Hawaii Tenri Judo is kicking butt!

[jjmuaythaiguy]

As some of you may know, to even out my grappling gi game I decided to take judo. I was invited to visit but then fell in love with Tenri Judo in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Well, its been six months, I got my green belt and I learn from watching the smallest of kids to the nationally ranked judoka. I got to brag here and tell you that Tenri Judo is just kicking butt.

My coaches also coach two schools. One coaches a public high school, Farrington High School. The other coach teaches at a private school called Punahou High School. Both schools have Tenri Judo students who practice at their respective high schools and THEN come to Tenri. Here is our list:

State Champions:
Taylor Ibera - Farrington High School
Chrissy Chow - Punahou High School
Tani Ader - Farrington High School
Arnold Toriumi - Punahou High School
Daniel Chow - Punahou High School

Runner Ups:
Marisa Fukunaga
Logan Bucsit

Third Place
Patrick Sheehan
Sean Tachibana

Fourth Place
Cody Fernandez

Sixth Place
Macky Tachibana

Other information from our website:

Tani Ader and Daniel Chow, both Tenri judoka have been chosen to be inducted into the HHSAA Hall Of Honor for the year of 2008. The Hall of Honor selects 12 Senior Athletes each year to honor at an annual banquet on June 8th.
Here is a link to Wes Nakamo's article in the Advertiser naming the 12 honorees:
Hall of Honor selects 12 recipients | HonoluluAdvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser

Both Tani and Daniel have each won three State Championships in Wrestling and three State Championships in Judo.

On the international level Tenri Judo student Melinda Swanson, helped the U.S. come in second at the Judo Pan Ams, according to this article:

2008 Pan Am Team Results

Tani is also on pages 12/13 of the ESPN 1420 magazine here:
Preview ESPN 1420 Magazine: May-08

Now Sports Illustrated has decided to name Punahou High School the top ranked athletics school in the nation:

Punahou athletics ranked best in U.S. | HonoluluAdvertiser.com | The Honolulu Advertiser

I was told that Senei Greg Chow who coaches the Punahou boys judo team may be mentioned in the article with photos.

Here is our website: hawaiitenrijudo.com

Congrats to all the Tenri coaches and students for their success. Thanks for letting me part of the family of judo.

 

[YeahBee]

congrats to you for finding a kickass comp school

 

[YeahBee]

are you small enough to compete on equal terms with those high schoolers thou?

 

[jjmuaythaiguy]

are you small enough to compete on equal terms with those high schoolers thou?

Hahaha, not most of them, they too small.

But this one 300lber that is not in high school and a 275 lber that is in high school that come that I train with. The 300lber got two kids Teshya and Teniya Alo who compete in judo for Tenri and in bjj for Relson Gracie. If you google their names you will see the dad in some pics, he wrestled in college and he is a handfull.

Last night drilled with the 275lber, he is polynesian, like me, but young (junior/senior) and plays football so he was a tough guy to randori with.

Coaches kids, Daniel, Chrissy and Mindy Chow, all wrestle and judo champs. Their mom is a world champ I think and at least competed at the world level. Their dad was a fierce competitor also. Both are so awesome and patient with me. I can't begin to thank them both enough.

TENRI ROCKS!

 

[TheGambler13]

Congrats man, how is the BJJ scene in Hawaii?

 

[Slithers]

sweet!

i'm jealous. my high school didn't even have a wrestling team. (they do now though)

sounds like an incredible learning environment, especially for the kids.

 

[Valiss]

I'm sorry, but Logan Bucsit is a hilarious name!

 

[Darkslide632]

I have heard only good things about Tenri.

 

[jjmuaythaiguy]

I have heard only good things about Tenri.

They do it all, standing, ground work, mental imaging/visualization, breathing, grip fighting etc. We got mat space galore, the place is meticulous and super clean. Here is other news from our school:

hawaiitenrijudo.com

Both Mindy Swanson and Taylor Ibera are the number one ranked player in the country. Mindy in the Open division


and Taylor in the -44kgs division.


Also four of our players have been invited to the USA Judo Olympic trials in June in Las Vegas.


Melinda Swanson, Chrissy Chow, Mindy Chow and Daniel Chow have all qualified for the trials.


