The 2018 Westside Wrestling Camp wrapped up Saturday with two sessions of the Clarissa Chun clinic in the Clem Gomes Gym at Waimea High School — the last event of Kauai USA Wrestling Spring Season.
Chun, of Oahu, is a two-time Olympian, a bronze medal-winner from the 2012 London Olympic Games and a Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame inductee. She was a judo practitioner at 7 years old and then transitioned to wrestling during her time at Roosevelt High School.
She was a state champion in 1998, the first year Hawaii sanctioned high school girls wrestling.
Wrestlers from Kauai and Oahu attended the two-day camp that included beach runs, strength training, intense technical wrestling and live matches.
The first day started off with an early morning beach run from the Waimea Baptist Church to the Waimea Landing and back. Wrestlers learned techniques from Liberty University assistant coach Allen Hackmann in two sessions. The “Technique and Toughness Clinic” that Hackmann teaches all around the country is popular with high school coaches and their wrestlers. It was the second time Hackmann brought his clinic to the Westside Wrestling Camp.
The second day started with an early morning run to the Pakahi Academy Makana Fitness Center where coach Josh Mori taught the campers strength and fitness exercises specific to wrestling. After breakfast, the wrestlers then met Chun.
Before her clinic sessions got going, there was an autographing ceremony where each high school coach in attendance received a signed poster to take back to his wrestling room. Chun talked about the mental aspects of the sport and how she went from a small west side town on Oahu to international competition at the very highest level.
Clarissa talked about how her judo background translated into her wrestling style, showing throws that work well in both combat sports.
After clinic, campers got some live wrestling in to wrap up the two-day camp.
Next month some of the wrestlers will travel to the USA Wrestling High School Nationals in Fargo North Dakota. Summer practices will continue, and some college All-American wrestlers are scheduled to come to Kauai continuing the opportunities for current and future Kauai Interscholastic Federation wrestlers to learn. Plans for another fall clinic and open tournament in November are in the works.
Info: Coach Mac, 639-8858
