Saskatoon senior competing at 2023 judo world championship veterans

A 74-year-old Saskatoon man is competing in the judo world championship veterans on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Born and raised in Chile, Ralph Ibanez, who has been involved in the martial art of judo for 57 years, says it has been a passion of his for most of his life.

He said he first learned of judo in his youth by reading a copy of Reader’s Digest magazine.

“I was fascinated by the idea of judo and I asked my parents, but we were pretty poor, and my mom said ‘no, we can’t afford that,'” said Ibanez.

The competition has categories from 40 to 80 years old, with each division being separated by 10 year age brackets. Ibanez is in the oldest category, but has previously won six veteran world titles and multiple medals. 

This year’s championships has 1,054 competitors from 65 different countries, according to the International Judo Federation.

Originating in Japan in 1882, judo became an Olympic sport in 1964. The sport incorporates throwing, tripping, choking and striking an opponent. In competition, two athletes bow and then grapple with the intended goal of gaining points by pinning the opponent on their back for 20 seconds or choking them until they tap to the submission. 

Ibanez said that judo doesn’t only take physical strength, but mental strength as well. 

“It’s like playing chess,” he said. “You find a problem and you look for a solution and then you solve it.”

Ibanez described himself as a pacifist and non-aggressive, saying he is most interested in the technical aspect of the martial art.

In high school, Ibanez said friends of his told him they knew a marine who could teach them judo, so he took them up on that offer.

“I started doing judo in the background, behind my parents back.”

Over the years Ibanez competed and said he won a couple of national tournaments, with the Olympics in his sights.

“I was the first in my division, so I was supposed to be the one going to the Olympics, but then we had a military coup.”

This September marked the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Chilean military coup d’etat, led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet, which successfully overthrew the democratically elected socialist president Salvador Allende.

Following the coup, Pinochet ruled Chile over the course of a 17-year-long dictatorship.

“I went to prison because I was supportive of the previous government,” said Ibanez.

Then in 1977 he came to Canada as a political refugee, he said. 

In the 2000s, Ibanez became the provincial coach at the downtown Saskatoon YMCA judo club. He trains and instructs as a fourth-degree black belt. 

Jim Wiens, the vice president of Judo Saskatchewan, said that Ibanez played a crucial role at the club in helping to develop athletes 

“Competing with Ralph…you want to [hold] back a little bit, that he’s older, , you don’t want to be so hard on him,” Wiens said. 

“It doesn’t take much after grabbing onto him to realize he’s not going to give you that same level back.”

Ibanez said everyone comes into the world championship in good shape, and despite his age and his competitors, he “goes all out” when he’s on the mat.

Depending on the location of where the championships are going to be held, Ibanez said the price of travel and accommodations can be expensive. Finances is one of the main factors that determines whether he will compete in future competitions.

“I would like to fight us as many times as possible before they can say no, no more.”

Ralph competes on Tuesday and said he hopes to bring another gold medal back with him.