Martial Arts • Judo
Chows a triple threat in nationwide events

By Dennis Anderson
Advertiser Staff Writer

The Chows – Melinda, 7, Daniel, 11, and Christina, 8 – display the medals they won at three junior national tournaments this summer. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

That means winning the gold medal at the three major summer events — the national championships of the U.S. Judo Federation, Junior Olympics and U.S. Judo Association.

Last month, the three Chow siblings of Kahala nearly scored a triple-triple crown.

Daniel, 11, and Melinda, 7, both won all three championships. Christina, 8, won two and placed second in the third when she moved to a higher weight class so she wouldn't have to fight a Honolulu Shobukan Club teammate.

It was the first national competition for Melinda, who had to get a waiver to compete in one of the tournaments that normally doesn't allow athletes younger than 7à. She turned 7 on July 25.

It was the first triple crown for Daniel, a Punahou sixth-grader who is in the younger half of the 11-12 age group in the under-75 pounds division. Last year he won two; his first national medal was silver at age 7.

"It feels pretty good to accomplish something like this, the best in the nation in my division," Daniel said.

It was the third time Christina, now in the 66-pound division, has won two golds.

The Chow kids "didn't have any choice" but be exposed to judo, said their mother, Robin, who won a judo gold medal in the 1983 Pan American Games and was fifth in the 1982 Women's World Games, when she lived in Pittsburgh.

"They've been coming to the dojo with us since they were babies. It's our family pastime," Robin said. She and her husband, Greg, are both assistant instructors and coaches at Shobukan Judo Club in Nu'uanu.

"I watched one practice when I was 6 and decided I would try," Daniel said. He's been practicing three nights a week, two hours a night, ever since. Except for the month before the nationals, the Chows and other Shobukan judo members practiced every night.

The 17-day trip to the three national tournaments took the Chows to Monterey, Calif., Louisville, Ky., and Toledo, Ohio.

Christina, a fourth-grader at Kahala Elementary, said "It's a fun thing." But so is wrestling, ballet and soccer, in which she also participates, as well as an after-school learning center, Christina said.

Daniel got home in time from nationals to start football practice with the Manoa Paniolos Pop Warner football team. He's a 75-pound outside linebacker, halfback and tight end.

All three Chows also wrestle for the Punahou Pumas Juniors.

Judo "isn't our whole life, but a major part of it," says mom Robin. "I think it's worthwhile for kids to learn the discipline and hard work and keep persisting, staying at something and not giving up as soon as things get a little tough.

"And, it keeps them in good physical shape."

TRIPLE SILVER

Valdez scores: Moanalua High junior Caylene Valdez placed second in all three national tournaments. "It was my last year of judo nationals," Valdez said. "I want to concentrate on wrestling." She is 59-0 in Hawai'i with two state high school championships in wrestling.