The 2016 Shufu Kata Team: Capriotti, Lifschitz, Gouthro, Burton, Tamai, Jackson, Smith (Texas), Vall, Fisher, Schwalm (Texas), Kettl, Newcomer Jr (Texas), Whilden, Newcomer Sr (Texas), McPartland
Competitors representing Shufu Yudanshakai rolled through the national judo championships on April 9th and 10th, held at the Irving (Texas) Convention Center, sweeping up gold, silver, bronze, and high placings in the kata and shiai (combat) categories.
Karl Tamai and Diane Jackson
These outstanding performances were led by Karl Tamai and Diane Jackson, who repeated as overall mixed kata champions with gold medals in Nage No Kata, Katame No Kata, and Ju No Kata. Their dominant performance resulted in the highest number of points among all men’s, women’s, and mixed teams in those three katas.
Wayne Lifschitz and Monty Burton
Leah Fisher and Margie Kettl
In Nage No Kata, Wayne Lifschitz and Monty Burton earned a silver in the men’s division, Lisa Capriotti and Robert Gouthro earned the silver in the mixed group, and Leah Fisher and Margie Kettl took home the gold in the women’s category.
For the Katame No Kata division, Capriotti and Gouthro secured their second silver in the mixed, with Mark Smith and Lori Pierce placing fifth.
Terence McPartland and Karen Whilden
In Ju No Kata, Capriotti and Gouthro took home the bronze in mixed division, with Terence McPartland and Karen Whilden placing fourth. Burton and Lifschitz placed fifth in the men’s division.
Lisa Capriotti and Rob Gouthro
Capriotti and Gouthro won gold in the mixed Kime No Kata.
In the Kodokan Goshin Jutsu, Capriotti and Gouthro returned to the podium for the gold in mixed,
Fisher and Kettl took home their second gold in the women’s, and Burton and Lifschitz scored bronze in the men’s.
Mark Smith and Lori Pierce
In the shiai categories, Lori Pierce took the silver in the +70 kg Visually Impaired category, Leah Fisher took home gold in the 70 kg
Women’s Masters,
Adam Moyerman
Lisa Capriotti took the gold in the 57 kg Women’s Masters, Adam Moyerman won gold in the 73 kg Men’s Masters,
Jesse Ingram
and the Eric Spears-coached Ingram father-and-son duo took gold in the 81 kg Men’s Masters division (Jesse), and the bronze in the 90 kg Men’s Masters (Damani).
But wait..there’s more!
Roy Englert, Jr., Chair of the Shufu Referee Commission, was the Chief Referee of this
Damani Ingram Throwing for Ippon
year’s senior nationals, yet another feather in his multi-feathered cap. Roy has been an IJF-A referee for 20 years, and is WAY more than qualified to have led the referees at the premiere national tournament of the United States.
Coach Eric Spears with Damani Ingram
And Shufu’s own,
newly-minted IJF-A referees Sharon Landstreet and Karl Tamai were outstanding in their first nationals appearances with IJF-A certification.
Chief Referee Roy Englert
Sharon Landstreet, IJF-A Referee
Karl Tamai, IJF-A Referee
Shufu’s tough-to-miss-but-hiding-right-there-on-the-mat
Bobby Donaldson, IJF-B, was seen working the matches with his quiet, controlled demeanor, and Will Reardon, working for the first time at the nationals as a national-certified referee, reflected well
Bobby Donaldson, IJF-B Referee
upon Shufu and the training he has received from the long line of high-level referees that Shufu has produced over many years under the
Will Reardon, US National Referee
guidance of Tim Dalton, Dick Hugh, Jim Takemori, and Roy Englert, Jr.
Roy Nanjo and Chuck Medani just hung out at the edge of the mats, taking an occasional picture and exchanging photography trash-talk. (“Why would you ever shoot at f/4.0 when you’re using an ISO of 5,000, fool?”)
A hugely successful national championships for Shufu! Congratulations to all for their dedication, hard work, and skill.
Roy Nanjo’s
Gallery 1
Gallery 2
Damani Ingram and Jesse Ingram
