Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club Hosts Weekend Tournament
Story and photos by Robert Thomas
The weather may have been extremely cold on Saturday but that didn’t stop local judo enthusiasts as the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club co-hosted a provincial tournament with the Regina Y Judo Club.
Despite punishing cold weather the tournament drew 98 entrants from across the province.
Jim Wiens an instructor with the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club said the cold did effect the turnout.
“We did have a few cancellations. Those people travelling in from other cities in the province,” Wiens said.
Kadence Rempel (left) from Swift Current faces off against Georgia Dunford of the Regina Y
“It’s amazing. It’s very good. Judo has been growing so well in this province in the last five years,” he said.
The sport did take a hit from COVID - 19 pandemic restrictions as it is a contact sport @but since that’s been lifted the attendance in the clubs and attending these types of competitions has really taken off.”
Judo is like numerous other activities in the city and it has its peaks and valleys in participants but at the present time it is in a growth stage.
Georgia Dunford (left) of the Regina Y against Kadence Rempel from Swift Current
Presently the club has 70 members with the numbers growing from kindergarten children right up to adults.
There is even a non-competitive adult program for adults to come out to just too loosen up and exercise based upon the understanding “everyone needs to go to work tomorrow.”
“We are really lucky here. We have a lot of coaches who are really active in the club and it gives a lot of opportunities for everybody. Whether it is little guys who are just learning with the club or the adults who want to come in for recreation or who have a mission to compete somewhere or be a national competitor.”
The club continues to work towards driving participation and in the past has had over 100 members.
STORY CONTINUES AFTER THE RESULTS
Georgia Dunford (sitting) of the Regina Y attempts to turn Kadence Rempel of Swift Current
TOURNAMENT RESULTS
Youth Divisions
U8 / U10 Ne Waza (ground work) Pool 1
Gold - Daphnée Bertin Bossé Regina Y Judo Club
Gold - Augustus Lee-Neuman Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
U8 / U10 Ne Waza (ground work) Pool 2
Gold - Josh Bhagaloo Regina Y Judo Club
Gold - Hunter McRoberts Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Thomas King Regina Y Judo Club
Gold - Gabriel Korkh Regina Y Judo Club
U10 Ne Waza (ground work) Pool 1
Gold - Karlee Rempel Swift Current Judo Club
Gold - Raya Brewster Queen City Judo Club
Gold - Veronica Martin Shinmura Judo club
Gold - Georgia Dunford Regina Y Judo Club
U10 Ne Waza (ground work) Pool 2
Gold - Katherine Berglund Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Francis Siapno Regina Y Judo Club
Gold - Estella Der Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Ivalisse Geoffrion Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Payton Pinel (right) from the Control Judo Club has Thomas King of the Regina Y Club on the matt
U10 / U12 Ne Waza (ground work)
Gold - Demetria Cox Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Charlize Perrault Swift Current Judo Club
Gold - Kadence Rempel Swift Current Judo Club
U10 / U12 / U14 Ne Waza (ground work)
Gold - Aayla Lee-Neuman Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Elizabeth Macdonald Shinmura Judo club
Gold - Lincoln Dunford Regina Y Judo Club
Gold - Kalaiya Johnson Regina Y Judo Club
Gold - Bennet Reiss Vibank Judo Club
U12 Ne Waza (ground work) Pool 1
Gold - Devin Der Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Payton Pinel Control Judo
Gold - Lucy Moreno Regina Y Judo Club
Gold- Carver Schouten Pense Judo
Alex Maerz (left) from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club squares off against Layla Getz from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
U12 Ne Waza (ground work) Pool 2
Gold - Charlotte Léonard Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Eva Kanasevich Vibank Judo Club
Gold - Khloe Snider Shinmura Judo club
Gold - Lolek Schiller Pense Judo
Gold - Eli Buskow Pense Judo
U12 Ne Waza (ground work) Pool 3
Gold - Maya Silva Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Laylah Getz Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
U12 / U14 Ne Waza (ground work)
Gold - Alexander Maerz Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Diedra Halvorson Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Arthur Smith Pense Judo
Alex Maerz (right) from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club squares off against Layla Getz from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
U14 Ne Waza (ground work) Pool 1
Gold - Jude Moreno Regina Y Judo Club
Gold - Eliot Perrault Swift Current Judo Club
Gold - Oleksandr Kornat Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
U14 Ne Waza (ground work) Pool 2
Gold - Mersella Buskow Pense Judo
Gold - Eowyn Schiller Pense Judo
Gold - Winter-Sky Aisaican Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
U10 Tachi Waza (standing)
Gold - Kadence Rempel Swift Current Judo Club
Gold - Veronica Martin Shinmura Judo Club
Gold - Georgia Dunford Regina Y Judo Club
Winter-Sky Aisinan (left) and Diedra Halvorson from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club grapple
U10 / U12 Tachi Waza (standing) Pool 1
Gold - Daphnée Bertin Bossé Regina Y Judo Club
Gold - Karlee Rempel Swift Current Judo Club
Gold - Charlize Perrault Swift Current Judo Club
U10 / U12 Tachi Waza (standing) Pool 2
Gold - Thomas King Regina Y Judo Club
