Kentwood judo is on top of the league standings with three wins and just one loss so far this season.

This year Kentwood had more than 80 students turn out for the team which is a part of a league that includes Kentlake, Kentridge, Kent-Meridian and Enumclaw. Judo was first offered at Kent schools in 1955 and was the first high school judo program in the nation according to Leslie Mizuki, the head coach for the Kentwood team. The program has grown over the years and more than 250 students are participating this season.

Maximum efficiency and mutual benefit are the two main ideas behind judo.

“It’s a martial art but it’s also a sport,” Mizuki said. “(It’s about) using the least amount of power and using it effectively … awareness of where your partner’s body is and how it’s moving.”

At the high school level students learn throws, pins, chokes and arm bars that they can use to overpower their opponent.

The league has 17 weight classes in which students compete, eight for girls and nine for boys. At a match one student from each team competes in each class and earn points toward the team total.

Prior to the 2010-2011 school year Kentwood and Kentlake had a combined team that practiced at Kentlake. Three of the four Kentwood co-captains joined the team their sophomore year when Kentwood started its own team on site.

Quintin Trinh, a senior and one of the team’s co-captains, joined the team his freshman year after someone encouraged him to try it out.

“I did wrestling before (judo) was recommended to me,” Trinh said. “It just seemed like it would be a lot of fun.”

Wanting to try something new and challenge themselves was a theme among the team’s captains’ desires to explore the sport initially.

“I wanted to do something new, I knew I wanted to do a martial art,” said senior and co-captain Christopher Sipe.

The camaraderie of the team was a draw to Arenia Gurr, also a senior and co-captain, and has been one of the things she has loved about the team the most.

“We all became really good friends, we all became unified through a sport,” Gurr said. “You have to get out of your bubble and you have to interact with people.”

Unlike many sports, in judo size isn’t a big factor in being able to do well. Rather, it’s about being able to read your opponent and use their own weight against them.

“It is versatile,” said Janaya Rangel, senior and co-captain.

The captains said their advice to other students would be if you’re interested in the sport, give it a shot.

“You aren’t limited to how big you are,” Sipe added.

According to the captains, many of the team members, themselves included, didn’t have any experience when they started.

“Don’t be afraid to try it,” Sipe said. “When you join judo (the coaches) want to give you advice.”

All four of the captains plan to continue to participate in the sport as they go on to college next year and beyond.

“It’s not necessarily that you are out and competing, but you can do it for the rest of your life recreationally,” Rangel said.

Reach Katherine Smith ksmith@covingtonreporter.com or 425-432-1209 ext. 5052.