Olympic medalist coaches children from Odesa judo club (August 4)

On August 4, a special event was organized for a group of children and their coaches from a judo club in Odesa who were temporarily staying in Yokohama. They met and received first-hand instruction from Mr. NISHIYAMA Masashi, who won a bronze medal in judo at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

In addition to providing instruction to the aspiring martial artists, Mr. Nishiyama helped make the event a very worthwhile experience for the children; sharing some of his own stories, answering questions, and joining them for a meal. After the event, one child said, “When I’m doing judo, I forget about the war,” and added, “When I go back home, I want to share the training we’ve had with other judo clubs.”

International Exchange in Yokohama