She Knows Judo Young Phenom Wins National Championship

Eight-year-old Layne Brower is a national judo champion, winner in early July of the Female Bantam 1, 65-pound division of the United States Judo Federation National Championships in Irvine, Calif.

But her sternest competition may have come in area tournaments last spring.

In Tacoma, she was inadvertently placed in the 11-12 age group, where she faced girls much larger than herself and finished second.

Her father, Cliff, wanted her up an age group, not two. Had he known, he said, his tiny but feisty daughter wouldn’t have participated.

“I fought a big girl and pinned her,” wrote Brower in a journal that chronicled her season. “In my second match I fought an even bigger girl and knew she wasn’t eight years old.”

Her opposition also included a girl who was a foot taller and 20 pounds heavier whom she beat, as well as last year’s 11-year-old national champ.

“I fought her hard for a couple of minutes but she threw me and pinned me,” wrote Brower.

In her last match, for second place, her foe “head-butted me twice in the ribs when we were on the ground. She made me mad and I threw her for a wazari (a half-point) and won the match.”

In Cranbrook, British Columbia, her opponents tried head-and-arm throws and double knee drops that her dojo, Pacific Judo Academy, doesn’t allow at her age.

By comparison, nationals was a cakewalk. Brower won three straight matches, two by ippon (“ee-pone”), a match point in which the victor either throws her opponent on her back with force and control or by 30-second pin.

In the championship, Brower’s win came by wazari.

“I had the girl pinned but not very well and she got out,” said Brower. “Halfway through I threw her pretty good and the ref called ippon.”

She thought the match was over but side judges overruled him.

“She came at me hard the last part of the match but I held on to win.”

Judo is a family avocation. Cliff Brower, 45, was introduced to it by his stepfather Eugene Yamaura 37 years ago and he once finished second in the Junior Olympics. He has dabbled with it off and on since.

Layne’s 11-year-old brother Ross took up judo, although he is more into soccer and baseball.

“I wanted to follow my brother,” said Layne. “He was really good at it and I wanted to get good at it, too.”

She began learning moves at age 3 and taking lessons at 5. Last year she finished second in the nation.

Her opponents are boys as well as girls. Cliff explained that at this age girls are usually ahead of their male counterparts and are quicker.

“I enjoy beating the boys,” she said. “But they usually get beat by girls anyway.”

Added Cliff, “she is real strong, incredibly strong.”

During the year Layne won five area tournaments prior to nationals. She also skiis, plays soccer and youth baseball. But it is judo that the green-belt performer enjoys the most.

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