Northwest Judo Friends and Family:
I hope 2020 has treated you all well so far.
I’d like to share some information as we get ready to jump into the 2020 tournament season:
(I) The Washington State Judo Championships is fast approaching, and will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2020. I am attaching the entry information here, with entry forms to follow once we receive the sanction number. The registration link is live at: http://bit.ly/2020WAstate
We are, unfortunately, having to hold the tournament on the same day as the Washington State High School Wrestling Championships, which I understand affects many of our young judoka. It has been especially difficult to secure a venue for a date that does not conflict with another judo tournament, and this is the date that we ended up with. The earlier we can plan for next year’s tournament, the less likely we are to run into this sort of conflict, so if there are any dojos that would be willing to consider hosting the event next year, please let me know.
(II) We are also very happy to announce that Marti Malloy will be giving a clinic the day after the WS Championships (Sunday, February 23) at Seattle Dojo, from 9:00 to 11:00 am for juniors and from 12:00 to 2:00 pm for seniors. A preliminary flyer is attached, with official application paperwork forthcoming once we receive our sanction number. Marti has also agreed to be at the tournament on Saturday to meet our local judoka. Let’s give her a warm welcome together!
(III) Again in 2020, two of our local judoka were honored with full scholarships to participate in the Kakehashi Project, an exchange program promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. As Judo was one of the themes of this year’s program, Nausikaa Davis of Zenyu Dojo and Davon Johnson of Ippon Dojo were selected to represent the United States in a tour of several elite dojos in Tokyo around Japan. We are very proud of you both!
(IV) As I mentioned in my newsletter last spring, we were happy to see all 40+ WSJI athlete scholarships go to deserving judoka from the NW who traveled to national events in 2019. We were also able to fund several young judoka and a few coaches who represented the Northwest and the United States at international tournaments. Finally, we were able to support several of our referees in their travel to national and international events. Thank you all for representing us so well. We will, fortunately, be able to continue this support into 2020, as described below in the 2020 budget.
(V) The Northwest welcomed several distinguished guests to the area in 2019. Among these were Shintaro Nakano, who came to give a clinic at Seattle Dojo; Marti Malloy and Haruka Tachimoto, who gave clinics at Seiei Dojo; and Misato Nakamura, who made her home at Budokan Dojo for three months while touring and giving clinics to local dojos. These relationships with our friends and fellow judoka around the world have allowed us all to grow immensely, and we look forward to their return to the Northwest.
(VI) The Executive Committee has drafted and approved a budget for 2020. We are happy to announce that, in response to the success of last year’s athlete scholarship program, we have decided to again increase the amount of funding available to applicants.
- Athlete Support
$5000.00 [50 scholarships, up to $100.00 per event/individual]
USA Judo National Youth Championships
USA Judo Senior Nationals
Eligible competitive events: USA Judo Junior Olympics
USA Judo Presidents Cup & Dallas Invitational
NCJA Collegiate Nationals
US Open - Referee Development
$2000.00 [up to $500.00/individual]
- Elite Athlete Scholarships (travel to Pan American/IJF events)
$2000.00 [Chosen by USA Judo to represent or if self-selected, Exec. Board approval] - Geo. L. Wilson Scholarship
$ 500.00 - Continental Judo Crown
$1500.00 - Administration
$ 300.00
Total Expected Expenditures $11,300.00
Similar to the last two years, we will have a brief online form for applicants to fill out for the Athlete Support funding, and will hopefully provide a link to everyone in March. I will send out more information as soon as it becomes available.
Again this year, to encourage those who compete nationally to give back to the Northwest in the form of participation in our local tournaments, the monetary amount of the 2020 scholarships for travel to national events will be tied to the recipient’s level of participation in local tournaments. Specifically, the recipient will be awarded $25 for each local tournament entered in 2019, up to a maximum of $100 for each scholarship.
Similarly, the scholarships for elite athlete travel will also vary in amount from $125 for participation in 1 local tournament, to $500 for participation in 4+ local tournaments.
(VIII) I am attaching the 2020 WSJI dojo registration forms. Please complete one for your dojo and send the completed application to Doug Graham at the address indicated in the form.
(IX) At this point, the upcoming NW tournament schedule looks like this:
February 22: Washington State Judo Championships (Kentwood HS)
February 23: Marti Malloy Clinic (Seattle Dojo)
March 13-15: Pacific International (Richmond, BC)
March 21: Obukan (Portland, OR)
April 18: Budokan Dojo Tournament (Kentridge HS)
April 25: Lakeland Judo Tournament (Coeur d’Alene, ID)
May 2: Seattle Dojo Tournament (Bellevue, WA)
May 23: Inland Empire (Spokane, WA)
(X) Finally, the IJF Referee Committee has released a “Detailed Explanation of the IJF Judo Refereeing Rules” for 2020. This can be found at:
Special thanks to Barbara Shimizu, Calvin Terada, and Mark Hirota for representing the Northwest and the United States at the most recent rules seminar in Doha, Qatar last month.
Please do forward this message to members of your dojo.
WSJI Club Registration Form 2020
Warmly,
Brian Toth, President
Washington State Judo, Inc.