Our Tradition: Kosen + Contemporary Olympic

The Auckland University Judo Club style fuses Kosen and contemporary Olympic Judo. The current Sensei is Rick Littlewood (7th Dan, from Kodokan Judo and the NZJF). Sensei Rick has trained extensively at Doshisha University, Kyoto, and studied under Kimura Mitsuro (8th Dan), affectionately known as “Mr. Sankaku,” and Ebii Goichi (9th Dan), the “god of Newaza.” His present Judo Sensei is Isao Okano from Ryuzukei University. The Club was founded in 1960 by Jerry Van Kylenburg. We are an affiliated member of the New Zealand Judo Federation (NZJF).

09 February 2010

Judo & Women: Sensei Rick’s Addendum


Jack Greech, who is made up of DNA from the Greek’s, Romans Phoenicians, the English etc… [that's because he’s from Malta ] has also been sneaking off the mat early because his new girlfriend has been making him dinner. Last night he was given the message last night at judo by sensei.
“Jack! Here’s the choice, dinner with your girlfriend or judo?”
Sheepish Jack says “judo.”
Then again, with all the hard-bitten womanless judoka watching, what else could he say?
Which brings me to the next point about women and judo.
Sensei's daughter Jun said recently that if her mother had ever said to Sensei that he could not go to judo they would have been divorced many years ago.

Cougar Bait

With the clubs 50th just around the corner Sensei Rick has been busy, racking his brains on how to throw a party that will also appeal to the older generation. His latest plan is to offer Captain Ben up as cougar bait. Old Judoka love a bit of cougar, especially at a party; and cougar love old Judoka. It is a mutually beneficial, symbiotic relationship. But the cougars won’t show for the party unless they have been made an offering of young, virile flesh. And this is where you come in. Spread the rumour – a recently thinned Captain Ben will on auction to cougars at the 50th. [This rumour is Sensei Rick sanctioned].

While on the theme of Judoka romance. What young Judo player excused himself from Judo very early on Monday only to show up later at the Cave with a date? Said Judoka, having spotted a contingent from the club drinking and eating in the corner, proceeded, rapidly and sheepishly, to extract himself without even introducing his date!

It is rumoured that University Judo will shortly being playing host to a top-female competitor from the Kansai region who has recently been instructing Judo in Florida. She is said to weigh in around the 50s and if the stories are only half true then the club will be the premier destination for all NZ female Judoka for the month she is here.

05 February 2010

Still A Champ At 69 Years Old

video

Rick Littlewood sensei is the best in the world at this level!

Prove us wrong - if you know of anyone else out there that is 69 years old, over 110kgs and that can beat up a little 48kg girl (without hesitation), please email us..... And we will send the boys round to "congratulate" him (we will also post his picture here on JudoKong.com so that others would also be able to identify him so they too can "congratulate" him in the same manner).

Size Doesn't Matter - Yeah Right!

It doesn't matter how good you are, there will always be someone bigger! (Hope you enjoyed your visit Harry)

JudoGi Care

A JudoGi will last you quite a few years if treated with respect:

- Hang dry your JudoGi after every use.

- Do NOT leave a sweaty wet JudoGi balled up in your bag.

- Your JudoGi needs to be washed regularly.

- If there is blood on your JudoGi wash it out with cold water first (hot water will make it set in permanently)

- Turn your JudoGi inside out when you wash it.

- Wash your JudoGi in warm or hot water unless there is blood on it (if your JudoGi is blue wash it in cold or warm water otherwise it will fade).

- Do not use bleach or detergent with bleach (Napisan works well).

- Wash your JudoGi BEFORE it starts to smell (we won’t name names here, you know who you are here).

Kosei Inoue building bridges between Japan and Scotland

By Hiroshi Matsubara, Asahi Weekly

 日本オリンピック 委員会(JOC)のスポーツ指導者海外研修員として2年間のイギリス留学中の井上康生さんと妻の亜希さん。5月には長女が生まれ、益々充実した日々を送っています。柔道が世界的なスポーツになった現在、「異文化に触れることは、指導者になる上で必ず役に立つ」との意気込みで、英語学習や柔道の指導に励んでいます。

 For Kosei Inoue, life on the sidelines became much tougher than when he ruled the mat, when he made his debut as a coach for Japan's national team at the World Judo Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands, in August.

 For the first time in nearly a half century, Japan's men's team failed to win a single gold medal, leaving much grumbling in his homeland.

 But when the former judo Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion returned to his current home in Edinburgh, Scotland, his friends lifted his spirits. They told Inoue that Japan's defeat should be seen as a positive sign of the sport's rapid globalization.

 "Just as my friends in Edinburgh say, judo is now a global sports and the past great leaders of our sport, such as the founder of modern judo, Jigoro Kano, might be happy to see that it is now participated by players from 200 countries," said Inoue, who has been residing in Edinburgh with his wife, Aki, since February. The couple gave birth to a daughter in May.

