Almonte Judo Club shines at Kingston RMC Judo Tournament !!!

A total of 6 ALmonte Judo Club members competed in Kingston on Saturday, March 2, 2019. Competitors were joined by several family members and friends. Sensei Gord MacDonald performed the duties of Coach for all athletes.

Junior competitors included Erwin Marshall and Tyler Dalton. Senior competitors included Matthew Church, Sylvain Ganter, Meghan Ladouceur, and Chenoa Marshall.

More details, results and pics to follow.

Public Speaking event at the dojo !!!

A ‘Public Speaking’ event was held Wednesday Feb 20, 2019 as part of the regular Junior class. The event was designed to test the ability of young judoka to speak in front of their peers and audience members. The topic of course was ‘Judo’.

Details and pics to follow.

February 9, 2019 Takahashi Ne-Waza Event

A total of 17 Almonte club members participated in the second ne-waza event of the 2018-19 season on Saturday, Feb 9, 2019.

More to follow ……

2018 Xmas Party – Treats and fun Galore !!!

The Club celebrated their annual Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 12, 2018. An enthusiastic crowd of nearly 130 people attended, including the majority of Club members – those not engaged in school concerts and the like.

This years theme was ‘red and green’, and club members were encouraged to be creative in choosing their wardrobe !!

Prizes were awarded to the best dressed as follows;

1st Place Connor Edmondson

2nd Place Ivan Sorokowsky

3rd Place Presley Desjardins

What a great wrap-up for 2018 !!!! Happy New Year everyone, and all the Best for 2019 !

Dec 1, 2018 Takahashi Ne-Waza Event

The Almonte Judo Club had 13 Junior members compete at Takahashi Dojo in Ottawa, Saturday Dec 1, 2018.

Club members included;

Bodhi Barringer
Paxton Barringer
Tyler Dalton
Connor Edmondson
Ana-Sofia Fitzsimon
Casey Gayton
Tavis Hargreaves
Tait Jaynes
Ben Ladouceur
Erwin Marshall
Pascal Marshall
Charlie Pratt
Ivan Sorokowsky

This was the first ne-waza tournament for Ana-Sofia, Erwin and Pascal. All others had experienced either one or two ne-waza events previous.

Congratulations to all competitors on a fine showing !!

As always, competitors were placed on one of six teams comprised of 10 athletes each. Team success was measured by the number of wins and ties, and team members were awarded individual medals as follows;

Bodhi Barriner Gold Medal

Ben Ladouceur Silver Medal
Tavis Hargreaves Silver Medal
Tyler Dalton Silver Medal

Erwin Marshall Bronze Medal
Pascal Marshall Bronze Medal
Connor Edmondson Bronze Medal
Tait Jaynes Bronze Medal

Another awesome day for athletes, coaches, referees and spectators !!!

Let the new (2018-19) season begin !!!!!

We won’t rush the summer away, but we are less than 6 weeks from the start of the new judo season!!!

This will be our 51st continuous year of operation in the town of Almonte, and if you missed our 50th year, not to worry – our 51st will be as exciting.

Everything gets started Wed Sept 5 in the Upper Hall of the Almonte Arena. Existing members – just show up !! New members, show up a little early, sign a form, and jump on the mats!! We will need to carefully monitor our numbers (class size), so if you are truly interested please let me know ASAP and I will add your name to our ‘priority list’. If you are a teen or adult, we have room for you in our ‘Senior class’. If you are between the ages of 5-12, you will become a member of our Junior class.

So …. Junior class runs from 6:45PM to 8:00PM each Wednesday evening, starting on Sept 5 (Class #1), and running until December 12. Classes will not be held the night of Hallowe’en so everyone can enjoy the fun. Classes resume in early January and continue to the end of April, uninterrupted including March Break where we make it an especially fun night! In total, this season offers 31 classes for a very affordable cost of approx. $200 per (Junior) student. To simplify your life (and ours) we offer an easy e-payment option, or accept cash/cheques if necessary. We also offer discounts for multiple siblings, and a tremendous family discount for 3 or more family members.

