Tag Archives: Julia Tothova

Martial Arts • Photo Restoration • 44 • Košice Judo

June 16, 2016 Gabriel Dusil Leave a comment

• Throughout the 1960’s, both the men’s and women’s judo teams in Košice were far more cohesive than the opposition. During competition they routed for each teammate with far more enthusiasm and passion. It was partially due to their deep routed friendships. Perhaps it was also due to the financial and physical hardships they shared. The team members spent a lot of time on trains – Košice is situated at the extreme East of Slovakia (Czechoslovakia at the time). So traveling from Košice to any tournament was lengthy and taxing. A trip to Prague was over 700 km and took over 11 hours. They would typically travel on overnight trains, and compete the day they arrived. A sleeping car was out of the question, because it was too expensive. An overnight train meant sitting on benches in a cabin that would hold up to eight people. The judoka learned to sleep on overhead luggage racks, or in creative places where there was a chance to stretch out. Friendships survived decades, including post-emigration, and continue to be strong today. Members often participated in many extra-curricular activities, such as hikes, camping, or going to the movies. Many teammates were best friends – Karol Dusil, Pepo Vosecky, and Igor Fridrich were closest to my dad.

• Lokomotíva Košice was the rail company’s sport club. In the communist system, state factories sponsored various sporting sectors. So Lokomotíva had a sports organization spanning over 20 “oddiels” (translated as “sections” or “divisions”) – these oddiels were in judo, wrestling, boxing, European football, handball, basketball, etc. One perk for the judoka was relatively cheap travel costs. For instance, an express train ticket from Košice to Prague in the 1960’s would cost only 20 Czechoslovakian Koruna (around $1 American dollar in today’s exchange rate). That same retail ticket today costs €54 ($76 US$).

• Košice Judo

If you missed previous posts on Košice Judo, you can find them here:

• Digital Photo Restoration

• 3 minutes 56 seconds

58 - Košice · Vaclav Dusil (boxing gloves) — 58 – Košice · Vaclav Dusil (boxing gloves)

• My dad tried his hand at boxing before seriously taking up judo. When I was a kid I remember watching Mohammad Ali on television, with my dad growing up. I also had the privilege to accompany my dad to the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Ontario, Canada. We attending judo and boxing events. I later learned that Larry Holmes had fought in one of them.

• 4 minutes 46 seconds

60 - Košice · Igor Fridrich, Miro Brozek, Juraj Mazanek, Berco Allman, Vaclav Dusil, Adolf Kostrian, Jozef Lemak, Šterc, Jozef Arvay, Csaba Kende, Pepo Vosecky — 60 – Košice · Igor Fridrich, Miro Brozek, Juraj Mazanek, Berco Allman, Vaclav Dusil, Adolf Kostrian, Jozef Lemak, Šterc, Jozef Arvay, Csaba Kende, Pepo Vosecky

Article - Judisti Lokomotívy Košice nepostúpili — Article – Judisti Lokomotívy Košice nepostúpili

• 4 minutes 13 seconds

60 - Košice · Juraj Bialko, Edo Novak, Csaba Kende, Igor Fridrich, Joe Nalevanko, Vaclav Dusil — 62 – Košice · Juraj Bialko, Edo Novak, Csaba Kende, Igor Fridrich, Joe Nalevanko, Vaclav Dusil

• This is the men’s Lokomotiva Košice team. In one tournament, Edo Novak scored a spectacular Ippon against the Czechoslovakian Champion Norbert Pomp using a Ura Nage judo throw.

• 5 minutes 50 seconds

63 - Košice · Honorary Trophy by the City of Košice — 63 – Košice · Honorary Trophy by the City of Košice

• Standing (left to right) – Karol Dusil, Edo Novak, Csaba Kende, Mr. Gonda (secretary of the Lokomotiva Košice Sport Club), Ing. Robert Binder, Pavel Petrivalsky, Juraj Bialko, Dusan Halasz • Lower row (left to right) – Robert Dusil, Vaclav Dusil, & Joe Nalevanko

• Robert Binder was the founder of Slovak Judo in Bratislava in 1954. According to my uncle, he was a fantastic person and a great help to Lokomotiva Košice, and in the development of Košice judo. He “belted” my uncle from yellow to brown. Joe Nalevanko coached Slavia Košice, the second Košice Judo team, consisting of mainly engineering students, but Lokomotiva Košice also retained him.

