Judo, is a Japanese Martial Art that was founded in 1882 by Dr. Jigoro Kano. It teaches effective self-defense by using the momentum of an opponent's attack to your advantage.
Practicing Judo is a great way to build confidence, improve mental sharpness, and increase physical stamina. It is also an Olympic sport.
In Judo, both the "uke" (person recieving the throw), and the "tori" (person executing the throw) are required to wear a Judo Gi.
There are three main ways of practicing judo.
Having started taking Judo classes at the age of 13 in Germany, Eb knew early on that competing at a high level would be his goal. At the club where he trained in Germany, he frequently received instruction from high-level competitors from all over europe as well as Japan. He eventually went on to win many large competitions in Europe.
In 1990 he relocated to the US and has since won the US National Masters twice - in 1995 and 1998. In 2003 he placed 2nd in the World Masters Championships. In the year 2003, Sensei Eb was promoted to 6th Dan (6th Degree Blackbelt). Even to this day, he is one of the highest ranked Judoka in the region. He is one of only a handful of Judoka ever to reach such a high judo rank in the state of Kentucky.
Each tournament Sensei Eric competed in Thereafter provided valuable experience and a hint as to where improvements must be made. Step by step, the techniques began to come together and his confidence in his Judo abilities grew. By the time he was a teenager, he had won the 'Kentucky State Championship' 4 times as well as many other titles from other local events. Finally at the age of 17, he placed 2nd in the 'Junior National Championships' and 4th place in the 'Junior Olympics'.
Most recently he took 1st Place at the '2018 Americas Cup' in Portland, IN (many events since had been cancelled due to COVID 19). Sensei Eric still competes at a high level to this day and is planning to fight in several large national tournaments in 2022.
