Roughrider Judo to celebrate 20 years in Dickinson

Aug. 8—DICKINSON — In the heart of Dickinson, Roughrider Judo is poised to celebrate two decades of shaping more than just physical prowess. Established by Jeff Ficek and Nick Lambert in 2003, this non-profit dojo has thrived on a foundation of discipline, respect and self-defense. Judo's lineage, deeply rooted in ancient Japanese culture, dates back to the late 1880s when Jigorō Kanō, a jiu jitsu instructor and educator, transformed brutal martial arts tournaments into safe and strategic judo matches.

Central to judo's philosophy is respect, manifesting in the form of bows—a universal gesture of gratitude. Ficek, emphasizing the essential nature of consistent practice, abandoned the allure of quick-fix self-defense seminars. He paralleled judo's development with proficiency in firearms, debunking the myth of effortless protection.

"Back in those days, hundreds of people died at these things, and even more were crippled for life. So the first year that Kanō entered judo into the old Japan games, not a single person died during any of the judo matches and judo won every single match," he said. "Once he started establishing it all over Japan, he started sending disciples to teach it across the world."

Beyond self-defense, judo transcends into practicality, from fall injury prevention to equipping paramedics with techniques for various scenarios. Lambert underscored the mental acumen requisite for success in judo, likening it to a cerebral chess match where technique reigns supreme. Most important for Ficek and the others is that children are learning respect.

"When we teach the children, we boil it down to the fact that the samurai culture is all about respect. That's why you bow to everybody," he said.

Ficek said they used to host short-term self-defense seminars but stopped upon realizing it was providing a false sense of security.

"It comes directly from the battlefield so all of this stuff was completely usable for that... I can teach you all kinds of flash in the pan things that will save you if you're attacked. None of them are going to be there six months after I've taught this to you because you haven't practiced," he said. "That doesn't mean you have to practice at the olympic level. You just have to come to class now and again and keep it up. And the more you come, the better off you are... It provides self defense, but you have to be in class."

Ficek, who also has a strong knowledge of firearms, emphasized that owning a gun for self-defense similarly demands a high level of proficiency. He emphasized that you can't just stow it away in a drawer and expect to be Liam Neeson when a bad guy shows up.

"It's more of a danger to yourself and your kids than it is to anybody else because you don't know where the safety is, you haven't gone out and practiced... Sam Colt made everybody kinda equal. It takes a lot less practice with a gun to level the playing field," he said. "But it still requires going out and putting some lead downrange in order to be familiar and comfortable with the operation of the gun."

Lambert argued that judo is very much a mental undertaking.

"Judo works the mind just as much as the body... Growing up wrestling, my dad said wrestling should be more like a chess match. You should be three moves ahead of your opponent. I could never grasp that as a kid. As an adult I can't say I can do that, but I can see where it needs to be," Lambert said. "The successful people have it all going on. It's not just pure muscle... There's so much technique involved here."

Sporting the distinctive gi, thicker and more durable than its counterparts, judokas engage in a symphony of throws and holds. This gi, often white but occasionally blue for tournament clarity, symbolizes the bond forged between tradition and modernity.

Bailey Barber, a high school junior, reminisced about the camaraderie and Japanese cultural insights gained at Roughrider Judo since age six.

"There's been lots of bonds and friendships I've made here. It's been a lot of fun over the years. I've learned so much about the Japanese culture, respect and self-defense; learned a lot about knowing your own body's boundaries," Barber said. "You have to learn to do the throw correctly, making sure you're not messing up the throw and hurting yourself."

Tanner Johnson, an alumnus of Dickinson High School who helped coach Midgets wrestling after finishing college, found wrestling's habits both beneficial and hindering in his judo journey. He marveled at judo's breadth, limited only by one's aspirations and has since turned his focus primarily to judo, earning his black belt in May. He said he equally enjoys teaching and competing.

"I just like the whole aspect of it, where it's only limited to what you limit it to," Johnson said.

He noted that his experiences with wrestling have been a double-edged sword.

"In judo if you're leaned down here, someone can just grab you and throw you backwards. You have to learn how to break habits that you made in wrestling and pick up new ones from judo," he said. "Overall, yes, I would say it helped me advance faster... I was already good at body positioning and knowing where to position myself to get leverage to do a throw."

For much of the dojo's existance they have been blessed to host classes in the Dickinson High School wrestling room, thanks to then Head Coach

David Michaelson.

Membership at Roughrider Judo costs $25 monthly for adults and $20 for children under 12. Classes convene on Mondays, with sessions for younger children from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., and teens and adults from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, contact dakota@roughriderjudo.com, visit roughriderjudo.com, or join their

Facebook group.