Devin Sobay

01/04/2012

Okay. I thought I would let you know how France went. Sensei Hrbek and I arrived on Thursday the 8th in Paris. We then took a train to Lille. Then Sensei drove us to a small town, Noyelles Godault. We each got settled in for the night at our hotels. The next day we met as a team. We had different ages fighting and they were on 2 separate days. I was fighting on Sunday. I was happy for this because it gave a total of 2 days to rest. The time difference is about 7 hours and my body needed to adjust as much as it could.

So I got to watch a lot of great fights the first day. The other team mates had a good amount in each of their divisions. Yet then it made it hard to get further if you lost in the first round. Some of them did not win their first fight so they were out totally of the tournament. Others either won but then lost their second fight. Yet if they lost then they  were able to go to the loser bracket. This would give them opportunity to fight back up to at least get a medal. I will post at the end of this post how each did.

Now it is my day, Sunday, to fight. I was suppose to have 12 in my division. I was fighting the 15/16 year olds in the 90+kg division. I do not understand how they do their age division because I just turned 14 in August. I usually fight 13/14 year olds. It is not a problem though.  I was very happy with the way I fought. My first fight went a few minutes. I felt like the guy was not playing ”good Judo” yet he still had good Judo but chose not to use it.  I was getting my grips and I went for a throw. He countered me and wins with an Ippon. Yet my coach plus others watching and me felt  that the counter was not worth an Ippon but a lower score. I do not know if I would have won this first fight if the call was different but I felt like I could, I was playing to win. I was attacking unlike my competitor. So because of this lose I go to the consolation round. I win my 2nd fight with an Ippon. It took me 5 seconds with a Ouchigari. I am  now fighting for the bronze medal. I lost in this round on a teguruma counter to my uchimata. I did not medal but it does not matter. I like that the 2 fights I lose  where because I got countered. I know and it shows that I went there to win. I know from experience that you can get on the mat and play to not lose. This is when you will. I would rather keep attacking, getting my grips and excute a throw than just be defensive. I need these fights so that I can improve and become the player I plan to be. Thank you guys for the support. I really have felt very humble.

It is a new year and I am looking forward to this new journey in Judo. I learned a lot of different techniques at the camp in France. I have showed some of it in class. I plan to show more. I like using some of these new moves. They are effective. Also so you know I will start to fight in the Mens division starting this month, January. This means that I will be going against men that are my size in weight and that are either brown belts or black belts. This means more experience with Judo players that know their stuff. I know this will help me in my goal, win or lose, it will make me a stronger player!! TEXOMA JUDO!!

11/22/2011

I competed this past weekend at the 2011 Dallas Invitational. I only fought in the mens novice division because I did not want to take a chance of getting hurt since I was leaving for France soon. I had 4 competitors. I fought well and won my fights. I took Gold. It was a great end to my regular tournaments I go to through out the United States. Also my judo club, Texoma Judo had players go. A few players did not place, Aaron, Ashlynn, Lee and RJ but they did fight well and represented us with lots of strength!  The Dallas Invitational Results!: 

Juniors

11/18/2011

Last week the local paper, Times Record News, decided to write an article about me and my judo. Richard Carter, the writer, came to interview me on Thursday, the 10th. It was nice and really went by fast. Then later on that night the paper sent a photographer to shoot me doing my judo. It was a different experience and fun. I am attaching a link so you can read the article: http://www.timesrecordnews.com/news/2011/nov/13/new-judo-kid/     Also I will be leaving here around 5 to go to Dallas for a tournament tomorrow. I will be competing along with quite a few of the judo players from my club, Texoma Judo. Thank you guys and I will let you know what happen soon.

11/07/2011

I was in Houston for the Houston Open Judo Tournament this past Saturday, 11/05. This particular tournament is one of the few in the United States that I know of that give prizes or money for 1st place other than a medal. In the Junior Division, contested ones, if you take 1st place then you win a iPod Shuffle. I, unfortunately, did not have anyone in my age/weight division. I then tried the older divisions and again I did not have anyone. So I did not win a iPod shuffle. Yet I did have competitors in my Senior Novice Division. The first fight only lasted 7 seconds. I wanted the win but I also wanted to win the money. It was $100.00 and this was the first time I had a chance to win money. So I got my power grip right away and threw him for an Ippon. Then my second fight I wanted to do the same, get my power grip and throw. I got my grip but not how I like so my attempt at a throw was unsuccessful. We both fell to the ground and nothing came of it so the Ref stopped the fight. When the fight started again, I got my power grip and threw him. I was told the fight lasted 18 seconds. It was a long weekend but well worth it!! My next tournament is 11/19 in Dallas. Plus it is getting closer to the France trip. Thank you everyone and talk to you later.