You want mat space? Our tatami mat size is 16 meters by 16 meters. Look at the website under location and times:

hawaiitenrijudo.com

 

[BJJ in Chicago]

just did some research and found out there's a tenri judo in chicago. how interesting.

 

[jjmuaythaiguy]

just did some research and found out there's a tenri judo in chicago. how interesting.

I also found this article with Sherdog interviewing Dave and Dan Camarillo who just happen to have Tenri Judo experience:

David and Daniel Camarillo

Middle section first page:

Our father was completely dedicated to Judo. He would travel to Los Angeles 2 to 3 times a week just to practice at a club called Tenri Judo. Tenri at the time, in the early 80

 

[BJJ in Chicago]

do you think the tenri in chicago has any value?

 

[georgejjr]

Sounds pretty nice

 

[jjmuaythaiguy]

do you think the tenri in chicago has any value?

I can't say since I don't know of or met anyone from there. I will say this. When someone asks me about a place I tell them to google and research the hell out of a place, then call and ask if its alright to visit. Then visit and stay for the day and see how you like the classes and the instructors.

Tenri Judo in Hawaii is run out of the Tenri Buddist Church. That being said, they really take care of the judo school and to tell you the truth I don't know anyone that goes to the church. They don't push their religion on us but give us a prime location in Hawaii and really take care of us there. I know we are tight with the original Tenri Judo from Japan since they visit all the time and give seminars and stuff. Other Tenri schools in the U.S., I don't know if they are on church grounds like us or just claim the name. You really got to check.

To me its the Tenri judo school does not have the overhead costs so therefore they are able to allow anyone to train that wants to learn judo. They are not after making any money, just improvement of one's self. I think my dues when I start bjj was $100 a month 4 years ago. Right now, I only pay $20 a month for unlimited training in Tenri Judo. I come right after bjj and they don't care what judo gi I wear (for the record I am using Fuji Double - Judo, one blue and one bleached white) but I see people wearing all kinds of gis, from Mizuno to Addidas. Infact the Alo sisters sometimes go to judo practice with their Atama bjj gis and Relson Gracie Competition patches on. When its cold they allow the students to wear sweats under the gi with the hoods on top. Another judo school in Hawaii that I know of you have to buy their judo gi and it has to be white and it has to be worn accurately at all times and blah, blah, blah.

At Tenri judo, its get your gi on and start training. I love it.

 

[Ghost Dog]

one time bob uchi mata'd me straight into a gogoplata from side control. i didnt even think that was possible, but it happened.... twice.

but seriously, keep it up bob. sorry i havent been at the academy this week, family in town, then im off to kauai and maui for 5 days.

 

[QingTian]

there are some tough bastards at LA Tenri.

 

[jjmuaythaiguy]

If anyone has Sports Illustrated, the article on Punahou School has Tenri Judo student Daniel Chow hip tossing a female judoka in the picture portion of the article. I read the article and it does not mention judo that much but still boys judo team is mentioned and is coached by Tenri head coach Greg Chow, (Daniel's dad) and Tenri senior student Koji. Congrats to them all!

 

[lewdev]

I just want to point out that Tenri is a part of Tenrikyo, an entirely different religion from Buddhism.

About adding "value" to the Chicago Tenri Judo club, I don't think so but according to their website, they have gone through several names and locations. They are now located at a Tenrikyo church and I assume this occurred through some sort of affiliation with the religion. Whether it makes a difference, who knows, it's only a name.

 

[jjmuaythaiguy]

Besdies being in Sports Illustrated and the Hawaii Hall of Fame, today in the Honolulu Advertiser there was this article in the Sports Section's Front Page:

Posted on: Sunday, June 8, 2008
Chow siblings in elite company
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By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Daniel, Chrissy and Mindy Chow all qualified for next weekend's 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Judo Trials, which means the Las Vegas getaway officially qualifies as a family reunion.


Father Greg Chow, an orthopedic surgeon, is the kids' coach along with mother Robin, a two-time national judo champion who met her husband through the gentlest of martial arts. Derrick Kerr, from Hawai'i Tokai College, also helps.

Apparently the family that fights together stays together, which is particularly true for Chrissy and Mindy, who compete in the same division (52 kilograms or 115 pounds).

"I hesitate to say this, but we're already happy," Greg said. "This was a goal. You see it with kids of all ages