Konno Sensei and Nomura Sensei

Posted by Allen Gordon on Wednesday, August 15th, 2001 with No Comments

  For the past year, EBJI has been proud to host Mr. Jun Konno of Japan as a guest instructor. Mr. Konno has a superlative judo record and reputation. He is a former two-time winner of the All Japan Judo Championships, a tournament thought by many to be the toughest tournament in the world. He...

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Sayaka shares her thoughts about the 2001 Junior World Games in Tunisia

Posted by Allen Gordon on Wednesday, November 1st, 2000 with No Comments

  Sayaka shares her thoughts about the 2001 Junior World Games in Tunisia The Junior Worlds was undoubtedly one of the best experiences I have had in my life. I am only 18 years old, yet I’ve had the opportunity to travel to countries all around the world. But despite going to places like Sweden,...

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What I’ve learned at EBJI — Philip Lau

Posted by Allen Gordon on Tuesday, February 1st, 2000 with No Comments

  The first time I went to East Bay Judo it was on a summer day during school vacation. It was one of my worst days ever. That first practice was and hard compared to anything I had ever done before. After that practice I felt miserable. At that time I didn’t like judo. I...

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Memories of Nate Cutler

Posted by Allen Gordon on Monday, February 1st, 1999 with No Comments

  Memories of Nate Cutler By Ken Kokka I have known Nate Cutler long enough that I’m not sure when we first met – some time in the early 1980s. I was still in high school. Nate referred to himself as "the old man" – usually as in, "Don’t let this old man beat you."...

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The Little Mouse

Posted by Allen Gordon on Monday, February 1st, 1999 with No Comments

  The Little Mouse By Frances Dea My life has changed significantly because of Judo. As a woman I have learned, through Judo, to trust the way my body moves and to be aggressive in order to accomplish my goals. I have been amazed by the changes I have gone through; getting accustomed to being...

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The Favorite

Posted by Allen Gordon on Monday, February 1st, 1999 with No Comments

  You could say that my grandma, Mitsuno "Mitsi" Matsumoto, was a very interesting person. She loved to go out with her friends, read books, and even loved to clean the house. Organization was very important to her. All her CD’s were in alphabetical order, neatly arranged on the living room shelf. She even had...

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My Memory with Mom

Posted by Allen Gordon on Monday, February 1st, 1999 with No Comments

  Mom was a special person. Not only to me but also to her three sons, including my husband – David, and her seven grandchildren, including our daughter – Sayaka. She had an excellent memory and great organizing skills. She really enjoyed shopping, going out with her friends, but most of all she enjoyed cleaning...

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My First Judo Tournament

Posted by Allen Gordon on Monday, February 1st, 1999 with No Comments

  I began judo in September of 1998 and went to my first tournament in November. I wanted to be in a tournament because I thought I would actually win. It was a bummer when I lost all five of my matches. The tournament was at City College in San Francisco. I got there at...

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Women’s Judo Class

Posted by Allen Gordon on Wednesday, July 1st, 1998 with No Comments

  I was watching one of the regular classes at the East Bay Judo Institute. It was fascinating the way that very very big people and very very small people were able to train together without anyone busting a gut or getting completely squished. The training I saw was vigorous. It looked as though there...

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Olympic Dreams

Posted by Allen Gordon on Friday, November 1st, 1996 with No Comments

  Editor’s Note: Last year, we were proud to be represented in the Olympic Trials, and later in Olympic-related activities, by our own Dedra Phillips. As she relates below in her story, the road to the Olympics for many start many years prior to the Games. The ultimate purpose of Judo, of course, is to...

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