Husky Pride
The earliest record of a Northeastern University Judo Club was in 1964 when Charlie Wall (Shodan at the time) led the team for three years while studying at NU. Under his instruction, the club won the first New England Team Trophy defeating schools including MIT, Harvard, and Brandeis. In the mid 70′s, Northeastern had two students, Bobby Ward and Amy Kublin, who represented the university at the collegiate level in the art (the first two known national level champions). In the early 80′s the team was led by Josethe Camavaca, a brazilian who is believed to have competed in either the 1976 or 1980 Olympics. While the team, about 15 strong at the time, did not compete often, they meet several times a week for practice and randori. Shortly after Camavaca’s departure, a law student by the name of Billy Stevens took over the club for the duration of his studies at the university.
In the fall of ‘92, freshman Seth Freedman formed a Judo Club and coached it until his graduation in ‘97. In the fall of ‘97, Rick Bertucci, became the Sensei of the Judo Club and turned the club into a Judo Team. Ten months later, in the summer of ‘98, the Judo Team brought home their first Team Trophy from the Baystate Games. The team has since brought home team trophies from both the Mass State Open and the New England Championship. Six Northeastern students since ‘97 have gone to the Senior National Championships. One student, Kevin Murray, at his first National Competition, placed 5th in the open division and gained elite athlete status, which got him an invitation to train at the Olympic Training Center.
The team is currently running strong under the direction of Sherif Hashem. The team’s success has come from a variety of sources including excellent coaching, hardworking officers, and dedicated members. With increased popularity in the art the team now offers an introductory class taught by Shodan Sherif Hashem. The class has been meet with high demand and serves as a starting place for people interested in joining the team.
The above information is accurate to the best of the team’s knowledge.
History submitted by:
Sensei Rick Bertucci (1997−2007), Yodan USJI
Bob Meyer (1983−1986), Yonkyu
Sensei Charlie Wall (1964−1966), Yodan USJF - National Referee