USA Judo Regional Training Camp Recap

On February 2, 2019, USA Judo and Florida Judo hosted a Regional Training Camp in South Florida at the Somerset Academy.

Over 150 athlete, ages 6-60 years old, came out to train with two-time Olympic Bronze Medalist, Israel Hernandez.

Israel competed for Cuba from 1987 to 1998, earning countless international medals, including 2 Olympic bronze medals in 1992 and 1996. Upon retiring from competition in 1998, Israel accepted his first coaching position at the Olympic Training Center tin Barcelona, Spain. Israel would later go on to coach various teams, including, the Puerto Rican national judo team, the Harlingen, Texas National Training Site team and finally the 2008 US Olympic judo team.

Other coaches on the mat included Amarilis Savon (three-time Olympic Bronze Medalist), Gerry Navarro, Danny Rodriquez, Roger Dean, Humberto Lopez, and Florida Judo President, Ricardo Menendez.

A few of USA Judo’s top ranked junior and cadet athletes attended the camp as well, to train and work on techniques before competing at the 2019 Youth National Championships, which serves as the qualifier for the Cadet and Junior Panamerican Teams and the Cadet and Junior World Teams.

Israel Hernandez focused the training on Uchi Mata, Morote Seoi Nage, Ochi Gari, technical footwork and gripping.

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The next USA Judo Regional Training Camp will be in Colorado Springs, CO at the USA Judo Youth National Championships.