10/12/2026
🥋 Morris Cup 2026: A Road Trip to Remember! 🍁🥉🥈
What a weekend for the Muscles Unlimited crew!
We headed out to Schenectady, New York, for the Morris Cup. I decided to take the scenic route along the Mohawk Trail so the boys could see some of the fall foliage. When I told Sensei Ben my plan, his response was, "Leaf peeping is a white people thing!" 😂
Well, the boys were going leaf peeping whether they liked it or not! 🍁
Along the way, we stopped at the Golden Eagle Restaurant, where Anthony enjoyed the ribs a little too much. 😂
After a few wrong turns and me introducing the boys to some new swear words, we finally made it to the hotel.
We met up with Sensei Chris and his wife, Hanna, and headed out to a local brewery. It was next to a Dollar General and a laundromat, so I wasn't expecting much, but surprisingly, it was actually a really nice place!
On our way back to the hotel, we ran into Sumner and Theo, who ended up crashing with us because of some hotel issues. Whether those issues were the hotel's fault or Sumner's is still under investigation. 😂
The next morning, it was time for some judo! 🥋
Raf had a great day, competing in two divisions and bringing home two medals!
🥉 Bronze in the IJF Division
🥈 Silver in the Novice Division
Anthony, meanwhile, somehow ended up competing a weight class higher than he was supposed to. This is why I hate kilograms! 😂 But next time we'll make sure he's in the right bracket. Either way, he got out there and competed, and I'm proud of him for it.
Our home dojo, Pedro's Judo Center, had an even better day, bringing home a few gold medals! 🥇 It was great seeing everyone from Pedro's competing and doing so well.
After a long day at the tournament, we ended the night at a Japanese restaurant with some ramen and sushi. 🍜🍣
All in all, it was a great weekend. We got to see some beautiful scenery, eat some good food, get lost a few times, have plenty of laughs, and, most importantly, get some good judo in.
For me, trips like this are about more than just competing and winning medals. I want our students to have the opportunity to travel, see new places, try new things, and make memories along the way.
We are proud of both Raf, Anthony for getting out there and competing, and congratulations to everyone from Pedro's on their success!
Looking forward to the next one, although maybe next time I'll let someone else drive.
Muscles Unlimited Legacy Foundation
Building Strong Kids Since 1979
