Ajax Budokan Judo Club

Emma and Anthony are working hard in Spain 💪

🥋 Applications are NOW OPEN for the 2026–27 Judo Ontario Regional Training Centre (RTC) – High Performance Program!

Are you ready to take the next step in your judo journey?

Join one of Canada's leading provincial high-performance environments and train alongside some of Ontario's top athletes under the leadership of our new High Performance Lead / Head Coach, Sasha Mehmedovic, a two-time Olympian and Olympic coach.

The RTC High Performance Program offers:
🔥 Year-round high-performance coaching
💪 Integrated strength & conditioning and CSIO support
🌎 Domestic and international competition opportunities
👊 A challenging, team-focused training environment
🥋 Team gear and funding support opportunities

Whether you're an established national-level athlete or an emerging competitor with the drive to reach the next level, we want to hear from you! The program is open to eligible U16–U21 athletes committed to long-term high-performance development.

📅 Initial Application Deadline: August 14, 2026
(Applications remain open throughout the season, subject to program capacity.)

🔗 Apply today: https://registration.judocanada.org/event/2026-HPprogram-Application

Train. Compete. Grow. Join Team Ontario. 💙🥋

A reminder that there will be no class on Monday. Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable Civic Holiday weekend!

Congratulations to all of our judoka who earned promotions this summer! 👏

A special congratulations to Emma Ommert on achieving her NiDan (2nd-degree black belt) and Kris Boaro on earning his SanDan (3rd-degree black belt) - significant milestones that reflect years of dedication, technical development and commitment to the sport.

We also celebrate everyone who achieved a new coloured belt during our summer grading. Every promotion represents hard work, perseverance and progress on the judo journey.

Read the full story and see the complete list of promotions on our website: https://ajaxbudokan.ca/news-%26-events/f/ajax-budokan-celebrates-summer-promotions

Congratulations to everyone on your achievements! 🥋

Great to see our very own Sasha back in Ontario training the next generation! Welcome back!

🥋 Judo Ontario is pleased to announce the appointment of Sasha Mehmedovic as our new High Performance Lead / Head Coach!

A two-time Olympian and Olympic coach, Sasha returns home to Ontario to lead our high-performance and athlete development programs.

Working alongside athletes, club coaches, and the judo community across the province, Sasha will help strengthen Ontario's athlete development pathway while building on the strong performances and momentum of recent years.

"I have known Sasha since he was a talented young competitor at Ajax Budokan Judo Club. His journey from Ontario athlete to Olympian, Olympic coach, and one of Canada's leading high-performance coaches has been remarkable. Today we proudly welcome him home." – Brian Kalsen, President

We're excited for this next chapter and look forward to seeing Sasha connect with clubs, coaches, and athletes across Ontario.

Read the full announcement on our website - https://www.judoontario.ca/post/judo-ontario-appoints-sasha-mehmedovic-as-high-performance-lead---head-coach

🥇 Welcome back, Keagan!

Congratulations to Ajax Budokan's Keagan Young on winning gold in the -90 kg division at the Pan-American Open in Buenos Aires, Argentina!

After being sidelined for more than a year with a serious injury and a lengthy recovery following surgery, Keagan made an incredible return to international competition, winning every one of his matches by ippon to claim the gold medal.

Keagan then carried that momentum into Santiago, Chile, where he captured another gold medal in the -90 kg division, defeating the same opponent he faced in the Buenos Aires final to complete an outstanding return to the international stage.

Congratulations, Keagan! Your hard work, resilience and determination continue to inspire everyone at Ajax Budokan. We can't wait to see what's next!

Read more on the website: https://judocanada.org/2026/06/27/a-medal-of-each-colour-to-conclude-the-south-american-tournament/

🥋 New weekly Randori Class starting tomorrow!

Looking to sharpen your randori skills? Join us every Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m., starting this week, at Ajax Budokan.

Open to U14 athletes and older, these sessions are a great opportunity to improve your timing, movement, conditioning and confidence through quality randori with a variety of training partners.

Eligibility: Participants must be current Judo Canada members.

Come train with us - we'll see you on the mat!

Congratulations to everyone who competed at the recent Peterborough Hatash*ta Judo Club Open! Also a big thanks to Anthony Moss who participated as a referee for the day.

Medals:
🥇Isaiah Thomas
🥇 in -81kg and 🥈 in -73kg Rapheal Gatore Jr
🥈Wyatt Soehner
🥈Alvin Lo
🥉Josiah Thomas
🥉Alex Soehner

Great job everyone! 💪