WONDERKID TAKES DUTCH TITLE
WITH AID OF FIGHTING FILMS
With the help of the great masters, Jason Gawke, at just 16-years-old, has won the under 20 Dutch Championships.By using techniques he’d learnt from Fighting Films’ Jeon & Koga DVDs, Gawke won the –55kgs gold medal at the tournament held on February 19 in Nymegen, Holland, beating opponents up to three years older than himself.
“The Jeon feint is my favourite,” said Gawke. “I used it in my first fight, and then threw my opponent for ippon with drop seoi.”
Gawke won the next two fights for ippon both with rolling juji-gatame armlocks, which he’d learnt from Neil Adams in FFs Modern Competitive Judo.
In the final, Gawke again used the Jeon ko-uchi gari feint into drop seoi-nage, scoring a yuko – the winning throw – against his 19-year-old opponent.
Winston Gawke, Jason’s father, said: “I don’t think there’s a father more proud than me. He loves judo. He has all the backing from me and everyone else involved.”
Gawke delivering a drop seoi-nage
As three-times junior national champion, Gawke has the golden gates on his personalised Fighting Films gi. He has been wearing the kit for over three years and chooses it over the Dutch alternatives.
Gawke added: “I prefer it to the Dutch kits. I like it a lot because it’s not very heavy, but is really hard to grip.”
Gawke dreams of taking all the senior titles, with the Olympics being his main ambition.