10/25/2011

Hello. Well I just got back from a Benefit  Judo tournament in Joshua, Texas. My Judo club had a lot of players go as well. Some of them it was their first tournament. One of the players, Ashelynn, played in the 13/14 years old. She won both her fights to secure her very first Gold. She not only won but used the skills she has been taught. Then there was Zach. He played in the Senior Novice division, middle weight. He had several fights and won them all, securing his Gold. This too was Zach’s first Judo tournament. We also had other players go. The results: Mina- Girls 15/16 Gold, Senior Women’s Gold.  Zach Senior- Gold. Dan Men’s Masters- Gold. Brandi Women’s Masters- Gold. RJ- Boys 15/16 Silver. Ashelynn- Girls 13/14- Gold. Josh- Boys 13/14- Gold. Luke- Boys 13/14- Gold. Jennifer- Girls 11/12- Gold. Jonus- Boys 11/12- Bronze. Lee- Boys 9/10- Bronze. Andrew- Boys 7/8- Silver. Finally there is me. I took Gold in the Boys 13/14 Division. I also took Gold in the Senior Novice Division. It was a great turn out for this tournament. We came together as a Judo community to support a few of our Junior Judo players who will be competing at the Junior Worlds in Cape Town, Africa. The United States Judo people really do come together to help one another. By the way I have a little over a month before I leave for France. I am excited and nervous at the same time. Right now though I will have 2 or more tournaments in the U.S. before that. I have one coming up on 11/05 in Houston, Texas. I hope I do well. If I do what I have been doing then I can maybe win $100.00 which will cover the tournament fee and the hotel expense. I also maybe able to win an Ipod. Then on 11/19 I will be in Dallas. This one is always a good turn out as well. Okay I will get off now. I hope all is well with everyone and thank you for your support!!