• 3 minutes 32 seconds

65 - Split · Vaclav Dusil, Dusan Halasz, Miro Brozek, Vlado Makovsky (Judo Tournament in Slovenia) — 65 – Split · Vaclav Dusil, Miro Brozek, x, Vlado Makovsky (Judo Tournament in Slovenia)

65 - Split · Pepo Vosecky, Miro Brozek, Vaclav Dusil, Vlado Makovsky (Judo Tournament in Slovenia) — 65 – Split · Pepo Vosecky, Miro Brozek, Vaclav Dusil, Vlado Makovsky (Judo Tournament in Slovenia)

• In 1965 my dad, Pepo Vosecky, Igor Fridrich, Vlado Makovsky and Stefan Bartus went to Split, Croatia (Yugoslavia at the time). They attended a judo tournament, competing in both individual matches, and five-member team competitions. In the spring of 1967 Lokomotíva Košice men’s team went to Leipzig, East Germany for another judo tournament and a reciprocal tournament was held later that year in Košice.

• Documents & Articles

Article - Šikovní chlapi — Article – Šikovní chlapi

Article - Noví majstri v judo — Article – Noví majstri v judo

Article - Najlepší oddiel Lokomotívy Košice Judo — Article – Najlepší oddiel Lokomotívy Košice Judo

• Tags

Adolf Kostrian, Andrej Collak, Anna Collakova, Berco Allman, Csaba Kende, Czechoslovakia, Darina Poprenakova, Digital Restoration, Dusan Halasz, dusil.com, Edo Novak, Gabriel Dusil, Hluchan, 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, Lokomotiva Košice, Maria Collakova-Korytkova, Michal Korytko, Miro Brozek, Nyarjas, Orendas, Pavel Petrivalsky, Pepo Vosecky, Pista Oravec, Pozemné Stavby, Robert Binder, Robert Dusil, Sano Drabcak, Slavia Košice, Slavia Žilina, Slavo Sykorsky, Slezan Opava, Slovak Judo, Stefan Bartus, Ura Nage, Vaclav Dusil, Vašek Dusil, Vinohrady Bratislava, Vlado Babilonsky, Vojtech Agyagos

Family, Martial Arts

Martial Arts • Photo Restoration • 4 • Košice Judo

January 6, 2015 Gabriel Dusil 10 Comments

• In the 1960’s, Slovak judo clubs were not good enough to advance to the Czechoslovakian league. The Czech’s already had a standardized belt promotion (white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown and black belts) and a relegation system. For this reason Slovakia began to set up a separate league in 1967, in order to improve the quality of their teams. Fighters advanced their skills faster when they fought someone at their own level (or slightly higher), rather than an opponent that who would completely dominate them on the mat. Eight Košice clubs organized their own league: Lokomotiva Košice, Slavia Košice, Slávia Prešov, Lokomotiva Zvolen, Slavia Žilina, Vinohrady Bratislava, Pozemné Stavby Bratislava and Martin. At a regional level, Košice dominated men’s judo in Slovakia, and had one of the best women’s team in Czechoslovakia for several years. In forming their own league, Košice gained a lot of experience, since each team fought an opposing team at least three times. Their plan to narrow the gap between Czech and Slovak judo was gradually accomplished throughout the 1960’s and early 70’s.

• During his military service in Opava, Czech Republic, from 1961-63, my uncle had an opportunity to fight for the Slezan Opava team in the Czechoslovakian Team Championship (Slezan Opava were part of the official Judo League of Czechoslovakia). He received special permission from the army to train with a civilian club because the military owned sport clubs in virtually every sport. He returned as the first black belt in Košice judo with a wealth of experience. Csaba Kende, my father and his younger brother were awarded their black belts (Shodan) shortly afterwards. In 1968, my father was one of the first to get his 2nd degree black belt (Nidan).

• Then came the Warsaw Pact invasion, where approximately 500,000 Russian troops invaded Czechoslovakia, on the night of 20–21 August 1968, and within one year nearly half the men’s team from Lokomotiva Košice emigrated. Those who stayed had to re-build the Lokomotiva Košice judo club.

• Košice Judo

• If you missed the previous post on Košice Judo, you will find it here:

Martial Arts • Photo Restoration • 2 • Košice Judo

• Digital Photo Restoration

• 4 minutes 18 seconds

60 - Košice · Vaclav Dusil & Robert Dusil — 60 – Košice · Vaclav Dusil & Robert Dusil

• This is my dad and his brother in their back yard, in Košice. The house is still standing, on Moyzesova in Košice, just across from the city’s main police station. It currently houses university facilities. The Dusil’s lived behind the ornamental fence to the right of my dad. Behind them (in the dark “tunnel”, in the photo) was the main entrance to the house. Around ten families lived there.

