Madison Judo: Training

Starting judo at fifteen, I won the UK National Schools Championship in my weight division at sixteen and gained my 1st Dan at eighteen. Prior to going to university, I devoted much of my time to training and entering competitions throughout the UK. During that time, I qualified as a British Judo Association coach and began working with junior competitive players. The hard work of preparation and training for competitions was repaid with a place in the British Women's Judo squad and I went on to successfully represent Great Britain in several international tournaments. Whilst at University, I won the British National Championships and was selected for the World Student Games in Poland.

After University, judo gave way to starting a family and a professional career that took me first to Denmark for seven years, where I was part of a coaching team, teaching children and adults at both competitive and recreational levels. Now working here in Wisconsin, I still like to train when my work schedule permits and I am pleased to support the coaching team and players at Madison Judo, passing on my experience and expertise.

I began judo in 1953 as a freshman in college. My instructor was a student, Richard Mueller, ikkyu. We also practiced with the Portland (OR) Judo Club, head instructor K. Homma, sandan. Our club gave demonstrations of judo and martial arts in the Portland area and attended shiai in Oregon. After three years I attained the rank of ikkyu and taught the college judo class in my senior year.

In 1957 I helped found a judo club in Syracuse, NY, the TenShinKan, with instructor Ross (Bud) Running, sandan. After sensei Running left, club members founded the Syracuse Judo Club. We gave judo demonstrations at various venues (Kiwanis, county fair, etc.). Competition (shiai) was largely with Canadian judo clubs and the Syracuse Judo Club senior advisor from Quebec was Bernard Gautier, shidan. Gautier awarded me the rank of shodan in 1960.

From 1962 to 1965 I was a member of three judo clubs in Pittsburgh, PA: I taught judo to students at Carnegie Institute of Technology, was a member of the Crafton Judo Club and the YMHA judo class. The latter clubs had as their instructor Kyu Ha Kim, rokudan. Kim was the Korean national judo champion in 1958 and 1960. He was an instructor to the US Air Force in Korea, and coach for the US team at the Pan-Am games in 1976 and 1977. He was inducted into the US judo instructors Hall of Fame in 1994 by the USJF. He presently holds the ranks of kudan in judo, and hachidan in taeqwondo. While I was in Kim’s judo clubs I received a certificate for promotion to shodan from the Kodokan in 1965.

In 1965 I helped found a judo club in Terre Haute, IN with head instructor Phil Minton. At the time Minton had the rank of ikkyu; he now holds ranks of shidan in judo, hachidan in taeqwondo, and sandan in aikido. I taught judo classes in Minton’s club and participated in statewide shiai as referee until about 1975. I was a member of the IJA (Indiana Judo Association) which I believe was associated with the USJA.

As a high school student in England, I was introduced to judo by Mick Leigh (now 8th dan), a fascinating, fun character and truly outstanding judoka. On going to University and wishing to continue the sport, I founded a judo club within the first semester. As captain, I oversaw the club and team development throughout my undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral studies during which it became the most successful sport within the University. Over these years, I won individual and team medals at national student championships. Whatever level a judoka practices the sport, there are many physical and mental benefits. This is especially true for children and I have been privileged to coach juniors, including my own children, in the UK and Denmark. There is no doubt in my mind that the discipline and physical demands of the sport of judo, when practiced and learned at a young age, provide significant benefits that last a lifetime.

I began Judo the Fall of my freshman year at Michigan State University. I initially became involved to fill the void left by the wrestling I had done the 6 years prior. Judo was a perfect fit, as it allowed me to continue in a grappling sport that was both new and interesting. Judo quickly became my favorite sport and allowed me to travel the Midwest with some of the best friends I found in college. After graduating in 2011, and moving to Madison for work, I knew immediately I would need to find a new club to continue practicing Judo. I found this club and have enjoyed practicing here ever since.

Miguel Lopez sensei has practiced judo for more than forty-five years and holds a sixth degree black belt (Rokudan) in Judo. He had the good fortune to receive the best training under the experience of Moc Kan Sent sensei and the exceptional professor Tomoyoshi Yamaguchi sensei, an ambassador from the Kodokan in Tokyo, Japan to promote judo in Mexico. Miguel Lopez sensei is a former top-level competitor, and enjoys teaching the discipline of judo to children and adults, including people with limited physical capabilities. He has trained at the Kodokan in Tokyo, Japan to further develop his skills and is currently a Certified Rank Examiner and a USA National Level Certified Coach.

I began my martial arts training in 1987, at the age of 13, in Stockholm, Sweden. After 7 years of training, in 1993 I received my first black belt promotion, and also became a licenced coach under the Swedish Jiujitsu Federation. In 1999 I took over the head coach position at Stockholm Jiujitsu club, eventually expanding the training to also include Judo training in addition to the regular Jiujitsu classes. I held the head coach position at the Stockholm Jiujitsu club for 10 years, teaching about 100 students every week. A big turning point in my Martial Arts Career was when I in 2002 started training with the French Judo instructor Philippe Jacomin, 6th Dan, a former student of the legendary Haku Michigami, 9th Dan. Philippe displayed a technically refined judo that I try to follow in my own teaching.