10/17/2011

I was in Edmond, OK competing in the Heartland Team Tournament this past Saturday, the 15th. My judo team, Texoma Judo, did not go. It was just me, my mom, my granny and my cousin, TJ. I was asked to play on a team for the Senior Division ( Black or Brown Belt Players). So I weighted in. Since we did not play till 1p.m. we went to eat breakfast at IHOP. I never leave a tournament to eat so this was a nice change especially since I got to have pancakes! Anyway when we returned I was also asked to play in the Senior Novice Division. I was fighting in the Open weight, at this tournament that meant I would fight anyone 210lbs+ on either team I was on. So for the Senior Novice I was on Team Sooner. At these types of tournaments you have to go onto the mat before anyone fights as a team. You bow to the Official Refs. Then you turn back were we are facing the other team and bow to them. There is 5 players representing different weight divisions. The lightest will fight first so he stays on the mat as the other 4 go to the side to watch. Then like any other tournament you wait till it is your turn. I was the last to fight for our team since I was the heaviest. I fought well. My mom told me that if I wanted to use my standard throws that I have been winning with for several years to go ahead because I was fighting for a team. She said that she was sure Sensei Roy would be fine with that. I did not. I used my new throws and combos. I was dominating. I tried a combo but it did not work. Then I countered the guy with another combo and won with an Ippon. Then we watched as the 2 other teams played. Then it was our turn again. We did as before as far as the bowing procedures. Then it was my turn again. I had a competitor I had fought before in Tulsa, Ok. I got my grip fast and threw him with an Ippon. This secured us for the 2nd place in the Senior Novice Division. I was very happy with my performance.
Ok now it was time for the Senior Division. As I had said before this is for Black and Brown Belts only. Again I am fighting in the Open Division, 210lbs + for this tournament. I did have several big men, not weight but one was same height yet very strong. One of the others was not tall but built like a fire hydrant, very strong as well. Plus they all are great Judo players. So I knew that I had to really think about what I was going to do. My first match unfortunately came and went within 30 seconds. I guess I was leaning a bit too much when I reached for a high grip. This gave the opportunity to use my “off-balance” to throw me, he did. He won with an Ippon. Unfortunately we did not do well against that team. We played against 4 teams. I did not have to fight one of the teams because they did not have anyone my size. So that meant techniquely I won. Yet my other players did and we won against that team. Now for our 3rd team. I was up. I was dominating, getting grip. I was using my new combos and throws. I was up by a point. Yet unfortunately my competitor counter me with an Ippon. I lost. I was ok with it because it was a great fight for me and definitely a great counter from my competitor. I need to lose at times to see my mistakes. Ok now it is our finally team for the Senior Division. I again tried several combos and different attacks. Yet I finally got him in and threw him for an Ippon. This team I was on was Team OSU. We took 3rd place in the Team Tournament. I really was happy with the way I fought. I know of the 2 fights that I lost what I needed to do but my results speak for themselves. I hope you guys enjoy the pictures of the past 2 tournaments and the now the videos that we have linked to my webpage. Thank you for all the support I am receiving on a daily basis, may it be words, prayers, Uke partner, ideas or financial. I really enjoy each and everyone!! I know that God is always here with me and has a plan for my life. I am sure my grandpa is right next to God whispering what he would like!!! Thank you again!
Oh I almost forgot. 1st I will be fighting this weekend near Burlison, Texas. 2nd this past week my mom was told that if anyone wants to make a tax deductible donation then instead of going to my paypal donation button or sending a check to our home. You need to send it to  Dee Firth, Treasurer-Texas Judo, 1159 CR 262 Gainsville, Texas 76240. IN THE MEMO AREA PUT “DEVIN SOBAY-FRANCE” Otherwise I will not receive the funds. Thank you again!!

10/06/2011

Hello all. My mom, Sensei Carl, Luke McDonald and I went to the 17th Annual Go Shibata Tournament held at Texas A&M University on October 01, 2011. We left for this tournament at 3a.m. that morning. It took us about 5.5 hours to get there. This tournament is a point tournament. Luke fought first, he had several fights. He fought well. Luke took home a Bronze Medal. I did not have anyone in my age group. So I moved up an age catagory. I was told again to work my weaker grips and use new throws I have been practicing on. I have been winning with certain throws but if I want to become an Olympian I have to have many throws that I am great at. I have to go into any competition and look at my competitor, his style, his weakness and use a different throw each time. I need a “bag” I can reach into for each competitor. So with that in mind I have been working on several new ones. I was happy with my outcome because I did as I was told and did not sway from this even though I know I could have fallen on my usual throws I win with. So I took 2nd in the 15/16 year old division. Okay now that was done I fought next in the men’s division. Again I did what I was told and use new grips and techniques. I was very happy with the way I played. I took home a Gold in this division!! I now have next weekend off and will be training even harder. I may be going to Houston in a week for a 3-day training camp. If not then I will fight in a team tournament in Oklahoma. I will also have a tournament on Octover 22nd to benefit 2 great Texas players who will be playing on the World Cadet Team. For me it is getting closer to the French training camp and Tournament, I am excited. Later. Thank you!!

09/28/2011

I need to tell you all that we have decided to send me to France in December to fight for the United States and also do a judo training camp. We decided this one over the Pan Am games because we believe that the trip to France will help in my Judo development with not just the tournament but with the camp. Also I will be exposed to so many different players from other countries. I look forward to this new experience!!

09/2011

Okay so far I have traveled to 2 tournaments this month, September. My first on was in Wichita, Kansas. I have never fought there. My sensei and I decided I needed to get out to different places so I can get different players. I also want to get as much mat time before I go oversea to a tournament. So with that in mind I am also fighting in both the junior division as well as the men’s. I am suppose to work new throws and use my left. I did as I was told and won the juniors. Then it was the men’s division. I played my first match well and won with a pin. I was ready for my second match. I do need to tell you that the mat we were fighting on was only about 6′ x 6′. Which is extremely small. Yet at the same time it makes you think, ok grip then throw fast. I countered the guy, he landed to me on his back. But the ref so it as not so I got a wazari. Then we started again, this time my competitor countered me and he won. My final match I just did not focus so I lost. So I took bronze. It was a good lesson learned. I have to remember that I have to keep my mind focus not dwell on mistakes.

