HondaReport.com - Judo: Shobukan’s Mishima, Gardena’s Ortiz shine at Jr. Nats, Sunday, July 4

Judo: Shobukan’s Mishima, Gardena’s Ortiz shine at Jr. Nats, Sunday, July 4

Here’s the extended version.

The original, shorter story ran in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin Monday, July 5, 2004.

HONOLULU—The future is now, so sayeth the National Judo Sports Federation, in the skills and performances of Risha Mishima and Giovant’e Ortiz.

Mishima, 13, of Shobukan Judo Club, and Ortiz, 9, of Gardena Judo Club, were named the Outstanding Female and Male Competitors, respectively, in yesterday’s Junior National Championships at Blaisdell Arena.

The event, in Hawaii for the first time in six years, drew 950 judoka, and allowed many more of Hawai’i's players a chance to compete against the nation’s best.

“I’m very surprised. I was talking to somebody, and all I heard was my name,” said Mishima. “It’s kinda cool.”

Mishima won the Juvenile A, 44-kilo class, outlasting Brenna Clark of Okubo Judo Club (Hercules, Calif.) in the final. The title win and Outstanding Female award were well earned for Mishima, who had finished third in the junior nationals in 2002 and second last year.

“I did different moves, like what I saw in my visualization,” she said.

Jon Koomoa, veteran assistant coach, or sensei, at Shobukan, sees a bright future for Mishima, one of the club’s most generous judoka. “She’s in a program we have to train instructors. She’s gentle when she’s working with our younger ones, but she’s also a fierce competitor,” Koomoa said.

Ortiz was equally impressive, handling foes in individual and team competition. His slight frame belies an explosive, deft package of skills. The youngster won the Juvenile B, 34-kilo class, and remained unbeaten in the team competition that pitted regional associations.

“It just makes me real happy,” said Ortiz, who won the national title last year in the Junior Nationals at Boca Raton, Fla. He also won the Best Technique award at that tourney.

“He’s a natural,” said Michael Ortiz, Giovant’e’s father. “Two months into it, he was second in the state.”

Baseball is actually Giovant’e’s first love. “It’s fun. I’m good at it,” he said. But in judo, he’s in another world. “My dad used to be in judo, and my brother, too,” he said.

Growing up in a house of judo throws and kung fu movies, he moves with pure instincts. He has finished as high as second at international meets.

Carleigh Hobson, 15, earned the Female Best Technique award after winning the Juvenile B, 57-kilo class. “If you don’t use good technique, you get sloppy. It’s bad judo,” said Hobson, who plays for Antelope Valley Judo Club (Calif.). “It’s special because it’s my first award for technique. I’ve been working hard to do it. Sensei (Steve Bell) worked with me. He knows what I like to do, and he’s always right.”

Salt Lake Judo Club’s Monique Morin was a stunned, but smiling competitor as awards were presented. Morin placed second in the Junior C, 57-kilo class, and won the Female Fighting Spirit award.

“I’m surprised. I’ve been fighting for six years and I’ve never placed,” said Morin, a senior at La Pietra. “I went to practice every day last week. I had a cold the week before, but I came back stronger.”

Traveling thousands of miles and playing with a case of jet lag didn’t seem to affect Georgette Egli. Competing for Hawaii Tokai University, Egli drew a bye, and then won two matches to place first in the 63-kilo class.

Several hours later, she returned to the mat to win three times for Hawaii in the team competition. The junior national champion of Switzerland had arrived in the islands Thursday. Egli, 19, will train for two months at Hawaii Tokai under sensei Teruyoshi Yamaguchi, a former Olympic gold medalist.

Sunday’s competition featured senior judoka, but it was Saturday’s showing by hundreds of junior players that left Egli in awe. “People here are all interested in judo. In Switzerland, there are not as many young people in it,” said Egli, who stands 5-foot-9. “I was surprised by the interest.”

She’s not alone in her journey. Another Switzerland native, Anna Mosale, 20, has been training for a month at Hawaii Tokai. “It’s more family oriented here. The judo clubs here have more fun. In Switzerland, it’s more work, but I learned more technique here.”

Both agree that living at the university, located in McCully, has its benefits. “I like Jack in the Box cheeseburgers,” said Mosale, 20, who was too old to participate in the tourney.

“In Switzerland,” Egli noted, “we don’t have as many fast-food places.”

Yamaguchi is looking forward to exposing both judoka to Hawaii’s resources. “We also take the students to local judo clubs. There are lots of great teachers,” he said.

Perhaps one of the top standouts of the tourney was Hodokan’s Michael Fujiuchi, who captured the 60-kilo title. “He is very poised, has an even-level personality,” San Jose State University assistant coach Keith Nakasone said. “I was very impressed with his character. That’s what really matters.”

Another top-flight competitor was Valley Judo Institute (Calif.) player Ross Nakamura, who won the 64-kilo class. “I just like getting away from home. I just bring what I’ve learned,” said Nakamura, who modestly won every match he played in, including team competition.

“He’s my star student,” said his sensei, Neil Hashiba.

Moanalua High School gets a treat in the upcoming season with the arrival of Derron Maki. The freshman-to-be won the Juvenile A, 44-kilo event, returning to the status that ranked him among the nation’s best beginning in 1998.

“I really wanted first to make up for last time,” said Maki, who won the national title in ’98 and ’01, but did not place in ’02. “Sensei (Daniel Fujikawa) stresses to really play well so they remember you.”

Another Shobukan judoka, Joshua Terao, made his mark. The 8-year-old won the Bantam 1, 23-kilo class Saturday. “I was scared to go last year, but I still wanted to go,” said Terao, who was too young to qualify. Now old enough to participate in the junior nationals, he defeated Rocky Mori of Kamehameha Judo Club in the final.

“When I beat the guy, I wasn’t nervous,” he said.

Mishima, a slender athlete who shows no sign of her hand-to-hand battling skills off the mat, began playing at age 9. “You get to meet new people. It’s individual, and you can get your aggression out, but still be social with other people,” she said.

“I want to keep going until I’m too old to move.”