 Indeed, Inoue himself, who is studying English and teaching judo, is a living example of how the sport that originated in Japan is becoming a goodwill ambassador around the world. Inoue, 31, is on a two-year program sponsored by the Japan Olympic Committee to study English in Britain. To share his experiences in the political, religious and educational center of Scotland, Inoue recently invited an Asahi Weekly reporter to Edinburgh.

 On a magnificently sunny mid-September afternoon in the Scottish capital, Inoue, Aki, and their 5-month-old daughter picked me up in their black Jeep in the city's downtown area.

 To start the tour, Inoue took me to their regular Sunday dinner with his "father in Edinburgh," George Kerr, president of the British Judo Association, the driving force behind Inoue's study program in Scotland.

 "George-sensei is my adopted father, or grandfather, in Edinburgh who introduced me to his various friends to teach me the way of life here," Inoue said, introducing the 72-year-old former European judo champion.

 "They have taken the responsibility to teach me each of the traditional Scottish sports and culture, including golf, shooting and salmon fishing, and treat us like their family."

 Inoue said Kerr invites him and Aki every Sunday even-ing to wine and dine with him at his high-end condominium, which offers a breathtaking view of the old city. The only cost, Kerr insists, for his scrumptious home-cooked meals is a ban on speaking any Japanese.

 Kerr said that Inoue is a "great ambassador from Japan," adding that "British judo can learn a lot from Kosei."

 When Inoue expressed regrets for his coaching debut in Rotterdam, Kerr said that he should take it as a "compliment," because it proves that judo has developed into a global sport. He added he devoted his life to popularizing judo in Britain since he returned from four years of studying at Nihon University in Tokyo in the late 1950s.

 "The four years in Japan were the best moments of my life, which set the course of my entire life, and I wanted Kosei to experience the same," said Kerr, who arranged Inoue's stay in Edinburgh.

 "I invited him to Edinburgh, because its size and friendly people make it an ideal place to experience the different culture and make friends outside judo."

マットの上で培われた友情

 A few days later, Judo Scotland, Scotland's governing body for the sport, invited Inoue to participate in a special practice session.

 As dusk fell, more than 50 selected judoka, from teenage girls to seniors, gathered at a suburban gymnasium to prepare for an upcoming international competition only a few days away.

 Participants, including the members of the British national team, all eagerly looked forward to the randori, a freestyle sparring session with the Olympic gold medalist.

 "It is an absolute joy to have such a great man in the dojo. He displays everything you want as an example of how a champion behaves," said Billy Cusack, 43, a British team coach.

 "It's great to have such a superstar who doesn't behave like such a superstar. He behaves like the most humble guy in the dojo, so he is a great example for kids in Scotland."

 On the practice mat, Inoue seemed more relaxed and confident, chatting and joking with the participants during breaks.

 "His English, and street English, has both improved equally well, and now he is starting to understand humor, which is the toughest thing to get," Cusack said. "So, he now enjoys many of our English lessons in the school and in the pub."

 Inoue said, "The beauty of judo is that once you grasp each other, you just know each other like old friends.

 "It is also true when you flip the opponent, you just realize the pain of others just like yours.

 "And I love talking to Scottish people who remind me of the Osaka people with their strong love for jokes and of their homeland."

周囲に支えられての出産、子育て

 While Inoue is away from home for judo training or English lessons at a local language school, Aki, a 26-year-old model-turned sportscaster, stays busy taking care of their infant daughter and running the household in their posh condominium, which overlooks the Firth of Forth, near the North Sea.

 In the morning, Aki prepares a surprisingly genuine Japanese-style breakfast of salted salmon, natto and miso soup with aburaage fried tofu and wakame seaweed.

 "People in Edinburgh expect Inoue to eat like a champion, and I mainly cook Japanese food at home to keep him on a good diet," she said, adding that Edinburgh offers groceries from all over the world, including Japanese staples such as natto and aburaage.

 "I meet my fellow Japanese mama-tomos (friends with babies) here to discuss how we can cook menus close to Japanese cuisine using totally foreign ingredients," Aki said. "It is also a great relief to talk to mama-tomos like ‘Desperate Housewives,' she quipped, referring to the popular U.S. TV comedy-drama series.

 Aki also has her "mother in Edinburgh," Jang Mee Sun, a South Korean woman who works at a local Presbyterian organization, who frequently invites them for genuine Korean cooking.

 While I stayed with the Inoues, Jang invited us for lunch, which turned out to be a meal that easily bested local restaurant fare both in flavor and quantity.

 A table covered with Korean barbecue, jeon and other traditional Korean delicacies was offered up, and quickly gobbled down by the judo champion and two hungry Korean college students who were guests for the feast.

 Jang said she first approached the Japanese couple "because Aki is very beautiful, not knowing they are both famous in Japan." "Since then, my apartment has become a free Korean restaurant for Kosei," Jang quipped.

 On the way home, Aki said, "Being helped by many warm people, we managed to accomplish our first feat -- giving birth to our daughter -- in a foreign country."

