St.Albert Judo Club

08/23/2026

Tayven here! Done… it was an epic camp, one of my best training experiences in judo… country after country in attendance, all participants just wanting to find a competitive person to fight with. Check out my video for a look at the human depth of this event . I can’t wait to do this again next year. Wanna come with me ?
Looking forward to showing my club mates things I seen and did.

08/22/2026

Running out of days for this absolutely incredible training camp. No one here was teaching technique. This was a full on fighting camp day after day after day. The quality of the competitors was amazing, world medallist, Olympic medallist, literally hundreds of top level competitors all willing to participate with you. It has been a lot of fun. My fingers are going to need a rest when I get home. I don’t think I’ve ever had my grips broken so many times! While it was absolutely unbelievably hot It has been fantastic and I’d like to have this on my list for next year again. Appreciated the camaraderie from the other Canadians that took part in this. See you next year!

08/18/2026

Absolutely the hottest workouts I've ever experienced in my life, surrounded by 1,000 plus of my newest judo friends.
This is international judo on a whole different level. Want to fight someone from another country?Just move 20 feet in any direction. That's how packed it is. So many countries, … such tough and focused guys. What a great experience!
The pics sort of tell the density story! Looking forward to doing it all again tomorrow in 40°C heat inside a building with no A/C …twice! I’ll give you an update on my fingers and my weight after tomorrow, glad I know how to tape. 😃👋

08/17/2026

Hey judo friends, Tayven here!
I’m documenting my latest training and keeping you all up to date. I’ve really started to understand that, for me, success at this stage is about volume, getting as many rounds as possible with as many different styles of fighters as I can.I’ve been lucky enough to train in Japan multiple times now, which has been amazing. This is also my second trip to Europe in 2026, working on my European-style judo.
I’ve arrived in Valencia, Spain for the Valencia Judo Training Camp, which runs August 17th to 22nd It’s one of the biggest summer judo camps in the world, with more than 1,500 senior athletes expected to participate.
There are 15 other Canadians here too, and I think we’re all pretty excited about the opportunity.
1,500 people to train with… 1,500! I’m honestly blown away.
Things get started tomorrow. 35 Celsius and 50% humidity…
I’ll keep you posted and send some more pictures along the way!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

06/19/2026

Hi Tayven here! Just wanted to share a bit from my latest judo trip!
This was my fourth time in Japan and honestly it might have been my one of my favourites so far. I started it a bit different this time with some family joining me for the first part which was really great. We did some sightseeing around Tokyo, went to Mount Fuji and I think they had a great time. I’ve definitely locked in some go to food spots there now which they enjoyed too! When they took off back to Canada I stayed at the Kodokan dorms again. It’s super central and really easy to get around from there, and it just feels right being at the home of judo. There’s something about that place that just makes you comfortable.
I’ve attached a few pictures from the trip. I’ve met a lot of great people over the past few visits and this one was no different. Judo people really are the best and I’m starting to feel more and more at home here.
I felt really welcomed this time and I’m really glad I made the trip. If you want to be great at something you have to elevate your game by working with the right people. Can’t wait to get back to the club and get working out. This year I plan to give up my tallest 60kg world rank and move up to 66kg. If you have any magic methods for weight/ muscle gain put them in the comments.

05/16/2026

Outstanding performance at the 2026 Canadian Open Championships by Ivan and Kyle. Great representation and professionalism across the podium. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

05/06/2026

June Takahashi was a lovely woman with a deep appreciation for Judo which her family shared.

View June Christina Takahashi's complete obituary, share memories, and explore 3 tribute posts from the community.

04/29/2026

Tayven here. After an incredible month in Europe, I’m heading home feeling grateful and fired up.
Spending three weeks training in Croatia after a week participation in an Olympic-level training camp was an experience I’ll never forget. Thank you to my new friends and training partners in Croatia I was treated incredibly well, learned a ton, and had the chance to train against some very high‑level judo every single day. I truly enjoyed meeting you, working out with you, and sharing the mat together. I am sure our paths will cross again.
One thing this trip really reinforced for me is that judo is a sport of volume. The most successful players put in massive amounts of quality work, and this past month was exactly that. A huge volume of judo, a huge volume of fitness, and a lot of growth both physically and mentally. I’m leaving stronger, fitter, and with new skills I’m excited to bring back home.
I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to train like this. It’s helped me set a higher bar for myself as I get ready for Nationals in a few weeks. I can’t wait to compete and see how this experience shows on the mat.
what an amazing chapter in my judo journey.
While I may suck as a social media guy, I have attached a couple of pictures, one with a small group in Croatia one morning and a few randoms, and a few from a one day stop in Paris. My plane has had a short own day delay in Paris and I got to see some great stuff! Thanks everyone for following our club to hear about my European judo experience.

04/21/2026

Tayven here! Training in Europe this past while has been an unreal experience. After the European Olympic training camp, I’ve been lucky enough to stay on in Croatia, and I’m getting coached by some incredibly experienced European judo coaches. A former multi world medalist, a professional Japanese coach and judoka to roll with that include a world champion.

From day one they’ve been extremely welcoming and willing to help me grow.
The judo here is very close, as in “physically close”, a style that I’m not used to but will not find very useful for my future bouts. The focus on fitness and strength is on another level. The volume is massive, both on the mats and off. Mornings are alternating between weights and running, and evenings are pure judo.
Every session is intense.
Practice is all business. No talking, no messing around, just work. The seriousness and discipline in the room is something special, and it pushes everyone to raise their level.
What really stands out is how different this approach is compared to Japan. In Japan, the emphasis is heavily technical. Here, it’s about speed, intensity, and constant attacking. Any attack, any opportunity, just keep going. The pace is relentless, and I’m learning a lot from it.
I’ve got one more week here before heading home, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity. This has been an amazing experience and one that will stay with me for a long time. Oh yea and Croatia is absolutely beautiful, mountains, ocean, great weather. Put this place on your travel list ❤️

04/02/2026

TAYVEN’s travel. I promised I’d let everyone know what’s happening on this training trip. Here goes.
Left Canada on March 26 and made my way from Budapest to Tata for the European Olympic Training Camp. Training twice a day, 2 to 2.5 hours per session, with 400 to 500 high‑level judoka from around the world. The focus is heavy on stand‑up, constant gripping, pace, and pressure, with groundwork mixed in. Every session is intense and demanding, no easy rounds anywhere on the mat. Evenings are for recovery and schoolwork before doing it all again the next day. The pictures I’ve included tells the story, next level judo. Grateful for the experience and the grind. By the way, I think I may be the tallest 60kg fighter in the world lol.

Next stop after this is Vienna, then Split, Croatia for three more weeks of daily training as I build toward Canadian Nationals