Click above for detailed information about the 2010 Morris Cup !

JMJC Takes Silver at Spartak Team Championships

Flushing, NY -  The Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) traveled to Flushing, NY over the weekend to compete in the first annual elite male team competition hosted by Spartak Sports Club. The JMJC drew a very strong Canadian Team in the first round and went in to the final heavy weight round tied 3-3. Kyle Vashkulat, playing up at heavyweight from his natural -100kg category, stunned Vitaly Proska with a brilliant o ouchi gari (inner leg throw) propelling the JMJC men to the second round against New York’s Starrett Judo Club.

 University at Albany junior and up-and-coming judo superstar Jake Stromecki provided the key victory for the JMJC against Starrett and pushed the JMJC to the finals against a team from the NYAC made up of players from all over the east coast but featuring coach Jimmy Pedro’s Team Force from Wakefield, Massachusetts. With Nick Kossor and Tony Sangamino’s earning no-decisions against their opponents and an easy win for Brad Bolen at 66kg the finals went to round six with the JMJC trailing 2-1-2.

 A win would have sent the event to the heavyweight round tied. The NYAC countered with a mercenary Shintaro Higashi who substituted for a weaker 100kg player. Higashi is a much more experienced player, Nonetheless Stromecki almost won the match outright on two occasions before being scored on in the match’s final seconds assuring the JMJC a second place finish.

  JMJC founder Jason Morris summed up the day by saying, "Our guys fought great and I really look forward to more team tournaments in the future.” Said Coach, Jason Morris

Photo from L to R: Kyle Vashkulat, Bill Shanahan, Jake Stromecki, Brad Bolen, Tony Sangimino, Nick Kossor, Dave Aronov & Coach, Jason Morris

JMJC Open lll

The Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) and newly-formed JMJC Booster Club sponsored the 3rd JMJC Open Sunday, March 7, 2010 at the Jason Morris Judo Center in Glenville, NY. The event was a grassroots judo tournament designed to promote the competitive side of judo by providing a safe and inexpensive setting to learn tournament judo. The format opened with 2008 National Champ Nick Kossor leading a thorough warm-up before Jason Morris (2008 Olympic Judo coach and 4x Olympian) taught a one-hour clinic where some competition techniques were examined and studied by all that registered.

Click the picture above to see all the pictures from the event !

Click the picture above to see all the pictures from the event !

Over 50 registered from all parts of CT, MA, NY and Canada were joined by some of the best referees from western New York and New York City. Participants were encouraged to play as many matches as they liked and several had more than 10! “This is a great antidote to those big tournaments where you travel, pay twice as much and your kid plays two is on his way home with less than a minute on the mat,” noted one experienced parent.

The matches started at 12noon and the non-stop action concluded at 4pm with every judo player having as much judo as they wanted. Every Junior player went home with a trophy given them by Jason Morris.

This is the sort of event that the Booster Club was created to support,” noted Kathie Kossor, the co-chair of the Booster Club. “The fact is that we raised nearly $200 for future Booster Club efforts is only icing on the cake.”

The JMJC Booster Club was founded to support the growth of grassroots judo as taught by the Jason Morris Judo Center. Over time it is expected that the Booster club will sponsor outreaches to underserved communities, grassroots tournaments, intramural collegiate judo and foster a greater understanding of our sport by the community at large.

In coming weeks the Booster Club will be soliciting memberships and sponsoring numerous other fundraisers from chicken dinners, to bowling events and garage sales. In meantime, be on the lookout for the Morris Cup, May 8th and the next JMJC Open IV which will most likely be in June.

Creutzberger & Ferrante Take Gold !!

Wakefield, MA - Union College freshman Angela Creutzberger (19) led the way for the Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) winning a gold medal in the 48kg weight class at Pedro's Challenge, the second leg of the annual five-city "Zebra Tour".

Burnt Hills 6th grader Victoria Ferrante (12) also captured a gold in the 11-12yrs 48kg division displaying standing techniques unusual in so young an athlete.

Sarah Black (30) took her second Zebra Tour 63kg silver medal in as many months. Black displayed a mastery of groundwork or newaza winning three of her matches for ippon (full point) on the mat.

UAlbany Junior Hannah Martin (21) was a silver medalist in the 57kg division and Natalie Lafon (29) won a silver in 52kg.

Leah Fisher (25) put in a strong performance to earn a silver medal in the 70kg weight class. 32kg division.

