Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Marissa Tiel

TWIN TUSSLE – Autumn and Winter Tricker practise new judo manouvres during their class at the Carmacks Recreation Centre with Bianca Ockedahl.

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Photo by Marissa Tiel

CLOSE QUARTERS – Trent (pictured) and Hunter Blackjack grapple during a judo practice at the Carmacks Recreation Centre with the Carmacks Judo Club.

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Photo by Marissa Tiel

AT ATTENTION – Judokas sit on the mats as they listen to coach Bianca Ockedahl instruct a class.

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Photo by Marissa Tiel

FUN AND GAMES – Sophie Harris hits the mats while playing a game at judo practice.

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Photo by Marissa Tiel

CLEAN-UP – Trent Blackjack helps put the judo mats away into a storage room after an evening of practices at the Carmacks Recreation Centre.

Carmacks embraces judo with help of coach Bianca Ockedahl

Judo’s arrival in Carmacks is sudden and welcoming.

By Marissa Tiel on March 2, 2017

Judo’s arrival in Carmacks is sudden and welcoming.

The athletes arrive in pristine white judogis, feet thumping atop the specialized mats in the Carmacks Recreation Centre.

The light mossy-green mats are set up in the middle of the rec centre’s main gym. A gaggle of kids tumble around on them as parents sit idle on benches near the door.

Outside, ice lily pads float on the Yukon River. Inside, Carmacks Judo Club head instructor Bianca Ockedahl watches her pupils with an attentive eye. She walks around the room with quiet confidence, the kind obtained by many years of international competition with the Canadian judo team.

Ockedahl relocated to Carmacks last fall from Whitehorse and immediately set to starting up a local club.

It’s the first time judo has been taught in Carmacks, though an MMA program did run in the small community a while ago.

Before the move to Carmacks last summer, Ockedahl was hopeful that 10 youth would show up to her judo classes.

With two programs on offer in the fall – young and older youth – it appears judo has been welcomed by the community with open arms.

The enthusiasm has continued into the new year.

“It’s been a full house for both groups,” said Ockedahl.

For twins Autumn and Winter Tricker, it’s another individual activity the girls can participate in.

“There’s not a lot of activities,” said mom, Kendell Tricker, as she watched a class.

Without a ton of organized sport options in Carmacks, the girls gravitate towards individual sports. They’re not big into competition, but they seem to be enjoying judo, Tricker says.

In between classes, Ockedahl assembles all the younger kids from the early session with the older kids who have yet to start.

They line up on the outskirts of mats facing Ockedahl and bow in unison.

Vernon Asp leans against the wall near Tricker, playing with his daughter, who’s just finished class.

“To have an activity like this in our home community is awesome,” he said.

He watches his nephew, Jordyn Asp, 16, practise his judo physical literacy on the mats in the second class.

“This is a good opportunity for the kids of Carmacks.”

For the Blackjack brothers Hunter, 15, and Trent, 14, the experience has been about more than just judo.

“You learn a bunch of new things,” said Hunter as he and his brother helped put the mats into storage following the session.

“It’s fun,” agreed Trent. He has especially enjoyed learning Japanese words.

This weekend the Carmacks Judo Club will host their first tournament. From 10 a.m. Saturday until mid-day, more than 40 representatives from clubs around the territory will spar at the rec centre.

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