BHS Judo Club Succeeds at Scholastic National Championships

Although you may not know much about the Berkeley High Judo Club, it is one of the most successful sporting groups at Berkeley High. The team is quite accustomed to winning, having had three competitors in last months Scholastic National Championships: Spencer Augustine, Flora Ziprin, and Aghiles Kaci. All three won matches, with Augustine finishing fifth and Ziprin taking home the bronze.

While these are undeniably great finishes, neither Augustine nor Ziprin are content with where they are at now. “I want to keep moving up, that way there is always going to be a goal in front of me,” Ziprin stated, continuing, “there is always more to accomplish. Who knows, there is Judo in the Olympics, maybe that’s where I’ll end up.”

Spencer agrees that you can never stop trying to improve, and he’s “thinking about judo five days a week, all year long, [and planning to train] at the best Judo club nearby whichever college I go to next year. Within a few years, I wouldn’t be surprised to be near the best in the country.”

Judo is a martial art, although at Berkeley High it is less about killing people and more about winning matches. Spencer describes it as “[looking] similar to wrestling, minus the spandex.” Judo is a grappling sport, which basically means trying to get a grip and throw your opponent to the ground. You can win a match by either holding your opponent down for at least 25 seconds, or by throwing your opponent to the ground with sufficient force and speed.

Spencer Augustine’s judo talent didn’t come from just anywhere. His father, Dan Augustine, is the coach of the Judo Club and a former Berkeley High graduate. The elder Augustine was not only the student body president and homecoming king at Berkeley High in 1980, but he also was an alternate in the 1988 Olympic games and won the senior nationals for judo in 1984. Dan Augustine feels that his success at the upper echelon of Judo competition has helped him be a better coach. “As someone who has won quite a bit, I know that we really want to develop strong players and strong people. If we teach people well, winning will come along with the growth.” But Augustine also credits much of the team success to his son, “We have a great student leader in Spencer Augustine. I think he is able to communicate his enjoyment of judo along with his technical instruction.”

Both Spencer and Flora agree that one of their favorite parts of judo is the rush you get during matches and the stadium atmosphere. “My favorite part of the sport is its intensity, because it pits two people in a ring against each other in front of a crowd of 1,000 people. It’s just you versus your opponent on the stage. It’s really energizing, perfect for adrenaline junkies,” explained Spencer. Flora also fondly recalls the atmospheres of big tournaments, “Every time I looked up someone was flying through the air, and the crowd was oohing and aweing.”

You can look for these budding superstars as part of the future of international Olympics someday, and Spencer almost expects it, saying, “I’ve always assumed what [my dad] almost did.” However, to play judo you do not have to be at an Olympic level, and Spencer would like to encourage everyone to come and try this sport out. The Berkeley High team practices after school from four to five, Tuesdays and Thursdays in the wrestling room.