Gold - Devin Der Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Payton Pinel Control Moose Jaw
Gold - Lucy Moreno Regina Y Judo Club
U10 / U12 Tachi Waza (standing) Pool 3
Gold - Francis Siapno Regina Y Judo Club
Gold - Eva Kanasevich Vibank Judo Club
Diedra Halvarson (left) takes down her teammate winter-Sky Aisinan from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
U12/ U14 Tachi Waza (standing) Pool 1
Gold - Elizabeth MacDonald Shinmura Judo Club
Gold - Aayla Lee-Neuman Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Lincoln Dunford Regina Y Judo Club
U12/ U14 Tachi Waza (standing) Pool 2
Gold - Charlotte Léonard Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Jude Moreno Regina Y Judo Club
Gold - Khloe Snider Shinmura Judo Club
U12/ U14 Tachi Waza (standing) Pool 3
Gold - Alexander Maerz Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Winter-Sky Aisaican Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Diedra Halvorson Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Gold - Laylah Getz Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
U14 Tachi Waza (standing)
Gold - Eliot Perrault Swift Current Judo Club
Gold - Oleksandr Kornat Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Pense coach Ray Martin gives his participant Lolek Schiller some pointers before his match
U16/Adult
U14/U16 Ne Waza Men (ground work)
Gold - Josie Mawson Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Silver - Raylynn Maerz Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Bronze - Jesse Reynaud Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
U16 Ne Waza Men (ground work) Pool 1
Gold - Félix Léonard Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Silver - Oleksandr Kornat Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Bronze - Blake Rempel Swift Current Judo Club
U16 Ne Waza Men (ground work) Pool 2
Gold - Hawkins Jacobson Control Judo
Silver - Samuel Buskow Pense Judo
Bronze - Saul Buskow Pense Judo
Josie Mawson (left) and Jesse Reynaud from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club square off
U16/Senior Ne Waza Women (ground work)
Gold - Azra Benic Saskatoon Judo Club
Silver - Olesia Dunn Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Bronze - Kiara Schiller Pense Judo
Senior Ne Waza Men (ground work)
Gold - Daulton Shaw Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Silver - Tyson Bruce Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Josie Mawson (top) from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club manages to bring her teammate Jesse Reynaud to the matt
U16 Tachi Waza Men (standing)
Gold - Félix Léonard Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Silver - Oleksandr Kornat Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Bronze - Blake Rempel Swift Current Judo Club
Senior Tachi Waza Men (standing)
Gold - Hawkins Jacobson Control Judo
Silver - Jessie Halvorsen Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Bronze - Daulton Shaw Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
U14/U16 Ne Waza Women (standing)
Gold - Azra Benic Saskatoon Judo Club
Silver - Olesia Dunn Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Bronze - Josie Mawson Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
4th - Raylynn Maerz Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club
Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club‘S Felix Leonard (right) takes on his teammate Oleksandr Kornat
STORY CONTINUES
Despite the cold holding the event was important, Wiens said.
“There’s just not a lot to do on cold days like this and just to have a building like this that the City has left open has opportunities for us to make arrangements to use,” he said.
The former Boy Scout troop building was used as a storage facility by the City before the Judo club took over the facility.
“It’s something that gives back to the community. It brings people into the town and local athletes get the opportunity to be active in the community.”
Felix Leonard (top) from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club takes his teammate Oleksandr Kornat to the matts
The day wasn’t all dedicated to competition as following the actual tournament there was a clinic for referees and officials.
Judo Saskatchewan put on the clinic for referees a necessity in order to hold tournaments.
“You’ll notice on the matts today the referee isn’t in their official suit because they are learning that side of the sport as well. The people who are running the scoreboards are actually the people out there helping us referee the matches. It’s an opportunity for them to learn as well,” Wiens said.
Raylynn Maerz and Josie Mawson from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club square off
LOCAL CLUB’S OLYMPIC CONNECTION
The club has benefitted from Judo being an Olympic sport.
Wiens said the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club has benefitted in not just interest the Olympics has generated but also having a former Olympian involved with the club in the past.
“Our big takeoff was in the 1990s when Nancy Filteau came and worked with us. She went to the Olympics in Atlanta and she is off running the Swift Current club.”
“They are growing and getting the same successes we are having here,” Wiens said.
Raylynn Maerz and Josie Mawson from the Moose Jaw Koseikan Judo Club square off
Filteau ended up in Moose Jaw as her employer transferred the Webb, Saskatchewan native to the the Friendly City.
Filteau, participating in the heavyweight competition at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, would win one match before losing - and being eliminated - to the eventual silver medalist in her second tournament match.
