Florissant resident Solomon Jackson, 13, was one of seven teens – ages 13 to 14 – chosen to represent the United States in the 2011 Sanix Junior High School World Championship in Fukuoka, Japan in December.
Solomon spent 10 days during the Christmas break competing against youth representatives from countries, including South Africa, Japan, China, Russia and The Netherlands.
“At first, I didn’t believe that I was selected,” Solomon said in an essay for the U.S. Judo Federation website. “Sensei told me that [an] invitation meant it was going to be a long and difficult road and asked me if I was going to commit to the training. She’s a very tough teacher and doesn’t like to waste her time. So I knew I had to commit all the way.”
To prepare for the tournament, Sensei Eiko Saito Shepherd increased Solomon’s Judo practices to three times a week at the James J. Eagan Civic Center in Florissant. He was not allowed to sit down or take breaks during two-hour-long practices. He would weight train twice a week for an hour before every practice. Solomon disciplined himself to run up and down 10 sets of 308 stairs at Cahokia Mounds every weekend. Solomon also trained against people of higher belts and larger weight divisions in local, regional and national tournaments.
Shepherd said there were times when training became unbearable for Solomon but he never gave up on himself. Coincidentally, the name of Solomon’s Judo club is Kitokan, which is a Japanese expression that means “never give up.”
Solomon is no stranger to hard work. He was five years old the first time he stepped onto a mat to learn Judo, a martial art founded in 1882 by Dr. Jigoro Kano in Japan. Persistence enabled him to perfect his craft. Throughout an eight-year period, Shepherd never left his side. Shepherd proudly referred to him as “my son” when he won a match during the international tournament.
Shepherd, a 7th-degree black belt, is exceptional in her own right. Shepherd is in high demand to instruct Judo clinics across the country and world. Aside from the civic center, she also teaches at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley.
“She’s wonderful,” Denise Jackson, Solomon’s mom, said of Shepherd. “Her love for those kids and her love for Judo combined together is just amazing.”
Denise and Ken Jackson appreciate the opportunities that the U.S. Judo Federation gave to their son. Solomon is a well-rounded individual who has a 3.87 GPA at Cross Keys Middle School and plays the piano. He is also a volunteer with the United States Air Force Civil Air Patrol. He aspires to serve in the military.
If given the opportunity, Solomon hopes to participate in the upcoming 2012 tournament. However, Solomon must be academically in good-standing, win a National Tournament and receive recommendations from the National Tournament coach and school principal in order to qualify to compete internationally.
“Before I stepped on the mat, I thought about how important it was to do my best,” Solomon said in his online essay. “I didn’t want to let Team USA, my family, my dojo and most importantly, my sensei down. My family and sensei made many sacrifices so that I could come to Japan and represent our country. I didn’t want to go home without a win.”
“Mission accomplished,” said Shepherd to Solomon on the airplane before they left Japan for America.
