• My father, Vaclav (Vašek) Dusil started training judo in 1958, when he was 16.  His older brother started in 1959. The youngest of the three started in early 1960.  My dad and his older brother were the stars of Košice men’s judo throughout the 60’s, although his younger brother won junior regional titles in both 1961 and 1962. My uncle admitted that he was never as good as his two older brothers, but was a reasonably good coach, and a good organizer. This is one of the reasons why my dad gave him the task of coaching the women’s team in late 1961, when the previous coach, Juraj Mazanek went off to complete his military service. My uncle was also the president of the club from 1962 to 1968, and therefore took care of most of the bureaucracy.

•  In 1962, six months after my uncle took over the task of coaching the women’s team, one of the judoka, Julia Tothova won her first gold medal for Košice, at the Czechoslovakian Championships. The following year she also won gold at the the International judo tournament in Bratislava.  This event was attended by Austrian, Italian, and Czechoslovak competitors. Julia beat the reigning Austrian champion in the finals, which became a mini-public relations sensation in their home town. Košice was an eastern Slovakian town that was considered a relative backwater compared to Prague or Bratislava. It was their women’s judo team who mostly made the headlines in Košice in the 60’s. From 1962 to 1969 they won no less than 12 individual Czechoslovakian titles plus an unofficial team title. Due to their success the club also received increased funding for the whole judo team, from the Lokomotiva Kosice “brass”. My dad won a bronze medal in the Czechoslovakian Junior Championships in 1960, which according to my uncle, should be considered at least an equivalent achievement to Julia’s gold, due to the higher level of competition on the men’s side.

 

• A Note to the Reader

• All photos in this blog can be downloaded by just clicking on them.  The images will open in a new tab in your browser, where you can then save them to your computer.  If you want an even higher quality version (if you want a high resolution print for example) then let me know, as I have the original uncompressed Tiffs.

• If you have anecdotal information related to any photos in this blog, then please send me the details, and I would be happy to add your postscript below the photos.  Just send me an email or post your comments at the end of this blog.

 

• 1961 July • Janošikova Bašta, Slovakia • Judo Team Hike

• This photo was taken of the Kosice Judo team during a hike in Janosikova Basta, around 20km northwest of Košice.

 

• 1961 • Košice, Slovakia • Vaclav Dusil

• 4 minutes 52 seconds

 

• This photo was taken inside our the training facility. Juraj Bialko won the junior championship (under 18) Eastern Slovakian Regionals in 1961 together with my uncle, Ivan Spisak and Robert Pinter.  • Sano (Alexander) Drabcak worked as a waiter when the Russians invaded on the 21st of August 1968 (just before you were born). Within hours the stores were stripped of all groceries. The only items available were spirits and wine.  My uncle had nothing for his baby daughter except for sweet tea. Two days after invasion he went to Sano in desperation, and asked for liter of milk for his baby.  Sano gave him one. A week later the food supply returned to normal. Some acts of compassion are never forgotten.

• Postscript from me • 2014 October • Of the judo photos that I have restored so far, this is my favorite.  It’s my dad in action, so-to-speak.  I love his expression, together with Vojtech’s reaction, just as my dad leaps over his back. The press photographer captured the moment perfectly.

 

• 1961 • Košice, Slovakia • Lokomotiva Košice Judo Team

• 4 minutes 30 seconds

 

• Top row – Juraj Mazanek, Miro Brozek • Standing – Vaclav Dusil, Dusan Halasz, Igor Fridrich, Csaba Kende, Jozef Arvay • Kneeling – Adolf Kostrian, Pepo Vosecky, Jozko Lemak, Jozef Grusecky

• This photo taken inside the judo training facility.  Miro Brozek was the president of the men’s judo club for many years after we emigrated to Canada in 1969.  Miro was also one of the many attendees to Csaba Kende’s 80th birthday. The men and women’s teams separated as part of Csaba Kende’s reorganisation of the club in the early 1970’s. Jozko frequently visited my dad frequently during our early years in Canada.

 

• 1961 • Košice, Slovakia • Eastern Slovakia Regional Senior Champions

• 6 minutes 38 seconds

 

 

• Berco Allman won gold in heavy weight (80+ kg) and Joe Nalevanko won gold in light weight for Slavia Košice (-63kg). Robert Dusil won gold in middle weight (-80kg), Vašek Dusil won gold in welter weight (-70kg), for Lokomotíva Košice. This photo was taken in front of the building which housed a room with soft wrestling mats. This is where the judoka (Judo students) also trained. The building was torn down many years ago.

• Postscript from me • 2014 October • Growing up I saw my dad’s medals, displayed on the wall, on a purple velvet covered plaque. I remember asking him one day, what his medals were for – I must have been six or seven years old.  He told me that he won them in judo competitions.  But he didn’t say much more than that.  Only 40 years later can I truly appreciate my dad’s accomplishments.

 

• 1961 • Prague, Czech Republic • Lokomotiva Košice Judo Team

 

• 1961 • Košice, Slovakia • Slovak Judo Team

 

 

• Publications & Documents

 

 

 

Tags

Adolf Kostrian, Andrej Collak, Anna Collakova, Berco Allman, Csaba Kende, Czechoslovakia, Darina Poprenakova, Digital Restoration, Dusan Halasz, dusil.com, Edo Novak, Gabriel Dusil, Igor Fridrich, Ivan Spisak, Janosik Bastam, Joe Nalevanko, Jozef Arvay, Jozef Grusecky, Jozko Lemak, Julia Tothova, Juraj Bialko, Juraj Mazanek, Karol Dusil, Košice, Ladislav Kende, Michal Korytko, Miro Brozek, Nyarjas, Orendas, Pepo Vosecky, Robert Dusil, Sano Drabcak, Slavo Sykorsky, Slovak Judo, Vaclav Dusil, Vašek Dusil, Vojtech Agyagos, Zuzka Dusil

 

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