Southeast judo club ranks third in the nation after wins at championship

When it comes to judo, fighting a larger opponent can be a great advantage and with the right technique it can be turned and used against him or her. With enough skill, a small player can send a larger opponent crashing to the mat.

So it's fitting that a little judo club from Missouri is now ranked third in the entire nation.

The 2014 National Collegiate Judo Championships were held March 8 at Texas A&M University, and all four of the Southeast Missouri State University Judo Club members who competed took home medals. Tyler King and Bobbie Jo Ridenhouer won silver medals and Ko Tabata and Justin Archambo won bronze in their respective categories. The club as a whole brought home the third-place trophy as well.

Twenty-eight of the best college judo teams from all around the country were represented at the competition, each individual vying for elite ranking. Most of the big schools' teams, unlike Southeast's, are officially school sponsored.

"The places like West Point and San Jose State University have real athletic judo clubs, but SEMO is different," said Ko Tabata, one of the players who represented Southeast at the tournament. He went on to explain how the fact that a recreational club can compete with programs that are far larger is a testament to the dedication of the club members.

"I am so proud of our team," Tabata said. "Our club may be technically only recreational, but every single person trains really hard."

The members train as a club three times a week, and work out independently on the off days. In their free time, they explore new techniques in discussions laced with Japanese phrases like "kata garuma," "uchi mata" and "ura nage," the traditional names for different throws.

And when there's a big competition on the horizon, their dedication borders on obsession. They begin preparing months in advance, dropping weight to compete in different weight categories. Tabata said he lost about 20 pounds in the two months before the national championship so that he could compete in the under 66-kilogram weight class. King also had to lose weight by adopting a strict diet and training regimen.

It all paid off in Texas, though.

King lost only one match, meaning he is now ranked No. 2 in the country in the Elite Male division. Carson Giamarria from West Point took the gold medal. King said that it feels almost surreal to be ranked among the best judo competitors in the nation.

This year's success is especially sweet considering the team's performance at last year's national championships.

"Last year was bad, but at the same time, we've grown so much since then," Tabata said. "That's why we train as hard as we do."

Archambo and Ridenhouer were in the novice division but said that the competition was still tough.

"I was a little frustrated with my first two matches. I made simple mistakes and they capitalized off them. Tyler called me down and got me ready for my third match. And was happy that I was able to correct my mistake and pull off the win," Archambo said.

The club hopes that the recent success will encourage more people to join the club.

"Our judo teacher Randall Rhodes is an amazing guy," Tabata said, adding that even beginners are welcome to join.