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DB judo champs Arbel, Nitai and Yahav Delgoshen
try to learn as much as they can from the professionals. Israel’s 2009 World Championships bronze medallist, Alice Schlesinger and 2004 Olympic bronze medallist, Arik Ze’evi are their favourite Judokas.
practise techniques,” Yahav explains. “In Israel, at our judo summer camp, we climb up ropes six times in a row. This helps our hands and fingers get stronger through gripping the rope, as we climb up and down it.”
In addition to judo, the boys, who attend Lantau International School, head to Tung Chung Swimming Pool once a week. Swimming helps improve their stamina, which is vital for energy-sapping, two-minute bouts on the judo mat. They also focus on aerobic fitness.
Cedric points out that the boys have different strong points, which help them during tournaments. About Yahav, the youngest, Cedric says, his attitude towards practice is very good and his “break-fall skills are excellent”. Arbel, meanwhile, is fearless during matches. “No matter what size his opponent is, Arbel will fight hard and is not afraid to lose. In fact, he seldom loses his fights.”
“We do exercises such as sit-ups and push-ups; we stretch properly and
Big brother Nitai is an all-rounder. “Being big and muscular was Nitai’s advantage in the beginning, but then he improved his technique by showing the key points to his junior classmates,” Cedric explains. “Through teaching, he has memorised techniques which make him faster during fights.”
Fighting spirit Discussing the judo concepts of kate (basic techniques), tori (the person throwing their partner) and uke (the person being thrown), it’s clear that the Delgoshens are totally clued up about their beloved sport. May 2016
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