Senior classes commence at 8:00PM each week and run to 9:30PM, following the same schedule as above. It should be noted that any Junior student ‘bordering on becoming a Senior’ is entitled to participate in both Junior and Senior classes for no additional cost!! Feel free to inquire whether your child(ren) may qualify for this amazing offer.

Throughout the year there will be judo tournaments (optional), in-house parties and celebrations, and so much more !!! Spectators and family members are always welcome to view our classes from a comfortable seating area, and our facility offers ample parking. Inside the dojo, we are proud to offer the highest level of martial arts instruction, with at least 4 Black Belt Senseis, and a host of higher level belts who assist. Our dojo is safe, well equipped with washrooms and change facilities, a kitchen, elevator ….. and a very large mat surface. You will not be disappointed!!

Additional information will follow as the new season approaches. In the interim, if you have any questions about our program or suitability for your child (or self), do not hesitate to contact ‘Gord’ at 613-256-2180 or email gordalmonte@hotmail.com, browse other posts, or check out our new FB page for latest updates. Judo – ‘The Gentle Way’. Confidence, Fitness, Fairness and Discipline is our motto ….. and there’s a large element of fun too !!!!!!

BAM (Beckwith, Almonte, Munster) Fun Day held Sat April 14, 2018

The trio of valley judo clubs, Beckwith, Almonte and Munster gathered once again for a fun day of judo on Saturday, April 14, 2018. The 3 clubs had first gathered in 2014 at Munster, and our last get together was in 2016 at Beckwith.

Dozens of athletes descended upon the Munster Elementary School for close to 3 hours of fun – with many of the fun activities being led by Beckwith student Rayven Gray. Sensei Karen Heney of Munster, Sensei Jacques Sauve of Beckwith and Sensei Gord MacDonald of Almonte helped organize the day, along with strong support from Mike Heney (MC) and Sensei’s from all 3 Clubs.

Students were divided into 12 groups to do randori battle in a friendly ‘Top Lobster’ event. Sensei Karen Heney crafted beautiful ‘Top Lobster’ plaques for the overall winner of each group. When students were not occupied in ‘Top Lobster’, they were challenged to a Judo quiz, complete with small prizes for successful completion.

Sensei Gord, Keaton, Sensei Jacques (Beckwith), Ava (Beckwith/Almonte)

Almonte students enjoyed the day immensely, and worked hard throughout several ne waza challenges, and the Top Lobster randori event.

Happy face

Top Lobster plaque recipients from Almonte included; Max Nicholson (junior super lightweight category), Sylas St.Dennis (junior lightweight category), Sylvain Ganter (senior light/middleweight category), and Matthew Church (senior heavyweight category). Congratulations to all participants on a fine showing, win or lose.

Stretching out

Almonte participants included:

Ava Allison Bourne (Beckwith/Almonte)
Keaton Allison Bourne
Bodhi Barringer
Indiana Barringer
Paxton Barringer
Matthew Burke
Matthew Church
Tyler Dalton
Connor Edmondson
Daniel Fitzsimon
Casey Gayton
Sylvain Ganter
Keira Guthrie
Murray Guthrie
Tavis Hargreaves
Chris Hashimoto
Ronin Hashimoto
Theo Hashimoto
Tait Jaynes
Ben Ladouceur
Meghan Ladouceur (Sensei)
Dan Lafortune
Lucas Lafortune
Gord MacDonald (Sensei)
Chenoa Marshall (Sensei)
Erwin Marshall
Pascal Marshall
Max Nicholson
Charlie Pratt
Ivan Sorokowsky
Thor Sorokowsky
Rory St. Sennis
Sylas St. Dennis
Clementine Weir
Griffin Weir

Congratulations to all, and thank you for representing our Club so well !!! Special thanks to the Munster Judo Club for hosting the event, and to the Munster Community Association for so generously contributing medals for each participant!

Lexi (of Munster) with her 'Top Lobster' plaque

Judo Club performs demonstrations at Naismith Public School in Almonte

A total of 15 Almonte Judo Club members participated in judo demonstrations at Naismith School on Wednesday, May 2, 2018. Everyone had a blast, and would gladly perform elsewhere if called upon to do so !!

