Yorkville alum prepares to fight in Abu Dhabi

Melissa Myers' earliest memories at Martial Arts Training Service was watching her older brothers as a preschooler. Now, 15 years later, the Iowa sophomore and Yorkville alum is preparing for the Judo World Junior Championships, which will take her to Abu Dhabi in October.

Myers, 19, will compete with the U.S. women's judo team after finishing second at the U.S. National Judo Championships, which were held in Dallas in mid-April. She will compete in the junior level with others age 19 and under after competing at the senior level in Dallas.

"My oldest brother Paul started in judo and then my other brother started, so my mom thought it was just easier to have all four at the same place so my sister and I joined," Myers said. "I wanted to be like my brothers."

Although Scott and Melissa's twin sister Wendy eventually stopped training, Paul and Melissa continued at the dojo under the direction of senseis John Gussman and his wife, Maureen Browne. Melissa tried other sports – basketball, T-ball, and soccer, but she fell in love with judo. Gussman noticed Melissa's passion for judo years ago, but could not have predicted just how far she would go in the sport.

"She's making the transition to the adults and doing very well, and that's one of the biggest jumps. I tell people who don't understand judo but understand football that the jump from the juniors in judo to the seniors is like a high school football player going into the NFL," Gussman said. "Kids don't have the same adult strength, so their technique has to be a lot better to do well and she's got good technique. When she's on her game, she's really hard to throw. She's mean. She doesn't come off as mean, but she's actually meaner than her brothers."

After spending the 2014-15 school year training at a club on the Iowa campus, Myers returned to MATS in Naperville this summer. In late July, she was preparing to test for her second degree black belt – something her college friends enjoy having around campus.

"One reason I chose Iowa is they have a judo club on campus. It's just down the street and I can walk there sometimes – but not in the winter," Myers said. "That's pretty much my identity. My college friends call me 'sensei.' I joke that I'll be the bodyguard. They always ask me, "If someone is attacking you with a chain saw, what do you do?' and I tell them that I don't know that move. ... I was educated in self defense, and I taught a small class with some college friends of mine."

Myers spends her summer teaching youth classes in Naperville and she assists with the lower ranks in Iowa while she studies human anatomy and physiology. She plans to go into physical therapy and work with athletes.

"Teaching helps you be a better student yourself," Myers said. "You really have to think about how you do a move and explain it to a 5-year-old."

Now, she'll return next week to Iowa City and continue training for her upcoming trip.

"When I go back to Iowa, I'll be training extra hard at the judo club," Myers said. "I use the elliptical and watch judo videos while I'm on there just to keep myself focused. Every little bit helps, I think."

"I know she'll train just as hard there (in Iowa) as she does here," Gussman said. "She knows she's got a real good training partner and I'm not concerned about the September to October training time. She's already been to other international tournaments. It's not her first rodeo."

Myers entered her first judo competition when she was just 5 years old. Contestants are placed in groups by age and weight and accumulate competition points. Although Myers has competed in the higher-level senior division, she will compete one more time in the junior division this fall before making a permanent jump with the seniors.

"Since I'm 19, after this year I'm done with juniors," Myers explained. I'm No. 4 in my senior division. I'll go and fight and get senior points, and then when you're within the top four, you can go to certain tournaments. If you medal and earn points, you can go to other bigger tournaments. It's a little confusing until you get the hang of it."

Over the years, Myers has now traveled the world. Competitions usually take her across the country annually, but in eighth grade she competed in Brazil, and as a high school sophomore traveled to Belgium.

"In the U.S., there are tournaments all over, but mostly in Dallas and Ft. Lauderdale/Miami," Myers said.

Over the last five years, three players from MATS have joined World Championship teams, including Suzie Rizek, who placed fifth in the 2010 USA Judo National Senior Championships where she suffered a shoulder injury that required multiple surgeries. She has recently returned to the judo club and spent time training with Myers in July.

Now, in less than three months, Myers will punch her passport in Abu Dhabi, traveling to the United Arab Emirates Oct. 23-27. She typically travels with a family member, but due to expenses, she plans to travel with her teammates.

"I won't be by myself. I've never been to the MIddle East, and I don't know what to expect," Myers said. "I am so excited. Not that many people get to say they went to the Junior Worlds. Even if I don't win anything, at least I can say I went on this wonderful trip and fight international players. They fight so much different than here. My first international competition I had no idea what to expect and I got clobbered. Things are really different. Our whole team works out together and I got to know some of them."

Gussman is hopeful that Myers will have a strong showing at the Junior World Championships, and he'll be watching the tournament more than 17,000 miles away, streaming live from his computer.

"She's got a shot. I really hope that she wins two or three matches, and if she does, she's going to be on the board and she'll be a force to contend with when she gets back," Gussman said. "I'm hopeful. I could go with, but I'm saving for the first one to make the Olympics."

Myers has goals for her judo career – one that extends to the Olympics – and she looks forward to having the opportunity to be selected.

"I think the top 25 players in each weight division are considered for the Olympics. I've been fighting seniors since I was 15 or 16, but it'll be a new experience to be chosen," Myers said.