Judo champ battles through adversity

Only this time, it was downright insulting. Midway through the finals of the U.S. Judo National Championships in the 16 to 20-year-old 81-kilo (178-pound) division on July 2 in Toledo, Ohio, Thomas' kryptonite threatened to end his dream. Once the referee saw Thomas writhing in pain, he called out for a doctor. Only one problem. If an athlete calls out for medical help during a competition, it automatically loses.

"I told the ref I didn't call for a doctor," Thomas said. "It was actually kind of funny. He told me, 'yeah you did, because you're laying there screaming.' So before the doctor arrived, I got back up and called him off."

Thomas then scored a point when his opponent was penalized for stalling, and he later scored on a koka and yuko (points for throwing an opponent to the mat) to seal the outcome and win a national championship.

"I was pretty nervous once I got injured because I had already beaten my opponent earlier in the day," Thomas said. "I was confident I could beat him again, and now it wasn't certain. When it was over, I felt a sense of relief because I've wanted to become a national champion for so many years."

In 2004 Thomas suffered a pulled hamstring two months before the national championships and was never the same. His training regimen was knocked out of whack and he didn't even place. Experiences like that helped motivate Thomas to be the best. He trains five days a week at San Jose State, competing against Olympians and college standouts. He also supplements his regimen at the Palo Alto Judo Club, his home base. So what makes Thomas, an incoming Aragon High junior, the champion that he is?

"Technique is important, but for me the key is determination," he said. "It takes a lot of sacrifice and hard work. I started competing at the national level at 10, and in my first couple of tournaments I didn't place. When I was little, I didn't try my hardest in practice. I realized I had to overcome myself and turn the intensity up a notch."

Thomas competes in "three to nine" local and four national tournaments a year. Naturally, he cleans up at the local level - it's rare when he loses - and trophies and medals litter his room. He's always had an interest in martial arts growing up. Thomas, 16, was such a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid that "I wanted to be one." So he took up karate first before transitioning into judo at age 7. In his first two years at Aragon, the 5-foot-11 Thomas was a fullback on the frosh-soph team and varsity wrestler at 160 pounds. He finished in third-place at the Peninsula Athletic League wrestling championships in both years, and last season was one win away from medaling at the Central Coast Section Tournament.

"There are a lot of similarities with judo and wrestling," Thomas said. "The grappling, the throws, the pins. But judo has also made me better in football. The discipline and focus that's required in judo makes you a better athlete in whatever sport you try."

Thomas appreciates the physical nature of football, where testosterone-filled teenagers try to bash each other on every play.

"It's a different dynamic, but a great sport," he said. "The one thing I know is I won't be overtaking Matangi Tonga (an all-state player) at fullback this year. He's pretty damn good. I'll play wherever they want me to play."

Thomas' next goal is to make the U.S. Junior Judo Olympic team for the World Championships next year.

"This is something I'm really passionate about," Thomas said. "My fire keeps growing."

Which doesn't bode well for his competition.