Martial lawVacaville PAL judo club offers new challenges
By Derek Wilson/Sports Writer
Austen Kurlander and Alexandria Gunderson (left) spar during judo practice for the Junior Olympics.
(Brad Zweerink/The Reporter)
As excited as 11-year-old Alexandria Gunderson will be to step onto the mat for her first Junior Olympic judo competition, her instructors are equally excited.
"I can't wait to go," Gunderson said. "It would be nice to win. I'd like to represent how good the talent in Vacaville is. That would be cool."
Gunderson, along with 12-year-old Austen Kurlander and Michael and John Fife, ages 11 and 14, respectively, will represent Vacaville's Police Activities League judo club in San Jose on July 7-9. They are the first group from Vacaville PAL judo to ever compete in the Junior Olympics.
"They're prepared. They're all ready for this," said sergeant Gordon Makimoto, who heads the judo club.
Makimoto has been practicing and teaching judo, a form of martial arts, for 30 years. In fact, it was during a class 10 years ago when he met the woman who would become his wife. Gordon and Lucy Makimoto, also a Vacaville police officer, campaigned for a judo club through the Police Activities League to help underserved youth.
"I never did any sports before. We didn't have much money for me to do sports," Gunderson said. "My mother found out about this judo class and it sounded like fun.
"It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to be good, but I'm glad my mom made me come. It's a lot of fun and I get to have my mom there for tournaments."
Kurlander is perhaps the only one of the quartet with international experience, to some degree. He first took up judo while his family was living in northern Italy, where his father was stationed at Aviano Air Base.
"When we were living in Italy, I had no extra activities to do," the 12-year-old Kurlander said. "My friends from school joined also, but they quit. I just kept going because I enjoyed it."
His family scouted around Solano for a judo club and happened across Vacaville PAL.
The improvement from competition to competition has inspired Makimoto's students.
"One of the best moments for me," Kurlander recalled, "was a couple of months ago, when I did a throw that, normally, I never do and I did it perfectly and won the match. That was awesome."
Gunderson placed second in her division at the State Championship in San Jose on May 21. Kurlander and John and Michael Fife also competed in the tournament to qualify for the PAL Junior Olympics.
"Some of the advanced competition skills, they still need to work on," Gordon Makimoto said. "This is their first year for entering this level of tournament. As far as their general competition skills, they're ready. They can hold their own in competition."
Kurlander has a good idea what he'll be up against in San Jose, which is a qualifying tournament for nationals.
"A lot of people will be trying to earn points for nationals, so they'll be trying their best," Kurlander said. "It will be a hard tournament." Fonte: TheReporter.com - Vacaville, CA, USA - http://www.thereporter.com/
"I can't wait to go," Gunderson said. "It would be nice to win. I'd like to represent how good the talent in Vacaville is. That would be cool."
Gunderson, along with 12-year-old Austen Kurlander and Michael and John Fife, ages 11 and 14, respectively, will represent Vacaville's Police Activities League judo club in San Jose on July 7-9. They are the first group from Vacaville PAL judo to ever compete in the Junior Olympics.
"They're prepared. They're all ready for this," said sergeant Gordon Makimoto, who heads the judo club.
Makimoto has been practicing and teaching judo, a form of martial arts, for 30 years. In fact, it was during a class 10 years ago when he met the woman who would become his wife. Gordon and Lucy Makimoto, also a Vacaville police officer, campaigned for a judo club through the Police Activities League to help underserved youth.
"I never did any sports before. We didn't have much money for me to do sports," Gunderson said. "My mother found out about this judo class and it sounded like fun.
"It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to be good, but I'm glad my mom made me come. It's a lot of fun and I get to have my mom there for tournaments."
Kurlander is perhaps the only one of the quartet with international experience, to some degree. He first took up judo while his family was living in northern Italy, where his father was stationed at Aviano Air Base.
"When we were living in Italy, I had no extra activities to do," the 12-year-old Kurlander said. "My friends from school joined also, but they quit. I just kept going because I enjoyed it."
His family scouted around Solano for a judo club and happened across Vacaville PAL.
The improvement from competition to competition has inspired Makimoto's students.
"One of the best moments for me," Kurlander recalled, "was a couple of months ago, when I did a throw that, normally, I never do and I did it perfectly and won the match. That was awesome."
Gunderson placed second in her division at the State Championship in San Jose on May 21. Kurlander and John and Michael Fife also competed in the tournament to qualify for the PAL Junior Olympics.
"Some of the advanced competition skills, they still need to work on," Gordon Makimoto said. "This is their first year for entering this level of tournament. As far as their general competition skills, they're ready. They can hold their own in competition."
Kurlander has a good idea what he'll be up against in San Jose, which is a qualifying tournament for nationals.
"A lot of people will be trying to earn points for nationals, so they'll be trying their best," Kurlander said. "It will be a hard tournament." Fonte: TheReporter.com - Vacaville, CA, USA - http://www.thereporter.com/
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