Semester Two 09/10
The Year so Far...
In short, it has rocked hard.
The club began the year in debt, with just under 60 members and an average of about 8 showing up for training each Monday and Wednesday.
Since then, membership has risen to over 100 students, several who don't even go to DCU. Shown above are two UCD students who regularly venture all the way out to DCU to train and test the patience of our coach, Mick McGuinness.
Despite the increase in mat-fees, there hasn't been less than 15 at a single training session all year! The club also held a table quiz and a treasure hunt, raising enough money to feed Anthony for at least a week - no easy task!
Everybody who went up for the grading this Christmas passed it. Having witnessed their ability to harm each other, Santa brought yellow belts to thirteen former-beginners.
The intervarsities competition is coming up in February, and after a narrow defeat last year DCU Judo will be looking to take the gold. We'd encourage anybody who is at all interested in competition Judo to get involved, as it is always a brilliant event. The inters are in NUI Galway this year.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the judo has been mighty, and the laughs tasteless and at the expense of others. Let's keep it up for the second semester!
Check back here for updates and any ska that's goin...
Devin
02/01/2010
National College Champions
On Friday the 19th of February, the DCU Judo sqaud headed to NUI Galway for the annual all Ireland intervarsities competition. Two days later they strutted victoriously home with a bag full of medals, and a shiney new plaque for the trophy cabinet.
Fielding entrants in almost every category, DCU won medals across the board. Cormac O’Sullivan plundered gold in the under 73kgs, and bronze in the Open Weight category.
Jeremy Galineau picked up bronze in the under 73kgs and quickly followed this up with a gold in the upper kyu – a highly sought after prize by any long-time practicing judoka.
Captain Anthony Guinan took bronze in the middle kyu category. He and his spunky sidekick, Andrew Monaghan, later placed second and third, respectively, in the under 90kgs.
No quarter was held for the more petit gentlemen in the tournament. In a hurricane of ippons Devin Anderson and Gary Livie made away with the Gold and Bronze from the under 60kg weight division.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, the DCU women’s team made club history by winning the team event for the second time ever since the club opened. The intimidating shouts of Christine Maguire had their rivals on the back foot from the word Hajime. Alina Sirbu and Kaylee Cherry efficiently mopped up any further resistance before posing modestly for a victory photograph.
Alina also went on to win a gold in the women’s novice category, and Ms Cherry filled her purse with gold and silver from the upper kyu and -63kgs.
Although injury and illness kept Susan Phelan and Heather Murphy off the mats this year, both were immensely proud to see ‘their girlies’ taking the gold. Dónall McCann said he was ‘just glad to have hospitalised at least one of his enemies’.
No other club won as many medals, and next year’s battle will be fought right here in DCU. The Judo Club committee is already working on what promises to be a memorable and exciting weekend.
Devin
23/02/2010
Most Improved Club: Coming Soon to a Festival Near You
The Clubs and Societies Awards 2010 were held in the Helix on the 30th of March. Among the nominees for Most Improved Club were the Camogie Club, Cycling Club, Hurling and Men's Basketball. The Judo Club nomination was suspiciously omitted from the program, which made it all the more exciting when they were finally announced as the winners.
Father Joe of the interfaith centre presented representatives with the award for the first time in the history of the club.
The trophy can now be seen by peering through the window of Captain Guinan's apartment in North Ballymun. Plans are already in motion to ensure that DCU Judo claims the title of Best Club 2011.
In other news...
Last Sunday Heather Murphy and Devin Anderson gave a series of judo demonstrations in Farmleigh house as part of the 'Experience Japan' festival.
For almost an hour the duo shamelessly promoted the club in front of hundreds of spectators. This included a history of Irish Judo and a demonstration of the chief principles on which the martial art is based.
The performance was well recieved by the crowd, especially the kids, who by the end could be heard from across the festival grounds cheering for "MORE THROWS!" The response overall was brilliant and the club will definitely be looking at holding more demonstrations in the future.
Devin
13/04/2010