Longtime local judo invite attracts all levels

WASILLA —Tyler Sutcliffe enjoys competing in the sport of judo. But the 30-year-old Wasilla man and father of four will be the first to admit, it’s all about the kids.

“I think I do this more for my kids than myself right now,” Sutcliffe said on Saturday as he stood mat-side after a mid-day match during the Mat-Su Judo Invitational at Wasilla Middle School.

The Sutcliffes were among a number of families who set multiple generations worth of competitors to the mat for the invite that included programs from Anchorage and the Valley. And it’s that family friendly aspect that ushered Sutcliffe back to a sport he participated in when he was a child.

“It’s teaching discipline and self-defense, and allows me to participate and do something I did when I was a kid,” Sutcliffe said. “One of the things I stress with my kids, win or lose, No. 1, they do their best, No. 2, good sportsmanship.”

After about a 15-year hiatus from the sport, he said, Sutcliffe returned to the mat when his children — Rebekah, 10; Steven, 9; Amy, 7; and Robyn, 5 — became interested. Now the Sutcliffe family are regulars in Mat-Su Judo, a club that’s 70 people strong in the Valley.

Sutcliffe said judo helps teach important life lessons, such as discipline and sportsmanship, but admits there’s something else about the sport that’s attractive to a father of three daughters.

“Daughters nowadays, I know in a few short years they’re going to be out on a ton of dates, hanging out with the guys,” Sutcliffe said. “I think it’ll bring me a lot of peace to know if they get in a situation, they’ll be able to defend themselves.”

Sutcliffe’s thoughts are representative of many of the club’s families, Mat-Su Judo sensei Howdice Brown said.

“I have families of five and six in our club,” Brown said. “I think it’s a huge deal. Kids knowing mom or dad are on the mat with them, tends to help them.”

Brown said about 50 participate in the event Saturday, an invitational that dates back at least 20 years. Participants range from 5 years old to adult, in a variety of skill levels. The only judo event bigger in Alaska, Brown said, is the state tournament, scheduled in late March.

Judo is just one of many martial arts disciplines, with its own unique aspects, Brown said.

“Judo is a martial art you can practice at full speed, 100 percent, and not mortally injure someone,” Brown said. “You can go out to a tournament, go 100 percent, and be able to walk home and work the next day.”

Sutcliffe said that’s a selling point for him.

“Judo’s just one of those things, you can push as hard as you want or take it as easy as you want,” Sutcliffe said. “There are all different sorts of parts to the competition. If your back is sore this week, it’s fine, you can take it easy and work on technique. If you feel rambunctious and need to burn off some steam, you can do it that way.”

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.