Twelve of the participants were students of Naismith School including, Bodhi Barringer, Indiana Barringer, Paxton Barringer, Tait Jaynes, Ben Ladouceur, Lucas Lafortune, Luke Ibrahim, Marlise Ibrahim, Luka Rizk, Ella Villeneuve, Clementine Weir, and Griffin Weir.

Pictured below are 10 of the 12 students along with Dan Lafortune, Meghan Ladouceur (Club Instructor), and Gord MacDonald, (Head Instructor).

Demo #3 to Grades 5 and 6

Thanks to everyone for participating, and thanks to the teachers and Principal of Naismith School for allowing us to entertain the students.

Year-End Awards Night, Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Family and friends gathered Wednesday, April 25 2018 in the Almonte Arena Hall to celebrate the accomplishments of Almonte Judo Club members over the 2017-18 season. Our 50th year of continuous operation being recognized and celebrated made the season extra special.

Certificates of Progress to under age judoka (6 members) were awarded to:

Indiana Barringer
Daniel Fitzsimon
Shandi Gayton
Murray Guthrie
Neva McIntyre
Maeva Neilz-Reid

Promotions in belt rank were as follows;

To White-Yellow Striped Belt (10 members)

Connor Edmondson
Ana-Sofia Fitzsimon
Keira Guthrie
Tavis Hargreaves
Theo Hashimoto
Allan Lytle
Ben Lytle
Max Mould
Simon Neilz-Reid
Charlie Pratt

To Yellow Belt (14 members)

Bodhi Barringer
Paxton Barringer
Tyler Dalton
Chris Hashimoto
Ronin Hashimoto
Luke Ibrahim
Pascal Marshall
Sophia Newton
Max Nicholson
Ivan Sorokowsky
Sylas St. Dennis
Mike Watters
Griffin Weir
Isabelle Whitaker

To Yellow-Orange Striped Belt (9 members)

Keaton Allison Bourne
Casey Gayton
Marlise Ibrahim
Ben Ladouceur
Erwin Marshall
Marjorie Mennie
Luka Rizk
Ella Villeneuve
Clementine Weir

To Orange Belt (6 members)

Matthew Burke
Getson Hall
Tait Jaynes
Mason Spinks
Rory St. Dennis
Johnathan Stroud

To Orange-Green Striped Belt (2 members)

Caitlyn Burke
Joe Watters

To Green Belt (5 members)

Isabelle Georgeadis
Lucas Lafortune
Myles Thompson
Bill Treusch
Ruby Watters

To Green-Blue Striped Belt (1 member)

Liam Lafortune

To Blue Belt (5 members)

Kathryn Hawkins
Max Hemsley
Dan Lafortune
Brendan Nichols
Drake Nichols

New 'Blue' Belts

To Blue-Brown Striped Belt (1 member)

Ashdon Howlett

To Brown Belt (2 members)

Devon Georgeadis
Ben Howlett

In total we had 6 students receive ‘Certificates of Progress’, and 55 students receive belt promotions, for a total of 61 recognized. In addition, we have several blue, brown, and black belt members who continue to train and work toward their next belt/Dan level. We congratulate all of them on a successful season as well !!

A number of students achieved perfect attendance over the past season and were recognized with certificates, as follows:

1st Year Perfect Attendance

Connor Edmondson
Daniel Fitzsimon
Getson Hall
Curtis Villeneuve

2nd Year Perfect Attendance

Bodhi Barringer
Paxton Barringer
Casey Gayton
Dan Lafortune
Clementine Weir

5th Year Perfect Attendance

Devon Georgeadis

23 Years Perfect Attendance

Gord MacDonald (Head Instructor)

Congratulations to all certificate recipients for their dedication and perseverance throughout the year(s) !!

The annual ‘Sensei Award’ for the student(s) who best display the attributes of ‘Confidence, Fitness, Fairness and Discipline’ was awarded to Ivan Sorokowsky of our Junior Class, and Chris Hashimoto of our Senior class. Congratulations to both students on an exemplary year of judo.

We finally celebrate on Wed April 18, 2018 !!

Thank you Judo Ontario !!

Sensei Meghan Ladouceur, Sensei Gord MacDonald, Sensei Chenoa Marshall