Cranberry judo studio has a national impact
CRANBERRY TWP— Eugene Kim knows the judo game.
Kim, 40, of Kennedy Township runs Kim's Martial Arts studio in Cranberry Township, where he works with 150 students, including many from the Seneca Valley School District.
Involved in the sport for 35 years, including 20 as an instructor, he is a five-time national champion. His last crown came at age 28.
"I retired after that,"Kim said. "It became much too trying to train and teach, so I decided to teach."
Kim annually assembles a national judo team at his facility. He has had 60 students earn medals in the past three years at the National Judo Championships in Chicago.
Athletes must place among the top three in their respective age and weight divisions at the state tournament in March to qualify for nationals.
"Then it's their choice whether they want to go,"Kim said. "It does require fundraising and more intense practice sessions."
This year's national championships were held July 4 to 6 and Kim had a nine-member team. Five of them, sons Tyler, 13, and Tanner Kim, 11, as well as Jaycie Malesky, 11, of Moon, John Rocco Kazalas, 7, of Sewickley and Luke Holman, 5, of Economy, won gold medals.
Three others, Sal DeSimone, 11, of Kennedy Township, Liam Williams, 8, of Bethel Park, and Kevin Holman, 10, of Economy, won silver medals. Jimmy Malesky, 7, of Moon also competed.
"We had a 25-person team at nationals last year, including some Seneca Valley kids,"Kim said. "The numbers vary from year to year."
Kim's 2007 team returned from nationals with six gold, 14 silver and four bronze medals.
Kim sent one student, Conor Driscoll of Scott Township, to the U.S. Olympic Trials this year in Las Vegas. He had sent another, Cindy Nicholas of Pittsburgh, in 1996.
"Ultimately, my goal is to get a student on the U.S. Olympic judo team,"Kim said. "I have four here right now who may one day do that.
"Olympic judo performers are people age 20 to 25 who have been in the sport since they were 5. The combination of their dedication and talent level made it happen for them. These kids have that same potential."
Once a national qualifier commits to Kim's team, he or she is required to report for two-hour practice sessions each Sunday, Monday and Saturday, as well as morning and evening sessions on Wednesdays, leading up to the national tournament.
"Judo is done in bursts, similar to wrestling, so we do a lot of weightlifting and running wind sprints,"Kim said. "It (competing nationally) does require a time commitment."
Depending on the size of a competitors age and weight division, he or she might have to defeat from two to seven opponents at the national meet.
Most of the judo students compete in other sports as well.
"I love the discipline judo gives them,"said Dawn Holman, mother of national team members Luke and Kevin. "The athletic skills they pick up from this have helped my boys in wrestling, football and baseball — especially wrestling."
