Konan Judo

Shepherd-sensei Tori
Konan's Glaze-sensei Uki

Authority on Kata Didnt Always Love the Forms

(from USA Judo) Eiko Saito Shepherd understands completely — there was a time when she didn‟t want to do kata either. In fact, she disliked the prospect of studying kata so much that when she was told at the Kodokan that she would be required to demonstrate the forms to receive a black belt, she nearly declined. “I told the Kodokan that if I have to practice kata, I do not want to take the test!” she recalled. “All I wanted to do was randori and shiai!”

But at the Kodokan, there was no room for leniency, and Shepherd soon agreed. Not only did she train in kata and pass the test for Shodan, she went on to become an
leading authority on kata. She is now a 7 th dan, the vice-chairman of USA Judos  committee on kata and the chairman of the US Judo Federations kata committee.

She frequently conducts clinics on kata and will be leading one in conjunction with the upcoming Senior National Championships in Irving, TX, next Friday, April 20. For more on that, go to KATA CLINIC. The seminar will include testing for certification as a national-level kata judge.

Click here for the full story from USA Judo.

This entry was posted on April 12, 2012 at 6:00 am and is filed under Judo Clinics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.