Experience in three Martial Arts is bringing Elijah Lazar success on the Judo Mat.
Lazar a provincial-champion high-school wrestler who also has seven years of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) under his belt has now been training in Judo for the past year.
“I can use the Judo throws in wrestling and also the strength training is really similar because you need really strong grip to get the throws and takedowns so its the same for both wrestling and Judo,” Lazar said.
The chokes and holds allowed in Judo make it very different from Wrestling, but Lazar’s BJJ experience and his intensive Judo training over the past year have more than prepared him.
Lazar said he has been training regularly with Master Richard Castano at the Cuba Judo and Taekwondo Academy since the high school wrestling season ended.
Castano praised Lazar’s dedication.
“He works out five days a week, for two hours,” he said.
The hard work is paying off. At a recent Judo tournament in Abbotsford Lazar —a yellow belt in Judo — won a gold and a silver medal competing mostly against higher-ranked blue and green belts.
Looking to the future, Lazar says he will be competing in the War on the Floor tournament in December and also has provincials and nationals for both wrestling and Judo on his radar.
With the wrestling season about to start, Lazar says he will trim his Judo training back to three days a week.
Castano said although Lazar is relatively new to Judo, his skills are developing very quickly. Lazar will be advancing from yellow to green belt soon.
According to Castano, most students only have the most basic throws down after a year of experience, but Lazar’s experience with wrestling and BJJ is serving him well and getting him noticed.
“BC Judo has been talking to me about him,” Castano said.