Judo state champion never lets his focus wander

Between the hectic schedule and the normal fatigue of back-to-back wrestling and judo seasons, Joshua Terao figured out how to best use his time.

The Mid-Pacific senior juggled it all together, maintaining a 3.4 grade-point average — he can’t get enough of math and history — while training with his school team (Pac-Five) and club on days off.

The intensity and laser focus on the mat have reaped four state wrestling titles and three state judo crowns. A fourth judo title is within reach on Saturday at the HHSAA state championships at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Last Friday, he faced little resistance en route to his fourth ILH boys judo title, defeating his quarterfinal and semifinal foes by ippon before taking the final by forfeit due to an opponent’s injury.

After more than a decade in judo, it’s wrestling that will clear a path for Terao at the next level. He’s set to attend American University, where older brother and former state champion David wrestles.

"Sky’s the limit. I just want to get through my college years as best I can, train as hard as I can, wrestle the best. Past college, I don’t know. Maybe I would like to go on the national circuit or international circuit. That’s so far ahead," he said.

That doesn’t mean he isn’t capable. He began judo at 5 and by the time he was 8, he was good enough to travel to far-flung locations for summer tournaments. His traveling days in judo stopped when he was 12, but wrestling opened another opportunity. He’s been as far away as Japan and Peru to take on some of the world’s top players.

Last summer, he went to the ASICS/Vaughn Junior and Cadet National Championships in North Dakota and won the Greco-Roman title in his weight class. He also placed seventh in freestyle.

Over time, his mastery of fundamentals in both sports has ignited a different mental approach. Terao creates combinations of moves with his hands and feet. His penchant for the counter-intuitive is a strength, to say the least.

"He’s a good judo player. He helps us with all of our kids," Pac-Five coach Miles Tsubota said.

David Terao won four state titles in judo in addition to his two on the wrestling mat, and their prep careers overlapped in 2011. When Joshua Terao was a freshman, he captured his first wrestling state crown at 110 pounds. David won his second championship at 127. Then came the spring and state judo crowns for the brothers. Joshua moved up the following year and won the state wrestling title at 125. As a junior, he won at 130, and then took the 132 title in February. His string of judo state crowns began at 108 as a freshman, and at 132 the next two years.

"We grew up with our dad trying to push us to do our best, training hard every other day to get to nationals. A lot of people think I’m in his shadow, but I don’t think of it that way. It’s my own path. He helped me as I got through high school.

When David returned for summer break, he helped Joshua out for a month before the nationals.

"He’ll give me advice on what to do and what not to do, how to think, how to train. I took that into account and I used that in my practices," Joshua said. "Stylistically, we’re different. I’m a right-hander (in judo) and he’s a left-hander. But the concepts are the same. You have to do your job, train and keep your opponent in mind as you train every day."

The combination of technical skills and creativity, along with all-in commitment, is a rarity. He was in complete control as he won his fourth wrestling title, blanking Zackary Diamond in the 132 final.

"It started in eighth grade. I wanted to be a freshman state champion, then I thought, maybe I can be a double state champion, training harder and harder and believing in myself. In the back of my mind, I thought, ‘Maybe I can be a four-time state champion,’ " he said. "I’m always nervous, even at local tournament matches because you never know what’s going to happen. Anything can happen, no matter who you are."

The physical demands of both sports, getting thrown and bruised on a daily basis at practice, weeds out a lot of potential athletes.

"Everybody gets sore. I get sore all the time, but the champions push through it. I just like to think, if I can push through this, I deserve more. It’s our job. Once we get on the mat, everything changes. You can be friends with someone off the mat, but once you enter the mat and bow, you need to flip that switch," Terao said.

That’s when he gets to use his arsenal of moves, and when the opportunity presents itself, a new combination of moves might be in play.

"He’s unique in his own way," Tsubota said. "He has lots of moves before the big throw. They watch you, so you have to keep something in your arsenal."

There was a judo match in Peru, back in 2007, against another American. Terao was just 80 pounds back then, facing a guy 30 pounds heavier.

"I pulled out some combinations that I usually don’t do and I ended up scoring," he recalled of the close win. "When my bread and butter doesn’t work, I can learn from other guys, using more counters and follow-up attacks. You start making up your own moves."

It’s all fascinating for a family of judoka. Terao’s grandfather (Ernest Hashizume) was a sensei at Shobukan Judo Club. His father, Lindy, didn’t take up judo in his youth, preferring other martial arts as a youngster.

When David and Joshua started in judo, their dad got involved and eventually became a black belt. Grandpa still goes to all of Joshua’s matches, video camera in tow.

Last Saturday, a day after the ILH championships, he was back at the club training with his friend, Jung Woo Yu, a junior from University High.

"Three, four hours. See what I’ve got to work on," Terao said. "There’s always a guy hunting to take the top spot."

Training in an individual sport requires teamwork, in a sense, whether it’s a good friend and sparring partner, coaches from Shobukan, Pearl City Hongwanji and Grapplers HI, or supportive parents and siblings.

"Everybody deserves a lot of credit. I can’t take all the credit. It’s my coaches and senseis and everyone. They helped me learn and think of judo in a different way."

On Sunday, his one free day of the week, Terao was back on campus with some AP class buddies for a study session. The studying never ends.