Top judo athletes square off at Manitoba Open

St. Vital

Winnipeg

Some of the top judokas in Canada will soon be competing in Winnipeg at the 2025 Manitoba Open.

The national A-level circuit competition, which runs Nov. 1 and 2 at the Dakota Community Centre fieldhouse (1188 Dakota St.), is expected to feature hundreds of top judo students (judokas) from across the country, including many Manitobans looking to prove themselves. This is the fourth time Judo Manitoba has hosted the tournament.

“It puts us on the map, with the judo community,” said Milton Good, president of Judo Manitoba and tournament director of the Manitoba Open. “It brings a lot of people in and lets us showcase what we can do. We get good feedback on the tournament that we run. We’re one of the premier tournaments of the year.”

Competitors range in age from 10 year olds to veterans (i.e., 30 or older). The tournament includes kata (technical demonstration), ne-waza (fighting on the ground), and tachi-waza (fighting standing up). Medalling at tournaments such as this is what determines which competitors make the national judo team to represent Canada internationally, such as at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028. At last year’s Manitoba Open, which drew over 350 competitors, Manitobans won 20 gold, 21 silver, and 12 bronze medals.

Manitoba is home to 14 clubs, with 613 registered judokas, and 98 black belts. Airton Nakamura, provincial head coach for Judo Manitoba, said he expects about 100 competitors from Manitoba to take part in the tournament.

“We are in the beginning of the season,” Nakamura said, on the way back from the season-opening tournament in Toronto. “So we’re still coming back from summer break, so we have to get back into the rhythm.”

While every tournament offers the opportunity to learn and grow in the sport, Nakamura said the provincial team is focused on becoming a formidable opponent at the 2027 Canada Winter Games.

“The main goal for us is to get these kid used to the bigger tournaments,” he said. “We expect everyone to show and do their best under the pressure, so we can be ready for the next winter games.”

Manitoba’s provincial team has 25 members, from youth aged 14 and up to veterans, who are not only training to for international competition, but also provide mentorship to young judoka.

“They learn from each other, they talk about tournaments,” Nakamura said. “It’s a great environment, so they can learn from the seniors what it takes to get there. We are very thankful for them.”

The event is free for all to attend.

“It helps us and it’s good for our judo community, for folks who aren’t in judo who might see it and want to try it out,” Good said.

For more information, visit judomanitoba.mb.ca