Leif earned black belt in judo

Just before his 14th birthday, Leif took the test to earn his blackbelt in judo. This photo is taken of him throwing a much older man during that test. Leif was very good at judo, and it's a shame he didn't stay with the practice of that martial art when we moved away from the Chicago area. It wasn't readily available in Puerto Rico and by the time we returned to the US mainland two years later, he felt his skills were rusty and he didn't feel right wearing that belt at the local dojo. He had a very good sensei (instructor) in the Chicago area, Andy, who gave Leif a special wooden practice sword. It was a special gift and meant a lot to Leif, but I don't know what happened to it. I didn't find it among his belongings.

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We were living at Fort Sheridan, Illinois at the time. I later did find the bokken, which is the name for the wooden practice sword. As I recall, Andy had received it from another sensei and it had a special history for him as well.