Burnt Hills High Sophomore and JMJC newcomer Kara Brown (15) took a silver in the Sr. Novice 52kg division and Christie Woosley (16) earned a bronze in the 13-16yrs 70kg weight class.

The string performance by the JMJC ladies helps solidfy its reputation as the elite training ground for the USA’s female judo athletes. Among the men UAlbany Senior Jake Stromecki (20) secured a silver in the 100kg division earning his first Zebra tour medal in a strong field of seasoned competitors. Kiernan Shanahan (9) performed well taking a silver moving up a class to the 11-12yrs. 32kg weight class to close out the JMJC medal count.

While their JMJC teammates were competing in Massachusetts SCCC students, Tony Sangimino (19) & Kyle Vashkulat (19) were competing for the second-straight week in Europe at the Austrian Open in Vienna. Last week the boys fought in their first French Open. Sangimino lost his opening round to 2008 Olympic bronze medalist & 2007 World Champ Tiago Camilo (BRA). Sangimino gave Camilo some trouble in the first half of the match before getting caught with ouchi for ippon.

Vashkulat picked up his first European circuit win beating Zoltan Pentek (HUN) in the first round by ippon then lost to 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Ariel Zeevi (ISR). Kyle shocked Israel’s seasoned international medalist with an array of techniques sharpened at JMJC’s Burnt Hills’ dojo before succumbing at the four minute mark. Sangimino and Vashkulat have each given signs of extremely bright futures should they continue to “Stay the Course and Do the Work” as Jason Morris implores them to do. 

Also, this week JMJC heralded the arrival Glenville, NY’s two newest citizens as 1992 Olympic silver medalist and 2008 Olympic Team Coach Jason Morris and his wife IJF A-Level Referee Teri Takemori announced the birth of their twin daughters Randi Emiko and Danica Jaden on Wednesday, February 10. 

"First of all, I would like to thank everyone for thinking of us and sending so many well wishes.  Teri and I were twice blessed as two perfect little angels came into our lives on Wednesday," Jason crowed.  "Teri is doing well and recovering nicely." Randi Emiko was born at 1:35 p.m. and weighed in at 5 lbs., 7 oz.  Danica Jaden was born a minute later and weighed 6 lbs., 2 oz. 

A 4x Olympian, Morris proposed to 8x Senior Nationals medalist Takemori on NBC's Today Show in 1999 and the two were married on Dec. 30, 2000. The twins are their first children. 

Upcoming Events for the JMJC:

2010
March 7 - JMJC Open (JMJC Glenville, NY)
March 13 - Montreal Cup (Montreal, QC)
March 20 - Ocean States (Providence, RI)
May 8 - Morris Cup (Burnt Hills, NY)
May 9 - Morris Cup Mini Camp (JMJC Glenville, NY)
May 29-30 - Am Can (Buffalo, NY)

Lindenhurst, NY -

The 2010 edition of the Judo’s Zebra Tour kicked off this past weekend with the
17th annual Starrett Cup.

Glenville’s Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) captured 11 total medals with BH-BL graduates Nick Kossor (24) and Kyle Vashkulat (19) along with Chico, CA native Sarah Black (30) leading the way with gold medal performances.

Each took home a $250 first-place senior’s prize for their efforts. Kossor won his fifth-straight Zebra Tour event dating back to 2009 where he captured each 60kg title and the $1000 bonus. In 2010 there are five Zebra Tour events (Starrett Cup, Pedro's Challenge, Ocean State, Morris Cup (Saturday, May 8 in the BH-BL high school gym in Burnt Hills) & concluding with Am Can). Local juniors Victoria Ferrante (12) and Jack Hatton (14) also won their respective juniors groups.

Seth Woosley (10) took silver and Alexa Michaelson (7) claimed bronze to close out the juniors' medal count. Other seniors' medal winners included Brad Bolen (21) who took silver at 66kg, Cammi Kaichi (22) took silver at 57kg, Natalie Lafon took silver at 52kg and Hannah Martin (21) was bronze at 57kg.

This event served as a convenient warm up for Bolen, Kossor, Lafon & Martin who are competing in Europe this weekend. Kossor and Bolen will be in Tblisi, Georgia for the Georgian Open and Lafon and Martin are in Sophia, Bulgaria for the Bulgarian Open. The group will then meet up in Lyon, France for a training camp then move on the Paris for the French Open. Vashkulat and Tony Sangimino (19) will join them in Paris then stay for the training camp then go to Vienna for the Austrian Open.

