~The 26th Tohkon Classic & The 2nd GKJN Cup (June 15~16)~
The largest event of the year, the 2nd GKJN Cup took place. Saturday, June 15th was the 26th Tohkon Classic (Individual Event for all ages) and the following Sunday was the 2nd GKJN Cup. During the 2 day event, 345 participants together with parents, coaches, and supporting staff, a total 600 persons came do this event. Also, this year, we invited Mr. Ryunosuke Haga (Olympic Medalist and World Champion – 100kg Class) and was filled with excitement.
This article together with the next article will talk about the week with Ryunosuke Haga which includes the Judo Event, Training Camp, and the visit to the Chicago Japanese School.
I would like to thank Ryunosuke for a tough week with no days off.
1. Welcoming Mr. Haga – and event site setup
On the morning of Friday, June 14th, we welcomed Mr. Haga at Chicago O’hare Airport. Welcome to Chicago!!! We went from there straight to the Event Site where the 2 day event was going to take place. For lunch, he enjoyed the Chicago delicacy … “The Hot Dog”
↓
2. The 26th Tohkon Classic (June 15th)
250 JUDOKAs ranging from ages 5 to 70 competed in 76 categories gathered together for this event. This plus the KATA competition took place. The aim was to give as much medals as possible to all the participants. Although a local event, the number of categories is astonishing.
In the opening ceremony, all competitors and the judges lined up facing each other (see photograph) Ryunosuke after seeing this commented “I have never seen this in Japan. Competitors and Judges both respect each other. This is great – I wish I can bring this ethic back to Japan too”
Everyone fights hard and respects each other. An “All Generation” Judo event which is never seen in Japan, I believe is the origin of sports.
Our GKJN is tomorrow – this makes me a bit anxious.
Best shots from the fighting JUDOKAs
No matter the age, anyone doing there best are beautiful.
And more important is respecting your opponent after the match.
3. The 2nd GKJN Cup (June 16th)
Now the Big Event we’ve been waiting for, for 2 years.
The 2nd GKJN Cup
After the opening ceremony – the clinic starts. “Are you Ready!!!???”
We started with the warm up sequence – with a smile to motivate everyone.
After the 20 min warmup session, the World Class UCHIMATA lesson from Ryunosuke Haga has started. This was what everyone was waiting for (including myself)
The photograph alone can convey the dynamics of his techniques.
You can see them also in the kids’ eyes!!
And last was RANDORI. A dream time being able to fight with a world class athlete.
In the afternoon, the Team Tournament took place. Same with the Olympics, it was a co-ed team. There were no separations in Dojos, Age, Gender and they all made their own teams. The unique point is they can name their team on their own.
I hoped they all fight hard, but enjoy the tournament.
Sponsors for this event
We had logo marks around the rings.
Together with these sponsors, we had over 50 volunteers for the 3 days including the setup. I would like to thank all that participated as without their help, this event cannot have happened.
I hope that the kids that participated found dreams through this event, and in the future, through JUDO, they can be a conduit not only between Japan and the US but also to the world. That is my joy and my motivation.
I look forward to the continued support. Thank you everyone.
