Imada’s Strong Judo Warriors
By Jack Danilewicz
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Del.icio.usKahuku’s successful track record in judo is well-known within the Red Raider community.
Even so, head coach Ray Imada makes it a point to remind his team of the reasons why the program has traditionally been strong.
“They’ve been very successful here over the past nine years, and we make sure they understand that it is because those individuals had trained above and beyond (the call of duty),“Imada said.“They can use that (previous success) as a model. As a whole, our girls work hard. Most of our kids are seasonal players. They only compete (in judo) three or four months out of the year, so they do a great job (in limited time).”
Imada is in his first year as head coach, having assumed the reins from Reggie Torres, who resigned in order to devote more time to his responsibilities as Kahuku’s head football coach. Imada has been a fixture in judo since 1974 when he took over the Castle program. One of the original seven judo coaches in the Oahu Interscholastic Association, he spent 10 years with the Knights (winning an OIA title in 1986) and was an assistant under Torres in recent years.
The Kahuku program had thrived under Torres - the boys team won the 2005 OIA championship while the girls team claimed titles in 2002 and 2003. Although Imada’s girls team will be young overall this spring, the Red Raiders are not necessarily short on experience. Senior Kanoe Tani is a two-time defending state champion in the 220-pound weight class, while team-mates Cianah Hee (129) and Danica Auna (122) finished second and third, respectively, in their weight classes at last year’s state tournament. Auna and Hee are both juniors. Elsewhere on the roster, Imada is counting on Amanda Keliihoomahi (139),Ioni Kamakaala (139),Amanda Soliai (154),Andrina Ramos (103), Kalae Johnson (109), Naomi Blanchard (115) and Alana Seke (115).
“This is a very close team, and that’s one of the keys,” Imada said. “They’re very competitive among themselves, and they push each other. After this year, most of them will be back for one or two more years, so we can become even better. Hopefully, we can all stay healthy.”
Tani leads the way for the Red Raiders, having performed at her best when it counted most the past two seasons.
“Mentally, she’s tough,” Imada said.“She’s lost a few in the past (regular season), but she’s always been able to fix it before a big event. Her strength is that she keeps it simple, as far as technique goes.”
The boys and girls rosters are filled with individuals who compete in both the wrestling and judo programs, according to Imada.Among those who play both sports is Auna, who won a state wrestling title in her weight class last winter. While there are similarities between the sports, Imada emphasized a greater need for a quick start in judo.
“In wrestling, the goal is to pin, so there’s time to make up a deficit,” he said. “It’s kind of like a knockdown. Being able to focus right away (in a match) is the key for us, and the finer points of technique make the difference.”
Their regular season continues on Saturday when they travel to Castle, where they’ll compete against the host Knights as well as East foe Kaimuki. The OIA’s team championships are set to take place on May 4, with the league’s individual championships to follow May 12. The Black Belt State Judo Championships will be held May 19 at the Stan Sheriff Center at UH-Manoa.
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