Judo has a hold on this family

By Stanley Lee
Advertiser Staff Writer

Surrounded by sons Christian Pavo (left) and Everett Pavo, Sharon Nakamoto has established a close family bond at Leeward Judo Club. Photos by Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

United States Judo federation Junior National Championship WHERE: Blaisdell Center Arena WHEN: Saturday and Sunday ADMISSION: $10 per day PARKING: $4 before 5 p.m.; $5 after 5 p.m. Saturday—Opening ceremonies 9 a.m.; Competition 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Sunday—Competition 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"I used to send them to baseball and soccer, and I'd usually drop them off at practice," said Sharon Nakamoto, who is an instructor at her sons' Leeward Judo Club. "When we started judo with my husband, we did it as a family thing."

Her sons, Everett, 17, and Christian, 14, were introduced to the sport about eight years ago by their stepfather Leigh Nakamoto, former head instructor at Leeward and a 12-time state open judo champion.

The boys have since turned it into a sport they dominate, and both look to do the same at this weekend's United States Judo Federation Junior National Championships at the Blaisdell Arena.

"He's been the main guy," Everett said of his stepfather. "He makes us come out everyday and go to other clubs and train and lift weights."

"If we do something wrong or if we lose, he tells us what we did wrong," Christian added.

Everett won the state high school championship in his 165-pound division in May. A graduate of Pearl City High, he was recently named O'ahu Interscholastic Association Player of the Year in judo and is off to Cumberland College in Kentucky on an academic and judo scholarship.

Christian, who enters Pearl City as a freshman this fall, has won numerous local tournaments.

"Champions are not made in a week, a month, a year," said Kevin Asano, a former Olympian and current head instructor at Leeward. "They take years. You just practice after practice after practice and it compounds itself over the years."

While judo attracted all members of the family to the mat, it's what happened off the mat that impresses Sharon.

"Nowadays, kids want to get away from their parents (but) we have a lot of quality time on the mat," Sharon said. "After practice, we go out to dinner and we talk about what we learned, what we can improve upon.

"It's really rough because when we were brought up, we couldn't talk at the dinner time. But me and my husband feel dinner time is family time."

The family network extends into the judo club where the Pavos train six days a week. At Everett's graduation party last Sunday, half of the 200 attendees were from the club.

"A lot were judo people because that's our family," Sharon said. "We live and breathe judo. Isn't it terrible?"

Sharon said she likes how concepts learned in judo have transferred to her sons' daily lives.

"It teaches them a lot of discipline because everything has a time," Sharon said. "Your time management, you really have to get it together because as soon as they're done with school, they do their homework and then get ready for practice."

"It keeps you disciplined, out of trouble and in shape," Everett said.

Sharon also likes how judo has taught her sons respect, something she feels is at times lacking among their generation.

"They just run wild and are kind of disrespectful (to their elders) in that sense," Sharon said. "Being in judo, we have all the senseis and you have to have that respect."

That respect has been passed down through generations at Leeward, starting with club founder Tsuruo Fukushima, whose coaching philosophy has been carried on to today.

"I used to be really hard on them," recalled the 80-year-old Fukushima. "But I used to fair. You got to be fair."

Fukushima had a hukilau principle where the older judoka helped the younger ones. Asano said that when one judoka, such as Everett or Christian, becomes successful, it is because of the whole organization working together.

Everett Pavo, 17, flips brother Christian, 14, as Tsuruo Fukushima, founder and senior adviser of the Leeward Judo Club, watches.

"If you have a family member that's not quite so bright, strong or skillful, you still have to deal with that person the best way you can," Leigh explained. "You got to be as patient as you can with him and nudge him along."

Asano, who was coached by Fukushima and Nakamoto along the way to his silver medal at the 1988 Olympics, has passed on what he has learned from his sensei.

"(Leigh) always told me I believe in you," Asano added. "Any kid, when their coach says I believe in you, it'll make them feel good, work harder and shoot for a bigger goal than they would."

Nakamoto has provided that support for more than a decade at Leeward, until last year when he left to start Kapolei Judo Club, leaving things in the hands of Asano and other instructors.

"He values judo and wants to help as many as he can through judo," Asano said. "We have about 10 black belts and it'll take 10 of us to do what he did."

"People like Leigh leave and carry on a tradition," Fukushima added. "It was our loss, but they (current instructors) make up for it. Leigh's got the charisma. The kids follow him."

For the Pavo brothers, they are continuing with what they have learned from their stepfather, working with the younger judoka in groups.

"Never to give up," Everett said as his stepfather's most important piece of advice. "Even if you're up, when you give up, you can lose your match in a second."

"He makes all the kids believe in themselves that they can be champions," Asano said of Leigh. "When you live with that everyday, it rubs off."

Reach Stanley Lee at slee@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8533.