The second tournament was this past weekend on 09/17/2011 in San Antonio, Texas. Again I signed up to fight in the junior and men’s division. Plus again I am to work different grips, throws and my use my left. My first fight in the junior’s was over fast. My competitor “walked in a throw” , so I won within about 6 seconds. Now my second fight went a little longer. I decided to take my time, working what my sensei told me to do. My first throw in this particular fight was great but since he was about 30lbs lighter than me I over threw him so he landed on his side. My coach told me to do it again so I did but not going with full force so he would land on his back. He did so I won. I took gold in Juniors. My men’s first fight went well and fast. I countered my competitor low on the ground for an Ippon. Then on my second fight I won with an pin. This secured the gold in the men’s division for me. Now we will be going to Tulsa, Ok this weekend, 09/24/2011. I am still working out daily and I have now introduced agility cardio to my workouts. I am still sprinting but now I am also doing latters and using the jump rope. I really like the later two. It is a challenge and very different from what I am use to. I will talk to you later. Thank you for your support!!

09/2011

Hello. I hope everyone is doing well, especially for those who have started school for the fall. I normally take August off to give myself a rest but this year I made the Pan Am Team so I needed to keep it going. I did not have any tournaments in August but I did go to San Antonio for a heavy weight training camp. It was hosted by Universal Judo, Sensei Hrbek and  Sensei Ernesto Perez of Diamondback Judo Houston. The camp had quite a few judo players from various areas of the United States. My sensei, Carl Plummer, also attended with me. This was the first camp I went to that was given just for 90kg plus. I got to train with men my size, 6’4″ to smaller but just as heavy if not heavier. We also had 4 great women judo players.  I went away with a lot new judo.  

08/2011 Ok now the summer is officially over for me, school started today!!  The summer went by way too fast! The summer for judo holds 4 major tournaments, Junior Scholastics, USJA Nationals, US Open and Jr. Olympics. I usually fight all 4 but since the Russia trip finished a week before the Scholastics my parents decided I needed to settle back in and just concentrate on the other 3. My goal this year was to win all majors and try to make the Pan Am Team as I did 2 years ago.

The first major, USJA/USJF Nationals, July 2-3/2011. It was held this year in Toledo, Oh. My mom decided to drive there. We also took 2 other players from our Judo Club. So 3 of us competed and 1, the brother of one, came to support. Also my aunt, Charlotte, decided to join us. She has never been to any of my tournaments. It was a long drive there!! We started off late on a Wednesday, 2:30 pm. We arrived a hour outside of St. Louis around midnight to rest for the evening. We got up the next day to arrive in Toledo around 5 pm Thursday. We all ate then had some down time at the pool. The next day we weighed i in and found out later in the evening who we were fighting. I had 11 competitors in my division, that is age and weight. We enjoyed the hotel and relaxed to get ready for the next day. Saturday the 2 other players from my club fought. They did extremely well for their first national. Neither placed but as I said they fought well. My fights were on Sunday. So it is Sunday, July 3rd. This year my fights are early, which I like. Plus this time all my competitors fought before me so I got to see what or how they fight. I only had to fight 4 different matches. Once you loose you drop down to the loser bracket. I kept on winning so when it came to my 4th match it secured the Gold for me and I was finished for the day. That night we start our drive back so to get back and start training for the next major.

 It is July 13th and my parents along with me are flying out to Ft. Lauderdale for the US Open. My dad normally does not go to the majors because of work but we decided to make it a family vacation too. We had a great time. We got to meet up with some judo players and Sensei from Burleson. Plus one of their players roomed with us. So I had a friend along to enjoy Florida. I always enjoy the weather there. It is hot but not like it is here in Wichita Falls, Tx!!! This year I had only 2 competitors at the Open. I normally have a large group. It is an international one but I guess it was just not a good year for people to travel. Again my fights were early and I also got to watch my competitors fight one another. So I knew what I needed to do to win. I fought both and beat both of them. So I took Gold at this one as well. This win should have secured my place on the Pan Am Team but I do not want to take any chances. I plan on winning at the US Junior Olympics!!

