by Diane Tamai Jackson
Ten Shufu kata teams brought home six first place, six second place, and six third place honors from the 2015 USA Judo Senior Nationals held on May 2-3, 2015 in Irving, Texas, while on the individual shiai side, Shufu collected two first places and a second to add to the winnings.
Jesse Ingram (College Park), Kimberly Kiersarsky (College Park and Sport Judo), Julio Moreno (Dale City and Sport Judo), and Charles
Fout (Sport Judo) had their turn the next day, competing in the Seniors and Masters, with Ingram taking home his third consecutive gold in the Master’s 73 kg category, Kiersarsky taking her first Masters Gold, Fout taking silver in his division, and Moreno also competing in the Masters.
In Kata, Karl Tamai and Diane Tamai Jackson (College Park Judo/Hui-O-Judo) led the way placing first in Mixed Nage, Katame, and Ju, winning the Mixed Kata Team Championship for the tournament, edging out the Shufu team of Lisa Capriotti and Rob Gouthro, who placed in all five kata, taking first place in Mixed Kime and Goshin, second in Nage, and third in Ju and Katame.
Both the Tamai-Jackson and Capriotti-Gouthro teams were on the 2014 USA Kata Team for the Kata World Championships held in Malaga, Spain.
It was the second US Nationals for Mark Smith and Laurel Faust (Hui-O-Judo), who placed second in Mixed Kime and fourth in Nage. Former 2013 World Kata Team members Theodore Schwalm and Bruno Smith, based in Texas but members of Shufu, placed second in Men’s Ju, and third in Goshin and Katame.
Impressively, seven Shufu teams had at least one member from a former World Kata Championship team. Equally impressive, four teams were new pairings for nationals.
Wayne Lifshitz and Monty Burton (NIH) placed second in Men’s Nage and fifth in Goshin, only 1.5 points from third place, and Margie Kettl and Leah Fisher (Hui-O-judo/DC Judo) won the Women’s Goshin in both teams’ first appearance in the National Kata Championships.
2013 World Kata team member Bill Brownlowe (Fairview Judo Kai) returned with a new partner, Lou Fattizzo (Aldan Judo), to take fourth in Men’s Kime, missing third place by a mere half point.
2014 World Kata team member Doug Newcomer returned to take second place in the Men’s Nage with his brother Wilbern, second in Mixed Katame and third in Mixed Kime with Jennifer Lindsey, and third in Men’s Kime with son Doug Jr.
Also cheering for Team Shufu were photographer Chuck Medani and Coach Eric Spears, Shufu president and vice-president, respectively, and photographer Roy Nanjo, the head Sensei of Villanova Judo.
Roy Englert, the Chairman of Shufu’s Referee Committee, was Chief Referee for these National Senior Championships, the third time he has had this honor. In addition to guiding the 67 referees from across the country, Roy, an IJF-A International Referee, led the Shufu contingent of IJF-B Continental Referees Karl Tamai, Sharon Landstreet, Tad Nalls, and Bobby Donaldson, and National Referee Peter Pollack.
And a Few More Words about Kata…
Interest in kata is increasing in the US and around the World, with Shufu leading the way in the US with 10 of the 26 teams that competed at Nationals. Shufu also had three judges (Peggy Whilden, Fran Vall, and Karen Whilden), who were three of the essential kata experts necessary for a high quality tournament.
The USA Judo Sr. Nationals is not only our national championship but it is also the qualifier for the USA team for the World Judo Kata Championship, to be held September 19-20 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Interested in starting or improving your kata locally? The next Shufu tournament with kata will be the Eastern Open on September 5th in Baltimore, followed by the Faye Allen Kata Championship and clinic on September 26 in Washington DC hosted by DC Judo (you know what they say…Big City, Big Judo). The Faye Allen kata clinics will focus on Ju no Kata and Nage no Kata. See you on the mat!
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