一期一会の出会いから学ぶ

 Along with attending four 90-minute sessions at a language school each day, Inoue also takes golf, shooting and fishing lessons from a local circle of judo friends.

 Every Wednesday, Graham Campbell, a 49-year-old stock analyst and also a judoka, gives Inoue a golf lesson. The Campbell family then invites the Inoues to their home for dinner in what they call a "happy Wednesday" banquet.

 Upon our arrival, Campbell escorted us to a bathroom to show three mounted framed pictures of Inoue throwing Nicolas Gill of Canada to the mat at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

 "Happy Wednesday" is a part of our life. It is a mid-week break, and great to see Kosei and Aki and me sit down, relax and have dinner, and we learn about Japan and Japanese society and hopefully they learn something from us," Campbell said.

 "It is also a wonderful alibi for me to escape with Kosei and walk over the hills and play some golf. It has been a pleasure for us all and our children to have them here."

 Spending four days with Inoue, it was apparent this quiet, serious champion and his charming, cheerful wife and pretty little daughter have become a popular addition to the Edinburgh community. And they are also benefitting from the experience as well.

 On the ride home from the "happy Wednesday," Inoue said he is learning much more from Campbell than a golf swing.

 "Their lifestyle seems very modern, but their family seems to maintain very strong kin ties that Japanese are apparently losing, and there is a precious lesson that I need to learn to become a good father and teacher," Inoue said.

 "Throughout my judo career, I have been very lucky to meet many great teachers who guided my way to becoming a judo player, such as (Yasuhiro) Yamashita-sensei, and I think I still am encountering many role models in Scotland.

 "I am still not sure what type of coach I will ever make, but my experience here and encounters with these people have certainly expanded my horizons," he added.

04 February 2010



Do you think this guy would paint our tatami? It would freak the s#*t out of visitors and make being thrown more interesting.


[Great Crevase by Edgar Mueller. East Pier in Dun Laoghaire,Ireland, as part of the town's Festival of World Cultures]

Silver Fox Claims Victory In Father/Son Grudge Match

Breaking Judo news. Greg Reynolds, aka the Silver Fox, came back from two throws down in a Randori grudge match last night to defeat his stronger and fitter son, Jordan. The silver fox was, rightly, showing signs of being quite pleased with himself. Reynolds the younger has lifted his training regime of late and his Judo has improved substantially. The silver fox, by contrast, has been off the mat for a period on account of injuries sustained during cougar wrestling. Despite the age difference, Reynolds junior simple had no reply for the fast, and decidedly more devious, taiotoshi delivered by his father.

03 February 2010

XII. Hungarian Open Masters Judo Championship for Men and Women, 10th April 2010.


Date and beginning of the contest: 10 April 2010, Saturday 10.30
Application deadline: 31 March, 2010
Weigh-in dates: 9 April 2010, Friday 19.00-20.00. 10 April 2010, Saturday 08.30-09.30.
Entry fee: 35 EUR/person

This masters contest is open to all men 30+ and women 25+, holding any level of official “belt” or grade, who did not participate any official competition organized by their own judo association in the last two years

Costs: Organizing cost paid by the organizer. Other costs (e.g. accommodation, meal, entry fee, etc.) are covered by the participants. The entry fee must be paid in Euro, any other currency won’t be accepted. At the finalization of the entry (at the venue) all the participants should have a valid passport and the competitors are obliged to show their passport by the final entry.

For further information contact: The Hungarian Masters Judo Club
Tel. & fax: +36-1-3145-198
Mobil: +36-30-9502-875
E-mail: hungarianmastersjudoclub@gmail.com
They can provide information on men’s and women’s categories, fight times, entry forms, and transfer requests (from Budapest to Százhalombatta)

Japanese Visitor + New Member(s) + the Old & Very Old


01 February 2010

News in Brief


Sensei Rick may be running a couple of classes on newaza and sutemi on a weekend down in Wellington. Naturally, the club would be in tow (with all the cheap flights available) and will be calling on ex-club member, Pudgey to play host.

Rob Levy is looking for someone to do kata with. He is considering working towards promotion to 5th dan. Interested parties please contact the club or Rob directly.

Capt. Ben is losing 1kg a week. In 10 weeks his weight will approximate that of his golden days as club mauler.

Kahn is (or was) putting on 1kg per week. He will soon approximate the weight of his golden days as newaza champion. He claims, however, that he will be available for U66s in a little over two months.

The scabs on Jordan’s face have healed.

There are old gi’s, donated by Tim Slyfeild, for sale at the club. There are a variety of sizes available. All old and existing club members are encouraged to donate excess gi’s to raise money for the club.

Planning is currently underway for the 50th reunion of the club. If you are not already in touch with Sensei Rick you need to be!

29 January 2010

Japanese Visitors Tonight

The Japanese youthship is in town and will be visiting University Judo tonight - lets turn up in force (whether as a spectator or as a fighter).

Rick is going to be on his best behaviour!