Article - Judisti sú agilným oddielom — Article – Judisti sú agilným oddielom

Article - Tohoročně majstrovstvá nášho kraja v Judo — Article – Tohoročně majstrovstvá nášho kraja v Judo

60 - Brno · Dusan Halasz, Robert Dusil, Nyarjas, Edo Novak, Csaba Kende, Vaclav Dusil — 60 – Brno · Dusan Halasz, Robert Dusil, Nyarjas, Edo Novak, Csaba Kende, Vaclav Dusil

60 - Prague · Vaclav & Robert Dusil — 60 – Prague · Vaclav & Robert Dusil

60 - Brno · Igor Fridrich, Nyarjas, Robert Dusil, Edo Novak, Vaclav Dusil, Csaba Kende, Dusan Halasz — 60 – Brno · Igor Fridrich, Nyarjas, Robert Dusil, Edo Novak, Vaclav Dusil, Csaba Kende, Dusan Halasz

• 6 minutes 27 seconds

61 - Košice · Lokomotiva Kosice, Men's judo team — 61 – Košice · Lokomotiva Kosice, Men’s judo team

• Top row – x, Dusan Halasz, x, Jozef Grusecky, Joe Nalevanko, Csaba Kende • Next row – Nyaryas, Ivan Spisak, Juraj Mazanek, Vlado Babilonsky, Pavel Petrivalsky, x • Kneeling – x, Urban, Vojtech Agyagos, Hluchan, x • Laying: Vaclav Dusil and Robert Dusil with the emblem of the Lokomotiva Košice Judo Club.

• Ivan Spisak was the junior judo champion with my uncle, in 1961. Hluchan wanted to lead the club in the early 1960’s, during a crisis in leadership. But he did not succeed against the three Dusil brothers.

• 4 minutes 12 seconds

60.May.1 - Košice · International Workers' Day — 60.May.1 – Košice · International Workers’ Day

• This parade was for the International Workers’ Day. The photo was taken on the main street of Košice. The communist regime “encouraged” citizens to participate. In other words, they were required to participate in the parade. The judo team did not attend with fellow students or co-workers, but rather as sportsmen, as it was far more fun. My dad is holding the Czechoslovakian flag. Second from the right in Judo sweats and dark glasses is Joseph Nalevanko. Ivan Spisak is scratching his nose, and to the left of him is Dusan Halasz.

• Publications & Documents

68.Aug.17 - Toronto · Document, Vaclav Dusil (Judo, Nidan) — 68.Aug.17 – Toronto · Document, Vaclav Dusil (Judo, 2nd Dan black belt, Nidan)

Article - Judo aj v našom kraji — Article – Judo aj v našom kraji

• Tags

Adolf Kostrian, Andrej Collak, Anna Collakova, Berco Allman, Csaba Kende, Czechoslovakia, Darina Poprenakova, Digital Restoration, Dusan Halasz, dusil.com, Edo Novak, Gabriel Dusil, Hluchan, 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, Lokomotiva Košice, Maria Collakova-Korytkova, Michal Korytko, Miro Brozek, Nyarjas, Orendas, Pavel Petrivalsky, Pepo Vesecky, Pepo Vosecky, Pista Oravec, Pozemné Stavby, Robert Binder, Robert Dusil, Sano Drabcak, Slavia Košice, Slavia Žilina, Slavo Sykorsky, Slezan Opava, Slovak Judo, Stefan Bartus, Ura Nage, Vaclav Dusil, Vašek Dusil, Vinohrady Bratislava, Vlado Babilonsky, Vojtech Agyagos

Family, Martial Arts

Martial Arts • Photo Restoration • 2 • Košice Judo

November 25, 2014 Gabriel Dusil 8 Comments

• 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

60.Jul - Jánošíky · Csaba Kende, Darina Poprenakova, Karel Dusil, x, x, x, Zuzka Dusil, Robert Dusil, Vaclav Dusil — 60.Jul – Jánošíky · Csaba Kende, Darina Poprenakova, Karol Dusil, x, x, x, Zuzana Dusil, Robert Dusil, Vaclav Dusil

• 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

61 - Košice · Vaclav Dusil jumping over Sano Drabcak, Vojtech Agyagos and Juraj Bialko (restored) — 61 – Košice · Vaclav Dusil jumping over Sano Drabcak, Vojtech Agyagos and Juraj Bialko (restored)

• 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

61 - Košice · Berco Allman, Robert Dusil, Vaclav Dusil, Joe Nalevanko (East Slovak Region Judo Champions, restored #e) — 61 – Košice · Berco Allman, Robert Dusil, Vaclav Dusil, Joe Nalevanko (East Slovak Region Judo Champions, restored #e)

• 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

61 - Košice · Berco Allman, Robert Dusil, Vaclav Dusil, Joe Nalevanko (East Slovak Region Judo Champions) — 61 – Košice · Berco Allman, Robert Dusil, Vaclav Dusil, Joe Nalevanko (East Slovak Region Judo Champions)

• 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.