My last major, US Junior Olympics, is in Irving, Texas!! I know I was happy that it was close. I like to travel and see new places but at times it gets old. Plus for my parents it is expensive. This year the Junior Olympics decided to add an international tournament at on Sunday. So the regular part started on a Friday, the 22nd. My fights again were early. Plus again I got to watch my competitors fight, 9 of them. I watched and decided what I was going to do. I knew that I needed to attack and get my grip fast so I could throw and finish. I took out most of them within 10 to 30 seconds. My last fight was with a player I had already fought and beat earlier in the day. Plus I had beat him within 10 seconds. This time he was prepared. He wanted the Gold as much as I did. We fought for the entire 3 minutes with each of us scoring. He was the one to tie up the score but throwing me for a point. I have been practicing turning out of throws while I am in the air. I did on this particular match. I was turning and then as most of my body is in the air, my face lands on the side of my cheek. I made sure and put so much force into it that I was able to complete the turn. So I landed on my stomach, what I wanted. Since we are tied at the end of the 3 minutes we then need to fight again for 2 more minutes. This is called Golden Score. Whoever scores first during these 2 minutes wins. Iknew that I wanted to win and get this done. Yet I also knew since I had beat him in our first match that if I happen to loose this one I had a 3rd match with him to try for the Gold. I did not want that. So the 2 minute part begins. We fight for a while. He is strong and knows what he needs to do as well as I do. I finally get a score making me the winner!! So I took Gold at this one as well. I now know I am for sure on the Pan Am team. It was a great tournament for me as well as other players from our club competed and did well. Plus we helped at this tournament. Our club had a table at mat 6. We ran time, score, bracket and other things you do while working a table. I am now back in Wichita Falls training hard waiting to see were I go for the Pan Am Team or if I will go to France. Either way I look forward to it!! For now I will just train and compete in other regular tournaments, busy!!!!

 08/2011 Hello!! So for some reason I just can not seem to get on and let you know what has been going on with my Judo. First I will start with my trip to Russia. I traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia with the U.S. Cadet Team during the week of March 21-27. The trip was for a 5 day training camp then ending with a team tournament. The name of the tournament is Vladimir Putin International Youth Judo Team Championship.  It consisted of boys only. They had to be born in the years 1995 to 1997. There was one boy for each weight division, 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 66kg, 73kg, 81kg, 90kg and 90+kg. I represented the 90+kg. I took an airplane with Sensei Hrbek, the coach for this trip, from San Antonio to Atlanta to France then finally arriving in St. Petersburg. I know I was happy I slept most of the flight from Paris to St. Petersburg because he 3 of the boys got sick from the fish they served on the plane. Once they landed the team came together at the airport in St. Petersburg. The boys came from different parts of the U.S. Three  were from Texas. Other states represented were: New York, Florida, Utah, New Jersey and Virginia. Plus we had an American that lived in England. Once at the hotel the Russian who coordinated things automatically assumed I was the oldest because of my size I guess. So for this he was going to give me my own room. 
 
Each day we woke up around 6:30 or 7 am. The team would get ready, eat breakfast then walk 10 to 15 minutes to Vladimir Putin’s Training Facility.  We would train anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours then leave to eat lunch. The team would have some down time then go back to train more. During the training camp we got to randori with teams from Russia, Japan and Germany. There were other countries represented but they came later in the week so the US team did not get to train with them. The purpose for this trip mainly was to learn Judo. Yet see how the Europeans fight as well as the Japanese. I learned a lot. I found that the Europeans and Japanese have distinct fighting abilities, very different from the US. I also learned different gripping and ways to get in an attack. I did get in some site seeing. I took a lot of pictures.
 
