on Friday, 2008 Paralympian Myles Porter (Colorado Springs, Colo. / USA Judo National Training Site at the Olympic Training Center / Boulder Judo Training Center) took less than a minute total to win each of his three matches in the visually impaired division.

Porter's Paralympic teammate Greg Dewall (Chico, Calif. / Stanford Judo), a bronze medalist as a heavyweight in Beijing, moved down to 90kg where he was upset by newcomer Jason Keaton (Elizabethtown, Ky. / Fort Knox Judo). Although Keaton is new to the Paralympic scene, he has competed extensively in Brazilian Jujitsu and coaches Mixed Martial Arts fighters.

The only female U.S. Paralympian to win a medal in judo, Lori Pierce (Austin, Texas / University of Texas) fought in her first tournament since the 2004 Games where she won a silver medal, but she placed second in both the Open and 78kg divisions behind Christella Garcia (Sacramento, Calif. / Sacramento Judo Club), a 2007 Blind World Team member, and Katie Davis (Sacramento, Calif. / Team Sacramento), respectively.

Andre Watson (Philadelphia, Pa. / Liberty Bell Judo) competed in the 90kg division at the Beijing Paralympic Games, but moved down to 81kg where he was upset by Adnan Gutic (St. Lois, Mo. / White Dragon Judo Club).

Ronald Hawthorne (Kansas City, Kans. / Cahill's), a 2007 Blind World Team member, placed fifth in the sighted 55kg division just two hours earlier when he fought up to 66kg in the visually impaired division. Although Hawthorne gave up approximately 20 pounds to his competitor, he still defeated Adam Gonsalez (Kansas City, Mo. / Welcome Mat Judo).

Gonsalez added a second division to his repetoire, fighting up to 73kg where he beat Michael Davis (Sacramento, Calif. / Team Sacramento).

Complete results for all divisions are as follows:

Visually Impaired Women's 52kg
1. Tina Thomas (Los Angeles, Calif. / Mojica Judo Club)

Visually Impaired Women's 78kg
1. Christella Garcia (Sacramento, Calif. / Sacramento Judo Club)
2. Lorena Pierce (Austin, Texas / University of Texas)

Visually Impaired Women's Open
1. Katie Davis (Sacramento, Calif. / Team Sacramento)
2. Lorena Pierce (Austin, Texas / University of Texas)

Visually Impaired Men's 66kg
1. Ronald Hawthorne (Kansas City, Kans. / Cahill's)
2. Adam Gonsalez (Kansas City, Mo. / Welcome Mat)

Visually Impaired Men's 73kg
1. Adam Gonsalez (Kansas City, Mo. / Welcome Mat)
2. Michael Davis (Sacramento, Calif. / Team Sacramento)

Visually Impaired Men's 81kg
1. Adnan Gutic (St Louis, Mo. / White Dragon Judo Club)
2. Andre Watson (Philadelphia, Pa. / Liberty Bell)
3. Romeo Edmead (Brooklyn, N.Y. / Oishi Judo Club)
3. Anthony Johnson (Greensboro, N.C. / Greensboro Judo Club)

Visually Impaired Men's 90kg
1. Jason Keaton (Elizabethtown, Ky. / Fort Knox Judo)
2. Greg Dewall (Chico, Calif. / Stanford)
3. Robert Deese (Billings, Mont. / Martial Arts Academy)
3. Christopher Jones (Hercules, Calif. / Cahill's)

Visually Impaired Men's 100kg
1. Myles Porter (Colordo Springs, CO / OTC)
2. Marty Langworthy (Salt Lake City, UT / )
3. Ryan Jones (Denver, Colo. / Denver Judo)
3. Michael Larsen (San Francisco, Calif. / Cahill's)

Visually Impaired Men's +100kg
1. Johann Shockency (Andover, Minn. / Bemidji State Judo)

USA Judo National Kata Championships Results
(San Diego, Calif.) - The USA Judo National Kata Championships were held on Friday in San Diego, Calif.

Athletes were awarded medals in the men's, women's and mixed categories in five different kata (forms) styles as well as all-around awards.

Complete results are as follows:
Women's Nage no Kata
1. Kerry Forster (Rochester, N.Y. / Bushido Kai) and Jennifer Weill (Maineville, Ohio / Bushido Kai)

Mixed Nage no Kata
1. Jennifer Weill (Maineville, Ohio / Bushido Kai) and Mark Chast (Churchville, N.Y. / Bushido Kai)
2. Diane Jackson (Silver Spring, Md. / Hui O Judo) and Sam Mitani (Calif.)
3. Mary Wakabayashi (Aliso Viejo, Calif. / Bunasawa Kai Judo Club) and Scott Pakiser (Huntington Beach, Calif. / Bunasawa Kai Judo Club)

Men's Nage no Kata
1. Jeff Giunta (Webster, N.Y. / Bushido Kai) and Heiko Rommelmann (Webster, N.Y. / Bushido Kai)
2. Chris Arena (Rochester, N.Y. / Bushido Kai) and Kevin Osz (Rochester, N.Y. / Bushido Kai)
3. Gerardo Telo (Miami, Fla. / Florida International University Judo) and Roberto Alvarez (Miami, Fla. / A. Kolychkine Judo Foundation) ... more>

Actor Bo Svenson Competes in USA Judo Masters National Championships
(San Diego, Calif.) - The USA Judo Masters National Championships had a touch of Hollywood glamour on Saturday in San Diego when actor Bo Svenson (Pacific Palisades, Calif. / Sawtelle Judo Dojo) competed in his first judo tournament in more than 40 years.

Svenson is a television and film actor, whose career has spanned more than 30 years and included the "Walking Tall" series as well as movies such as "Kill Bill 2" and "Speed 2."

Svenson returned to the sport earlier this year with the goal of competing in the World Masters Championships this summer... more>