In the 7-8 boys division John Aslanian, of Cranford Judo, uses his legs to get out of a hold by Ethan Wang, of Watanabe Judo, during their match. Wang ended up winning the match. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
The 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships was held Saturday at High Tech High School. 306 judoka competed ranging in age from 5- 59.
The state competition has been going on for more than 40 years and is run by Anthony Camal of Judo of New Jersey Inc.
The proceeds from the tournament are used to help judoka with travel expenses as they compete nationally and internationally representing judo from the Garden State.
During warm ups Robert Miller, 10, of Wallington, NJ, stretches and strengthens his neck while resting on top of his head. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Mikhail Kozitskiy helps his son Max, 6, by adjusting the belt on his robe prior to the tournament starting. Kozitskiy himself competed in judo for more than 40 years and now coaches his son and others in Doylestown, PA. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
While they warm up, Mikhail Kozitskiy watches over his judokas he coaches. Kozitskiy himself competed in judo for more than 40 years and now coaches his son and others in Doylestown, PA. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Some of the over 300 judokas participating in the State Championship recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the opening ceremony. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Luna Steidle, 6, gives her father Chuck a high five before she competes. She was diagnosed with Cystic fibrosis when she was two weeks old and according to her father judo has been the best exercise for her. The two hours of daily airway clearance therapy hasn't slowed her growth in the sport. She won gold medals for age in the national championships last year. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
A referee gestures while Daniel Klenamsky, of Darfight Judo in Brooklyn, tries to get away from Michael Kosov, of Sword Judo. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Coach Manny Demoya, of the Tech Judo team, helps judoka Luna DeVito, 6, with her uniform prior to the start of the opening ceremony. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
While with his daughter Nadya, 10, coach Zumo El-Sanhouri, of Samurai Judo and MMA 2020 team in Ridgefield Park, NJ, watches team members Luna Steidle, 6, and teammate Erick Mateus, 7, warm up from his team. New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Members of the Poise Martial Arts team, of Hackensack, NJ, stretch on the mat together while warming up. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Cierra Miller, left, competes against Luna Steidle in the girl's 6 year-old division. Steidle won the match. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Tresor Mbou gives his son Samuel, 5, some advice prior to his match. Samuel's older sister Stacey also competed. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Robert Miller, of Tech Judo, pins Nicholas Zadvinskiy, of Judo Sambo Center. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Before the tournament and while playing on the mats Sean Kundukhashvili, 10, is pinned by his little brother Alexander, 18 months, while their sister Anastasia, 13, left, watches. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Arthur Lanchinskas, a coach with the Darfight team from Brooklyn, shouts to his judoka while during a match. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Jessica Entrup, 11, gets pinned by Sayuri Medina. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
David Kochidis, of Brooklyn, looks at his little brother Nicholas, 11, play his video game Brawl Stars prior to Nicholas competing. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Luna Steidle, 6, and teammate Erick Mateus, 7, warm up prior to the start of the tournament. She was diagnosed with Cystic fibrosis when she was two weeks old and according to her father Chuck, judo has been the best exercise for her. The two hours of daily airway clearance therapy hasn't slowed her growth in the sport. She won gold medals for age in the national championships last year. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Aedan Cicchetti, left, battles John Aslanian in the boys 7-8 year-old division. Aslanian won in a close match on a referee decision. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Kerry Cicchetti, of Winslow, NJ, talks to his son Aedan, 8, who was upset that he lost a close match on a referee decision to John Aslanian. Aedan had been only practicing for 5 months and Cicchetti told Aedan that he was proud of him. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Five mats were used during the tournament with over 300 competitors ranging from ages 5 to 59. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Coach Brandon Worthen of the Tech Judo team watches his judokas warm up on the mat. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
In the boys 5-6 year-old division Domenic Renda, of Cranford Judo, left, battles Ian Leffer of Skelly Judo. Leffer won the match. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Cierra Miller, left, is thrown down to the mat by Luna Steidle in the girl's 6 year-old division. Steidle won the match. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Brian Shakhmurov, 9, poses for a selfie while with his mother Marina. He fights with the International Judo Center in Queens. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Cierra Miller, right goes on to pin Luna DeVito in the girls 6 year-old division. (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Craig Brown coaches his son Noah prior to his match. Noah is a team member of Cranford Judo and has been participating in the sport since he was 5. Craig will compete in the national championships later this year. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Jessica Entrup, 11, practices throwing teammate Michael Miller, 10, while they warmup prior tot he start of the tournament. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
While not competing, Nadya El-Sanhouri, 10, left, and Adrianna Garcia, 9, play in the stands. The two are members of the Samurai Judo and MMA 2020 team in Ridgefield Park, NJ. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
In the 7-8 boys class Ethan Wang, top, of Watanabe Judo, battles John Aslanian, of Cranford Judo, during their match. Wang ended up winning the match. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Arthur Troshin, of Staten Island hugs his father Ilya after winning his match. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Inna Kuratnikova, 13, of Philadelphia, stretches before her match. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Elioth Guarguila, top, of Poise Martial Arts, goes on to pin Leo Ashvrov in the boys 12 year-old division. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Hayden Reid, 13, relaxes while with his father Glen prior to his match. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Dalia Tsyrlin, left, of Tech Judo, goes on to beat Kristin Frey, of Camal Judo in the girls 12 year-old division. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
While being held by her mother Gulnoza Kamilova and wearing her own judo robe, Kamila Kakhramonovk, 6 months, keeps an eye on her older brother Javokhir, 12, as he waits to fight. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
In the boys 5-6 year-old division Domenic Renda, of Cranford Judo, takes down Ian Leffer of Skelly Judo. Leffer won the match. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Michael Kosov, left, of Sword Judo and Daniel Klenamsky, of Darfight Judo in Brooklyn, bow to each other at the end of a match. Kosov won the match. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Elisey Luzgin, of Brooklyn, center, celebrates his gold medals with other medal winners in the 8 year-year old boys division. 2020 New Jersey Judo Open Championships held at High Tech High School. Saturday, February 15, 2020. Secaucus, NJ USA (Aristide Economopoulos | NJ Advance Media)
Aristide Economopoulos can be reached at aeconomopoulos@njadvancemedia.com and you can follow him on Twitter at @AristideNJAM and Instagram at @aeconomopoulos Find NJ.com on Facebook