Friday night arrives and the team, the judo players only, decided amongst themselves to have a team meeting. We looked through videos of the past weeks training camp. We got to watch each of their opponents. We went through each of their strengths and weaknesses so to set a plan for each fight. The team came together to help each other. Sensei Hrbek said that he has never seen a team do this on their own. He also said that these young men are very mature and will be strong men one day. Saturday arrives and that is the day of the tournament. I thought that there was only going to be one team representing each country yet the Russians had 3 separate teams. Since this was the case I fought 2 different Russians and 1 Japanese. I felt that I  fought well with each opponent. My longest match lasted 3 minutes. I did not win yet at the same time I held my own respectively. I fought against 16 years old and older guys. It gave me a feel for what I will come up against when I fight internationally. It also gave me a renewed since for the thirst I have for Judo. I want to be an Olympian. I know how much discipline towards my workout routines and my academic record is needed to be successful. I knows that it takes both athletic skills and smarts to make it. Unfortunately no one on the team took home a medal. Also only one player won one match. I know that each of us are strong athletes otherwise we would not been given this opportunity. I do believe that each of us learned so many different things on this trip. I of course learned different styles of Judo. Yet I also got to learn and experience a different culture. It was very depressing over there. People did not smile. I am glad I saw this. We are very lucky to have what we have, may it be a poor amount to a rich amount.                                                                                                                                                    
02/2011 Hey everyone!! I am sorry that I have not been updating my site like I said I would. As I said before I took off August of 2010. I needed the break from all the work outs. It gets a bit much with school and everything else I do. I competed in several tournaments since September 2010 till now February 2011. I took gold at each tournament except one during those months. I moved up 1 or 2 age divisions when I did fight. I even fought in the senior division, adults. Which I have done before during the year of 2010.

My most recent tournament was at College Station, Texas. I went to fight at the Texas State Judo Championships. I had 4 competitors in my weight and age division. I have been keeping a healthy weight of 211. I had 3 fights. My first fight took a little over a minute. I played a guy that I have fought at several national events. He is definitely getting better. I attacked well then finally attempted a throw. I was able to throw him but not for an Ippon. So once on the ground I got him in a hold down and won. My second fight lasted only a few seconds. He is new to Judo tournaments. He actually is a school mate and friend. I attacked him right away and threw him for an Ippon. My finally fight was with the first guy. I did not have to fight one of the guys because he lost twice, once to both of my previous competitors. This time I attacked a bit faster so I got him with an Ippon after about 35 seconds. This gave me gold for States. So I am now #1 for the state of Texas.

The newest news right now is that I am now going to Russia in March 2011. I will be training with people from there as well as other countries. Then at the end of the week the Russians are going to host a team tournament. There are 7 of us US citizens going to this event. I will be representing the United States. I am going to fight in the 90+ division. This makes me the heaviest fighter. I am thinking I am also going to be the youngest from what I know of all who is going. I am looking forward to learning different throws, moves and exercises. Plus a different out look from other judo players from other countries. I understand that other countries train differently. I also believe that some of these players only have this sport getting them through their days. I am fortunate to have the life I have, my parents help me with my wants and needs. I am hoping to be able to take lots of pictures. I will post them as soon as I can.

For now I will keep lifting weights, lots and lots of different cardio routines and judo. I am also now taking Brazilian Jui Jitsu. So that means I am doing cardio 3 to 4 times a week. Judo 4 to 5 days and BJJ 1 day. I only take Sundays off now. I know this is what it takes to get me to my goal, to be a great Judo player and then maybe a great Olympian!! If you want to help me get there then go to the area where you can donate. Thank you guys and talk at you soon!!

8-31-2010

Hey I have been traveling a lot. I first went to Duluth, Ga on July 22. I fought on the 23rd. I was at the United States Junior Olympics. I had 13 competitors in my division. It was also a double elimination tournament. This means that if you lose the first time you will be put in the loser bracket, this gives you a chance to win against the other competitors who have fought and lost to their opponents. Then you have a chance to fight for 1st place if you beat all the competitors in the loser bracket. My first match was good and short. It was a new competitor for me. I believe the fight last about 1.5 minutes. I was constantly attacking. On one of my attacks I got him in a hold down. I won.

