Team Shufu Successful at U.S. National Championships in Shiai and Kata

May 9, 2015
Teram Shufu at the 2015 National Judo Championships

Team Shufu at the 2015 National Judo Championships

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

Isaac, Kiersarsky, Spears, and Moreno

Isaac, Kiersarsky, Spears, and Moreno

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.

 

Diane Tamai Jackson and Karl Tamai

Diane Tamai Jackson and Karl Tamai

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.

Capriotti and Gouthro

Capriotti and Gouthro

 

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.

 

Lifshitz and Burton

Lifshitz and Burton

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.

Kettl and Fisher

Kettl and Fisher

 

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.

Brownlowe and Fattizo

Brownlowe and Fattizzo

 

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.

Nanjo

Nanjo

Medani

Medani

Spears

Spears

 

Chief Referee Roy Englert

Chief Referee Roy Englert

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.

Karen and Peggy Whilden

Karen and Peggy Whilden

 

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.

 

Fran Vall

Fran Vall

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!

 

Gallery 1

 

Gallery 2

 

Shufu Shinbun is BACK !

This newsletter is presented in memory of Malcolm Hodges who was a dedicated Shufu and Washington Judo Club member for many years and wrote and was the editor of the monthly Shufu Shinbun newsletter.

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Coach Certification

SafeSport Certification is now required for all USJF registered clubs. If you have already completed the course and submitted a copy of your certificate, you do not need to resubmit. For more information or to take the course, please visit https://athletesafety.org/

Heads Up concussion training, through the CDC’s website, is a requirement for all members of your USJF registered club who function as teachers at any time. Please advise all of your instructors and assistant instructors of this requirement. The training can be accessed at: http://www.cdc.gov/headsup/

Hilaire Notewo Seeking Donations for Judo Programs in the Ivory Coast, Needs Gis and Equipment

Longtime Shufu Judo member Hilaire Notewo is planning to relocate to Côte D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Africa in late November/December. He will be supporting judo programs, but equipment (esp. judo uniforms) are difficult to come by.  Hilaire is looking for gently used judo gis and other equipment.  Hilaire will also be visiting and donating goods to orphanages.  Should you have gently used shoes, clothes for teenagers, youths, and toddlers, kindly make them available to Hilaire.

If you would like to donate to this effort, you can send your donation to the following address:

Hilaire Notewo

7401 New Hampshire Ave. #1003

Takoma Park, MD  20912

Or contact him via his email address: hilson79@gmail.com 202 945 3781.