Junior Nationals! | The Shintaro Higashi Show

Shintaro Higashi returns from the Junior Nationals in Chicago and shares a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at this major youth judo event. Joined by co-host David Kim, the two discuss standout matches, rising talent, and the evolving landscape of competitive judo in the U.S.00:00 Intro & Trip to Junior Nationals01:30 Event Overview & Youth Pipeline03:00 Event Scale & Social Aspect05:00 Smoothcomp & Tech Evolution08:30 Coaching Rules & Professionalism11:00 Spotlight on Rising Talent14:00 Second-Generation Judoka & Top Dojos16:00 Challenges in Athlete Retention18:30 Developmental Athletes' Takeaways21:30 Next Steps Post-Nationals24:30 Organizational Structure & Gaps26:00 Funding, Politics & Solutions29:00 Building Judo's FutureMany thanks to our patrons: Jason (Red Belt), Drew (Coral Belt), and Levon (Coral Belt) and all our Black Belt members. Your support makes this podcast possible!Join my Patreon for:✅ 1-on-1 video call coaching✅ Exclusive technique breakdowns✅ Direct Q&A access✅ Behind-the-scenes training footage🔗 Subscribe & Support Here: https://www.patreon.com/shintaro_higashi_show Links:🇯🇵 Kokushi Budo Institute (The Dojo) Class Schedule in New York, NY 🗽: https://www.kokushibudo.com/schedule🇯🇵 Higashi Brand Merch & Instructionals: https://www.higashibrand.com📚 Shintari Higashi x BJJ Fanatics Judo Courses & Instructionals Collection: https://bjjfanatics.com/collections/shintaro-higashi/David Kim YT/Instagram:  ⁨@midjitsu⁩