Registration is now open for the USA Judo Senior Nationals, which will be held June 1st and 2nd in Las Vegas. Click here to register now!
NOTE: Entering the Nationals is different from entering a local tournament. You will need to be a member of USA Judo, and if you’re joining for the first time, you will need to confirm your date of birth using a copy of your passport or birth certificate. There are also other requirements – read the entry packet thoroughly so there are no surprises!
I went to the Nationals for the first time last year when they were held in Round Rock, Texas. I was pleasantly surprised by the efficiency and organization of the tournament. It was a very nice venue with plenty of space and seating, well-lit, and weigh-ins were easy.
It was a “match number” system of competition, which means that each mat had a tall sign with numbers indicating the match number for that mat. Brackets were posted early, so I knew that my matches would be #26 and #43 on Mat 4 (or something like that, I don’t remember exactly). When the sign at Mat 4 said 20, I started warming up. When it said 24, I got close to the mat and started eyeballing other guys around my size and age, wondering who I would be fighting. When match 25 was running, I got right up next to the mat and tried to calm my nerves with some breathing exercises and visualizing how I expected the match to go. It’s a very nice way to run a tournament – it saves the table workers from having to periodically turn around and yell at people.
The only thing missing? More competitors! I competed in the M3 division, ages 40-45, 90kg and under. It was a three man division, and I was lucky enough to win both matches and win my division. Still, I know there are more black belts in their 40’s who should be there. One of the Senior Elite divisions was uncontested – Female -44kg if I recall correctly. Given this tournament’s proximity to southern California and easily accessible location, I would expect many more competitors this year. You should be one of them.
If you’re not a black belt, don’t worry, you can still compete! There are Novice divisions, Brown belt divisions, and the Masters divisions aka old man division. If you are below brown belt, I would recommend entering Novice division, no matter your age. If you are brown or black belt and over age 30, come join us in the Master’s divisions, it’s much less stress than the Senior Elite division. We fight hard, but the pressure is off because the big show is the younger people.
