(Editor’s Note: On Monday, January 8, Sayaka, Ann and Molly left for Tokyo, Japan to spend the next two weeks training at Nihon University. (Nichidai) Nihon University is the home of Sensei Jun Konno – a long-time friend of EBJI, who spent a year here in 2000 studying English. Attached is an update from one of our competitors, Ann […]

  In my fifteen years I have been lots of places. Of all the places I have been I would have to say that my recent trip to Japan has been the most memorable. Not only because I was traveling with friends and practicing what I love, judo. But also because I learned a number […]

  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 […]

  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, […]

  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 […]

  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." […]

  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 […]

  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 […]

  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 […]

  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 […]