My second fight I won by Ippon. My third fight the same, Ippon. Ippon is an automatic win or a combination of points. I won both fights by throwing my opponents on their back so it was an automatic win for both. Unfortunately on my 4th fight I lost. I went almost the whole 3 minutes but he got me in a hold down and won. So this put me in the loser bracket. I will fight a 5th fight. If I win this then I go back to fight the competitor from the 4th match because he has won all his fights. So I fought my 5th fight. I believe I fought well, I was constantly attacking but made a mistake and let the other competitor get an point more than me. We went the whole 3 minutes. I lost by a point. This placed me 3rd for this tournament. I was disappointed because even though he is a good player I know what I am capable of and I know I should have taken that win. Yet I am learning and growing with every lost and win. So you know what my mom and I generally have to do. I am going to give you an account of the 3 days we were traveling as well. We drove with my Sensei and my dad to Ga. It took us 15 hours.

We were not able to leave here till 130 in the afternoon because of some problems. We arrived in Duluth around 5am. My mom told the hotel we would be there around that time. They at first were not going to guarantee our rooms. Yet she let them know that they do have her credit card holding our rooms. So we were able to sleep for about 7 hours before I had to check in with the tournament heads and then weigh in. We then got to eat and relax with the other judo people at the hotel. I wanted to swim but the pool was not open. I normally am not allowed to swim the day before fights but you know sometimes you got to do what you got to do. We went to bed around 11 then got up the next day at 6. We got ready then we all went to eat breakfast. I normally do not have anything heavy.

We then have to be at the tournament at least by 9. I got lucky in a way at this tournament, my fights started somewhat early, 1 in the afternoon. We have to wait around because they have the authority to change the fight number. It still took till 430 or so to get finish. Then we drove back to home. We did not get in till Sunday morning around 7 or 8. It was a fast and hard trip. Yet this is how it is even if we fly because the flights are generally early, early in the morning.

So my next tournament was the weekend of July 31st. It is the US Open, located in Fort Lauderdale, Fl. It is an international tournament. My mom and I left early so that we could get there and enjoy the day and evening before I had to check in at the tournament and weigh in. We arrived at the hotel around 1 in the afternoon. We rested, ate then headed to the pool. Florida is hot during the day but not at all like Texas. It starts to cool down around 6 in the evening, not here!!

I like these tournaments because I also get to see judo friends from other states. It is like a reunion. I get to have fun with everyone. The next day I got all my stuff that I needed to participate. I then got to just take it easy. Yet we had to stay up late to see who we fight and make sure there was no errors. I found out that I had 3 competitors other than me. Saturday we got to the tournament. I did not fight till 2. My first was against an American. I began attacking right away. This player to me seemed to be backing away at times. When I did try a throw on him we went to the ground. I then got him in a hold down and won. My second fight also was with an American, I think.

It went about the same as the first, I won with a hold down. My final fight was against a guy from Costa Rica. We went the whole 3 minutes. It actually went 4 minutes because they made a mistake on the clock and started the fight over at the wrong time. I was constantly attacking and I got points for a couple of my throws. I won by points. So I took Gold, 1st place at this one. My mom and I stayed thru Monday because there was a get together for all the athletes on Sunday. We also got to go to the beach. I enjoyed it. We finally got back home on Monday. It has been a fun better busy summer.

I am now ranked #2 in the nation. I took the month of August off so I could recuperate from everything. My workout started up again last night. I will go into full swing after labor day. I have a tournament in San Antonio, Tx in a couple of weeks. I have enjoyed my time off but am ready for the competitions to begin. I will let you know how I did when I get back. I want to thank everyone for their support!!

See you soon.

7-14-2010

Well I had told you guys about the trip I would be making to Irvine, Ca. I did go. I went for the USJA Junior Nationals. It was held July 3-4, 2010. I fought on July 4th. I had 9 competitors in my division but because there was a big weight difference they divided up the group. If a player wanted points then he had to fight in the heavier of the two groups. I fought in the heavier group. I ended up with 3 competitors. My first fight I fought well, constantly attacking. I was winning yet my opponent made an illegal grab so I went on to win automatically. My second opponent I have fought against in the past. I was again playing well and attacking. I went in to try and throw him but he counter me and got me down on the ground. He then was able to pin me and hold me down long enough to win. Finally I fought my last opponent. We went all 3 minutes with neither one of us scoring. I attacked but was not able to get the points. When both players are even at the end of the first 3 minutes then it goes into “Golden Score.” You fight again for 3 minutes. During the 3 minutes the first opponent to score wins. I made the first point so I won. This put me in 2nd place. So I got silver. I had fun but wished I was back home to enjoy the 4th. I did though get to see fireworks. My sensei and I saw them from the air. We had just been talking about that when we looked out and down, there they were!!

