Sydney University Judo Club had a number of players training with the NSW State Team for 3 months in preparation for the 2018 Nationals.
This was the two day intensive fitness randori training camp, and then a minimum of training at Newington Armoury twice a week for six weeks with more randori and more fitness.
Caoches Yuki, Ririko and Gaby drove together to training after Junior Judo Classes.
Gaby desperately tried to consume enough calories to train. Ririko dropped from 60kg to 54kg – Ririko was still unfamiliar with English, ill, and defaulted to maximum intensity. Gunhee dramatically improved his grip fighting and effective combinations. Kyunghoon nursed his knee, which took the fallout from Gunhee’s combinations. During training, Yuki entered for morote-seoi-nage and was countered pushing directly to the floor, injuring her spine. She still came to training sessions to watch, though. Coaches like that sort of commitment.
10-11th June 2018 in Carra, Queensland.
Table of players and weight divisions.
| Name | ID | weight division | grade |
| Marosz, Gabrielle | NSW3-1333 | Senior Women U70 | Senior Brown |
| Uemura, Yuki | NSW3-8220 | Senior Women U78 | 2nd Dan |
| Noda, Ririko | NSW3-8524 | Senior Women U57 | 2nd Dan |
| Yerkova, Yekaterina | NSW3-5434 | Kata, Kyu Grades U78, Veterans U78 | Senior Orange |
| Sheychenko, Olexandr | NSW3-4928 | Kata, Kyu Grades U73, Veterans U73 | Senior Brown |
| Roberts, Andrew | NSW3-0806 | Senior Men U73, Veterans U73 | 1st Dan |
| Holhov, George | – | – | Senior Brown |
| Lee, Kyunghoon | NSW3-7708 | Kyu Grades U60 | Senior Green |
| Min, Gunhee | NSW3-8629 | Kyu Grades U60 | Senior Green |
2018 National Champs Sydney Uni Judo Club player’s fight schedule
Andrew won his Veterans but lost the Seniors (won fight 1 and 2 and lost 3 and 4) – it was against the same players
Gunhee fought and did magnificently in his division.
Gaby lost to the winner of the division, then threw a Queensland black belt with a counter, but lost to Mericarmen Watcher from UNSW by sitting down and rolling onto her back to follow into newaza like a clutz, missing out on the bronze.
Ririko won fight 1, then fight 2 by golden score, lost the 3rd, but came back winning fight 4, twisted her ankle. She earned tied bronze.
Yekaterina and Olexandr entered with only one Kata into the comp, and regretted it – 2019 they plan to come back with two.
Yuki won her first fight and lost the second and third, coming 5th overall. She was thrown onto her shoulder in the first match, damaged it further in the second, and was thrown on it again in her third, partially tearing her rotator cuff. In retrospect, she says she was so focused on protecting her back from twisting that she neglected her other bits and pieces. Yuki later received the coaches award for upping the quality of the dojo at the Judo NSW Awards Night.
See them here or on Judo Australia’s website.