13th Annual Judo Tournament

• Tomoe nage throw

Cyrus Keithley-Meyers throws an opponent using the tomoe nage throw, a traditional throw often seen in martial arts movies. Photo: John Woodward

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The 2013 Winter Frolic ended with the 13th Annual Agate City Open Judo Tournament and then a snow storm which closed local schools the next day. The tournament was held in the gym of the Two Harbors High School last Sunday morning. Competitors came from Thunder Bay, Grand Rapids, Duluth, the Twin Cities and Two Harbors. Several officials came from the Twin Cities and one came from Fond du Lac, Wisc. Over 40 people registered for the tournament. They ranged in age from five- 59-years old.

The opening ceremony at 10 a.m. included a moment of silence in memory of longtime Chief Instructor of the Thunder Bay Judo Club, Kevin Kennedy, who recently died. The “Star Spangled Banner” was sung by Hallie Bishop from Grand Rapids and “O Canada” was played in honor of our Canadian competitors.

The results for local competitors are as follows: Kiviok Hight and Alex Flynn took first place in their respective divisions. J. C. Holman, Cyrus Keithley-Meyers, and Carl Levelwind took second place in their divisions and Daniel Blankenship finished third.

Cyrus Keithley-Meyers threw one of his opponents on a perfect tomoe-nage or circle throw. It was caught by photographer John Woodward who is a new volunteer. Some people think the yin-yang came from this throw. This is a throw often seen in fight scenes in movies.

Tags: sports, judo