Welcome to Judo Vern

Welcome to judo vern.

My name is Vern Borgen, I have been teaching judo in Fargo, ND since 1979, first as an assistant to Leigh English sensei and then starting in 1980 as the head instructor.

This blog is going to be bits and pieces about judo and other martial arts.  This welcome page is going to be an index of sorts, as I add material to the blog I will update this welcome page.

I would appreciate intelligent comments on the articles, thanks.

16 February 2015  Kangeiko by Jeff Ficek, head sensei at Rough Rider Judo wrote this flyer for the social event after our day of training.


21 January 2015 Chapter 4 Rank by Vern Borgen.  When I started this article it was in response to Hayward Nishioka's essay, "What the hell is a black belt" but as I was writing I felt that this was something that a lot of students of Judo didn't understand well and was compelled to think of it as a chapter in a book about the "ura of judo", or the underbelly of judo.  You might want to read Nishioka's essay before you read this one.

21 January 2015  "What the hell is a black belt" by Hayward Nishioka.  Nishioka sensei is an international judo champion, the author of several books on judo and teacher of judo for 40 years.  I would challenge high ranking judoka to meet the challenges of the rokudan test used by the French Judo association.  I was able to come up with only 11 entries for my favorite throw on the first day, and another 6 with a bit of research.  I am still short 8 entries. This article inspired me to write a positive response that builds on that article which I will publish here in the near future.

21 January 2015  NIWA: the way of the garden.  This is an essay that I wrote in 1996 and was published by the Aikido Today Magazine in April/May of that year.

20 January 2015  Is Judo Dying?  This is an essay that I wrote in 1996 to one of the national leaders of judo and re-posted on Steven Cunningham's Judo-L, the first internet judo bulletin board.  The post stimulated a tremendous response on the Judo-L, most of it positive, I had hit a nerve, the conversation went on for weeks and I was asked numerous times for re-posting rights.

20 May 2014   This is the content of the www.gentleways.com website circa 2003.  Dane Ankeny competed at US Judo Nationals, Jana Seaborn attended Joshi Judo Camp, Grand Master Jose Bueno taught an Arnis and jujutsu seminar in Fargo, Darrell Craig Shihan taught jujutsu in Fargo, Guy Hagen Sensei taught aikido in Bismark and other local news.