I studied ju jitsu for two years and would've liked to keep practicing, but it was kind of a work situation. I couldn't fit it in my schedule. So judo is the closest thing to it. The judo club, a sports club at Western, meets from 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in the Aerobics Center. Oppo-nents trip, push and pull each other while trying to score an ippon, which is the equivalent of a pin.
Competitors score an ippon when they throw their opponents onto their backs.
Judo may be designed to be gentle, but the intensity of the battles can often be felt from the back of the bleachers. Injuries are rare but not unexpected. In one of Letourneau's final matches, his opponent winced savagely after a takedown. Letourneau immediately let go and knelt on the tatami, or mat, and waited for the medic to check the situation out. My thigh just kind of landed against it.