The 2010 year and new decade have just started but the maturation of the JMJC crew is clearly evident !

JMJC athletes at the winter training camp at the shidokan in Montreal which was run by 2x Olympic Medalist and Canadian Head National Coach, Nicolas Gill.

At the end of the week there was a clinic put on by Olympic Champ & 3x World Champ
Kosei Inoue (JPN) hosted by Judo Quebec.

Paterson, NJ -
 


Athletes from the Glenville based Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) enjoyed a banner day at the 10th annual Northeastern championships December 6, 2009 winning a total of 8 medals.

 SCCC student Nick Kossor (23) led the way going 4-0 to capture the 66kg division along with being named the competitions "Outstanding Competitor" for his efforts. Kossor defeated JMJC teammate and fellow SCCC student, Brad Bolen (20), in the final giving Bolen the silver. JMJC newcomer and SCCC student Cammi Kaichi (22) turned her best performance to date winning a gold at 63kg with a 3-0 record. Leah Fisher (25) also had a 3-0 record to claim the 78kg title.


 SCCC student Tony Sangimino (19) continues to improve as went 3-1 on his way to taking a silver medal in the 90kg category. Sangimino lost in the final to US #1 Garry St. Leger in a back and forth battle. Jonathan Woosley (13) looked very good winning a silver in the 13-14yrs. 60kg weight class and his brother Seth (10) did well to take a bronze in the 9-10yrs. heavyweights. Rhiannon Waters (10) closed out the JMJC medal count winning a bronze in the 9-10yrs. middleweight division.

 

Also Competed: Anthony Elliott 0-2 & Harrison Hatton 0-2









 

Dallas, TX -

Three athletes from the Glenville, NY based Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) travelled to compete in the 44th Annual Dallas Invitational and all three returned with a Gold medal.

SCCC student Brad Bolen (20) provided the most drama posting a 7-1 record on the day to claim the 66kg title along with the first place prize money of $1000. Bolen dropped an early round overtime match to Austin Cook (CO) then had to come all the way back in the loser's bracket to once again meet Cook.

Bolen won the first rematch throwing him for ippon with uchimata in 30 seconds. The rubber match went into overtime again when Brad finally catching Cook with a foot sweep. UAlbany student, Hannah Martin (21) was impressive going 4-0 on the day including two wins over #4 ranked Angelica Delgado by ippon (full point) to take the 57kg title and the $1000 prize money. Natalie Lafon (28) is getting more and more comfortable in her new weight class at 52kg breezed to the title by posting a 3-0 mark to collect the $1000.

 Glenville, NY -

 The Jason Morris Judo Center (JMJC) hosted its second JMJC Open in 2009 Sunday, November 15. The event was held at the JMJC in Glenville. Over 70 competitors from all over the capital region and New York City participated in the grass roots event. Exploring a different format with inexpensive, same-day registration, discounts for arriving with friends and a warm-up and clinic taught by Jason Morris this shiai was designed as an instructional event. Everyone played as much judo as they wanted with numerous competitors playing ten or more times.

 “If I give up my Sunday and travel with a bunch of dojo mates to play it’s a welcome relief to know that no one is going to play two 30 second matches and go home unfulfilled. We are all tired but satisfied.” summarized one competitor while enjoying a well-earned after-match meal in JMJC’s dojo.

 Such tournaments represent a continuing effort by the JMJC to help develop Judo in the area as well as serving to supplement the annual Morris Cup, which has evolved into one of the east coast’s premier judo events.

 The JMJC hopes to host another action-packed JMJC Open before the Morris Cup, which will be Saturday, May 8, 2010 at the Burnt Hills High School. For the second straight year JMJC will host a mini camp
Sunday, May 9, 2010 at the JMJC to coincide with the Morris Cup. All are welcome.

Thanks to Ross Thornhill for the photos below !
 

JMJC News - Brad Bolen (20), Natalie Lafon (28) & Hannah Martin (21) will leave for the Dallas Open on Friday, November 20 and compete on Saturday, November 21.

More JMJC News - JMJC coaches Teri Takemori and Jason Morris (who are expecting twin girls!)  will be having Teri's baby shower Saturday, December 5.

Teri is registered at Babies "R" Us and Target