LA & San Diego: 12-Day West Coast Judo Tour!!

~ Completed Malia’s intensive training and four dojo sessions with two kids in tow!! ~

From Friday, July 25, I spent 12 days in LA and San Diego teaching judo‼
As I always say—America is BIG!! A 4.5-hour flight one way, then a 2-hour drive from LA to San Diego. Traveling with my 2-year-old and newborn was nerve-wracking, but just like me, my energetic kids powered through without getting tired and we made it safely!!

The main purpose of this trip was Malia’s final intensive training before the World Cadet Championships (ages 15–17) at the end of August (8/28 in Bulgaria). On top of that, I ran group lessons and judo clinics during free time. For 12 days, it was judo, judo, and more judo—like a full-time athlete’s schedule! Here’s my report‼

First, the schedule!!

Yellow = 10 private training sessions with Malia.
Pink = 8 judo clinics.
That’s 18 sessions in just 12 days!! Anyone with judo experience will understand how intense that is.

And in between, for my kids (or maybe for myself??), we squeezed in fun: Aquarium of the Pacific (LA’s largest), San Diego Zoo, a Padres Major League game, and even lunch at the Top Gun filming café. Exhausting but infinitely rewarding!! This is the joy of working with roots abroad!!

Chapter 1: LA (Los Angeles)

As you know, LA is the stage for the 2028 Olympics. I gave everything I could to help 16-year-old local Malia prepare to represent Team USA there someday‼

Latest Malia Report‼

1. Junior European Cup (7/13 Hungary): 5th place
2. Junior Pan-American Cup (8/10 Dominican Republic): 3rd place 🥉 Podium finish!!
3. Training camps: 3 days in Czech Republic, 2 days in Italy

Malia is the #2 in the U.S., but once she goes abroad, there’s still a gap. My coaching focused on grips, kuzushi (breaking balance), standing techniques, groundwork, match awareness, and building her physical foundation. At just 16, her potential for growth is limitless!!

Malia Intensive Training in LA

Target: Medal at the World Cadets in Sofia, Bulgaria (Aug 27).
Training menu for the week:

1. Technical training: Grip fighting. At higher levels, grips make up 80% of the match! (That catlike grip battle you’ve seen—it’s actually super important!!)
2. Groundwork: Body control, transitions from standing to ground, counters, and randori. (Ground time in judo is short—you must attack or counter quickly!!)
3. Repetition drills: Entries and combinations through uchikomi, like baseball’s catch. (No shortcut—repeat, repeat, repeat until the body remembers!!)

And of course, building her basic physical strength was a key task!!

6 Judo Clinics Across 3 Dojos – Bringing Smiles to Many Kids‼

I taught at:

• San Gabriel Dojo (our home base)
• Orange County Judo (2nd time visiting)
• Sensi Judo

Sensi Judo, only in its 7th year, was a new stop. The dojo is small, students are few, but their technical level amazed me‼ Every child absorbed everything I taught and immediately tried it out. They were fantastic‼

Chapter 2: SD (San Diego)

Two hours south of LA, just 45 km from the Mexican border, San Diego is home to the Padres (yes, where Darvish pitches!). Invited by San Diego Judo Club, I held clinics there too.

The level was high, the athletes very aggressive, but what struck me most was how much they all enjoyed it‼ I was fortunate to receive an invitation to return, so I’ll keep pushing forward on the West Coast‼

Final Thoughts

This was a tough schedule, but before every single session, even when tired, I told myself: “Be cheerful and energetic!!” I re-confirmed my strengths, and gave my absolute best each time.

It’s exactly when you get used to things that you must go back to basics. I’ll keep pursuing how I can make kids even happier, valuing each opportunity and moment, and giving it my all‼

Up next: clinics in North Dakota (mid-August) and Virginia (late August). My kids and I are already looking forward to new challenges‼