Passion for judo

The large room at the Spokane Police Regional Training Center bustled with children and adults donning their gi’s (the traditional uniform) for judo practice.

Bob Harder, 72, the head instructor for Pacific Judo Academy, towered in the center of the room. His graying crew cut, sparkling eyes and military bearing made him a commanding presence.

His students lined up in rows by judo ranking and bowed formally to their sensei (instructor). Harder has taught the sport for 50 years and is widely admired in the close-knit Judo community.

His introduction to the sport came when he served in the Army during the Korean War.

“I learned a little bit of judo in the service,” he said, “just enough to intrigue me.”

A refinement of the ancient martial art of jujutsu, judo means the “gentle way.”

This Japanese style of wrestling is an Olympic sport.

“We don’t strike, hit or kick in judo,” Harder said.

He led the class of more than 30 students through a series of warm-up exercises.

“Ichi, ni, san,” Harder’s voice rang out as he counted sit-ups in Japanese.

Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputy Rich Gere has known Harder for 18 years.

“I learn a lot from watching him teach,” he said. Because Harder trained extensively in Japan, his style of instruction is formal and steeped in traditional culture.

“Sensei Bob stresses the discipline, etiquette and respect of judo,” said Gere, who is the master defensive tactics instructor for the Sheriff’s Department.

“I’m at the dojo a lot,” he said, “because you can learn something every time.”

According to Harder, there’s a place in judo for everyone regardless of size or strength. The youngest students start at age 5.

The class is a mixture of boys, girls, men and women. After warming up, the youngest kids, whom Harder calls “very small people,” hustled off to a corner of the room to practice falling on the heavily padded “crash mats.”

Learning to fall backward is the first lesson every student must master. Once they’ve learned that, they learn how to fall forward.

There’s an ancient wisdom in mastering the art of falling before trying to conquer more aggressive techniques. And there is a lot of falling in judo.

Matched by size, sparring partners engaged in what appeared to be a choreographed dance, its rhythm counted out in Japanese by their sensei.

Best known for throwing techniques, judo also involves many grappling and choking techniques as well as specialized pinning moves.

Combatants grab their opponent’s gi, trying to pull them off balance. Delicate footwork and flexibility are the key.

Bud Meagley, president of Pacific Judo Academy, admires Harder’s knowledge and experience.

“Bob has forgotten more about judo than I’ll ever know,” Meagley said. “If you can’t learn it from Bob, you probably can’t learn it.”

Judo seems to be a family tradition, with fathers bringing sons and daughters to train alongside them. Harder’s 15-year-old son Kevin was a silver medalist at this summer’s Junior Olympics.

Carly Marcella, 15, also brought home a silver medal. The petite Shadle High School student said judo is a great confidence builder.

“It’s cool to watch the older women compete,” she said. “They get more aggressive. I’m going to keep doing this.”

Even the smallest of students had a good time.

“I like it. It’s fun. I like to see my dad doing it,” said 5-year-old Danny Meyer.

Harder, who worked as a cattle rancher most of his life, said he’s lived every little boy’s dream.

“I’ve been a cowboy, a pilot, an EMT, a policeman and a flight instructor,” he said. But judo has remained a constant passion.

On Saturday, Pacific Judo Academy, together with the Spokane Judo Club, will host the Inland Empire Judo Classic Tournament at the Spokane Convention Center. The Spokane Sports Regional Sports Commission provided the $2,000 fee for the use of the Convention Center.

Due to hip-replacement surgery in November, Harder isn’t able to participate as much as he’d like to, but still, he said, “There’s no other contact sport you can engage in at my age.”

In addition to offering physical conditioning, Harder believes judo keeps the mind sharp. The class ended with the members gathering in a circle for a moment of quiet reflection.

“There’s a lot of depth in judo,” Harder said. He returns to Japan often to study.

“I’ve been doing this for 50 years, and I’ve just scratched the surface. There’s still so much to learn.”