John Bennett Takes Gold

On Sunday, March 21, 2010, John Bennett competed in the USA National White and Brown Belt Judo Championships, a grassroots Judo event hosted by the City College of San Francisco Judo Club.

John competed in the –73 kg. division, one of seven competitors in that weight category.

After a bye in the first round, John fought Garrett Shockley, who caught John early with a right-side osoto gari from a cross-grip for a waza ari. Never panicking, John waited for his opportunity, eventually throwing Shockley with a clean ouchi gari for ippon in the final minute of the match.

That win placed John into the semi-finals, where he met Altangerel Odbayer, his frequent workout partner at the East Bay Judo Institute. In the first minute of the match, John transitioned smoothly from a tomoenage attack into tateshiho gatame for ippon. Odbayer then fought his way out of the repechage to meet John in the finals, where John won by waza ari after pinning Odbayer with yokoshiho gatame.

John shows good progress in competition, both newaza and tachi waza. We look forward to his continued development as a Judoka and competitor.