I thought I would let everyone know about another thing I am now doing that uses my Judo skills in a way. I am now assisting a coach in Iowa Park, Texas once a month. I am the assistant to James Horn. He is teaching a women self defense class. I believe that this is a great experience. I get to use my skills other than for self worth. James shows the women a technique by doing it on me then we let the women practice on us. I know this is helping the women because James and I are also very different in body type. I am 6’2 or 6’3 weighing 210. James is 6′ and about 145lbs. This gives the women a feel for different attackers. I enjoy being able to help. Plus my mom goes with me so she is learning as well. If you are a woman living near Iowa Park you should give the Rac in Iowa Park a call and try it sometime.

6-01-2010

Wow, it took a while to get to Colorado Springs, 10 hours. Yet it was fun because 2 judo friends got to travel with me. Plus my dad got to go this time. He normally does not go to any tournaments. He wants to but he has to work.

We got there on Friday around 3p.m. Ruben Martins family and team were there as well. So we all got to swim in the hotel pool for a bit before we went to the Olympic Training Center. We went there to train with a few Olympians and World players. I learned some new throws and some very hard workout exercises. One of them we had to do is a hand stand type of move on top of the other’s back while he was on all fours. We had to stay in that position while the person crawled up the mat. I had a difficult time but with a little help did it.

We did a lot of strength exercises like this, using our upper body strength. I know my mom was shocked that I could do some of them because I am tall and solid. Yet I could not do a couple but I did attempt them all. This training showed me what the Olympians do on a regular basis besides their judo, very hard workout!!!

The next day we got up early, ate breakfast and prepared for the tournament. I always get a little nervous so I try not to eat too much or unhealthy. This way I can focus and feel good. By the way the Olympic Training Center is beautiful and amazing. I will post pictures soon as well. I did not have anybody in my weight or age division so I moved up to fight in the 14 to 15 year olds. I made a mistake in my first match so I lost but came back in my second match and got silver.

Finally my Sensei decided to put me in the senior division. I fought against a black belt. My first time in a tournament to fight a opponent that was this rank. At this division you fight 5 minute matches plus you can do chokes and arm bars. My first match lasted 1 and half minutes or so. I attacked a lot but my opponent got me by a foot sweep. I then fought a 2nd match. I went about 3 and half minutes. I got him with a throw, automatic win, Ippon!!!! I was very proud of myself because I saw the opportunity and used it!! My last match lasted almost the whole 5 minutes. I lost by an Ippon. I took 2nd, silver. I am very happy with this because of the level, skill and maturity of my opponent. I am learning with every lose as well as every win. We have to make mistakes to become better.

My next big tournament is a national one. It will be held in California!! I will fly there with my Sensei. I am looking forward to that one, I do like going to different places and meeting new people plus experiencing new things!

I hope everyone has a great day and thank you for your support!!

Devin

5-24-2010

I went to Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 15th. I am now 6’2 and weigh 207 so it is getting harder for me to fine a competitor my size or at least with in 15lbs of my weight. Well because I did not have anyone in my age division or even in the 14 to 17 year olds. I was given the opportunity to fight in the senior novice division. My coach knows what I can and can not do so he let me fight. I fought men ages I believe to be in their early 20′s to 46 years old. My first fight lasted 45 seconds, I won with a hold down. My next 2 fights were about 6 seconds each. I won both of them with an automatic win, Ippon.

Finally my last fight went the whole 3 minutes. I won by points. My competitor did not score on me. I am very happy with this accomplishment. I have never fought in a tournament with men but have constantly practice with them over the past 3 years. It is different to practice because you go hard but at the same time you don’t want to hurt your partner.

I am going this weekend to Colorado Springs for a tournament with my other Judo dojo, Ruben Martin Training Center. I am excited and looking forward to the competition!! I hope I can make more time for this site so I can update sooner and more often. I have a busy schedule during the school year but my summer is not any slower. Thank you all for your support!! Please keep me in your prayers and well wishes!!

Devin