Bellevue teens hope unbending judo rule bows to court victory
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But today they'll fight in a different arena: U.S. District Court. The Akiyamas and their coach — their stepfather, John Holm — expect a federal judge will end their long dispute with national judo officials over the mandatory bowing before and after they step onto the mat, or tatami.
Leilani and James sued U.S. Judo, its subsidiaries and several local instructors in 1997 for not permitting them to compete if they refused to bow. Leilani, then 9, already had three national championships to her name.
Thanks to a temporary injunction issued that year, the kids haven't bowed since. Holm carries the injunction with him when they travel to tournaments around the globe, to placate irate referees and coaches.
"I just tell them it's against my religious beliefs," said Leilani, 14, a freshman at Newport High, where she just made the varsity wrestling team and competes at 103 pounds.
James, now a 17-year-old junior, is also on the team.
At the heart of their case is a dispute over the meaning of the bow. While the Akiyamas and their attorney focus upon judo's religious roots — it appeared in Japan at a time when Shinto was the national religion, and was performed in Shinto temples — judo officials say bowing is simply a gesture of respect and gratitude.
"This is the year 2001, almost 2002, and no one believes that paying this simple courtesy is an affront to anyone's religion, except these select few individuals who have elected to make an issue about this trivial element of the sport," said Jim Bregman, president of the U.S. Judo Association.
Bowing in judo is no different than shaking hands before a wrestling match or saluting an opponent in fencing, he said.
Holm, however, says the ritual has prevented several Muslim students at his Renton school, U.S. Judo Training Center, from entering tournaments. "The act of bowing is an act of prayer according to their religion, and they can only pray to Allah," he said.
Bregman's group and the Judo Federation are both subsidiaries of U.S. Judo, the sport's official governing body in this country. Together the three groups have spent about $150,000 defending their bowing requirements, he said.
When Bregman became president this year, he told U.S. Judo his group would no longer help foot the bill. U.S. Judo should have granted the Akiyamas "conscientious objector" status rather than waste so much money, he said.
The teens agree.
"I feel kind of bad," James said. "But the judo organizations are very stupid. Instead of fighting against us, they should be spending this money on the tournaments and athletes. It's very selfish."
Bregman found it ironic the opponents of the traditional Japanese bows are Japanese Americans. The children, born in Hawaii, emigrated with their mother from Japan to Washington in 1994.
"It's unbelievable — it's a real shame," Bregman said. "The children, I think, are divorcing their Japanese heritage. They can do what they want, but I think one of the things that makes America such a great place is you can be a full-blooded American citizen and still have a cultural diversity that is rich in tradition."
The teens, however, said their rejection of bowing is not a rejection of their culture. The issue is purely one of religion, they said.
Even if U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik rules in their favor after today's hearing, and says forced bowing violates their civil rights, the Akiyamas' problem may not be over.
A ruling in the United States might not carry weight in overseas competitions, and Leilani hopes to compete in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
Leilani, who's won 15 national championships, thinks she might agree to bow if it was the only way to compete for an Olympic medal.
But James said he'd stand firm.
"After all this effort we are doing, a few years would be washed down the drain," said James, who has two national championships. "It would be giving in."
Diane Brooks can be reached at 206-464-2567 or dbrooks@seattletimes.com.