By Nicole Sedivy<\/p>\n
On a recent evening, three little Cohens-in-training \u2013 all wearing judogi uniforms \u2013 were sticking their tongues out at each other, falling down, laughing and bouncing against the mats on the wall.<\/p>\n
The kids just want to have fun: Strangulation, arm bars and pins can wait a few years.<\/p>\n
But not forever. After all, their grandpa, Irwin Cohen, was a 1972 Olympian and five-time gold medalist at the Maccabiah Games. Their great-uncle, Steve Cohen, competed at the 1988 Olympics and coached Team USA at the 2000 Olympics. Their uncle, Aaron Cohen, 34, was a U.S. national champion. And their dad, R.J. Cohen, 37, was a U.S. silver medalist. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
But R.J.’s kids (Aiden, 11, Adrian, 7, and Jayme, 5) and Aaron\u2019s son (Brody, due\u00a0May 8) need to wait a couple cycles for their chance. <\/p>\n
Still, they\u2019re already training with their dad and uncle at the Cohen Brothers Judo Club, which their grandfather and great-uncle started in 1992. It\u2019s a competitive place.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had over seven people come from here that went to the Olympics,\u201d R.J. said. \u201cFor me, that\u2019s something special that you can\u2019t get at most places.\u201d <\/p>\n
Starting when they\u2019re as young as 4 years old, girls and boys receive high-level coaching. The club works with about 95 students, including a few 2020 Olympic hopefuls. <\/p>\n
R.J. fondly remembers attending the Games with his father. He wants the kids he trains, including his own, to keep the Olympic goal in mind. And he sees the sport as a way of life. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, our vacations were judo tournaments,\u201d R.J said. \u201cSo our spring break was nationals in Florida, or Pittsburgh. Wherever it was. So how we always used to travel and go to these tournaments with our parents.\u201d<\/p>\n
The brothers have always coached at the club, and after Irwin died in 2012, they took over the family business. <\/p>\n
For T.J. Minogue, father of Mary, 7, and Joe, 6, the brothers\u2019 experience as champions and sons of champions sets them apart from other coaches. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey have a history,\u201d he said. \u201cThey care, and they have experience themselves of being little kids learning this sport.\u201d<\/p>\n
R.J. expects excellence from his judo players, on and off the mat. When the kids goof around too much, he\u2019s not afraid to get stern. <\/p>\n
\u201c\u2019I don\u2019t like losing,\u2019\u201d he said to one chatty boy. \u201c\u2019When you sit down, and you\u2019re talking, you\u2019re not going to win.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n
But the yelling doesn\u2019t discourage Faina Komrov from allowing her son, Max, to train with the club. After just a few weeks, she already notices differences. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s way more disciplined, I would say,\u201d Komrov said. \u201cI really like it. I see change. He just loves it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although they don\u2019t practice judo themselves, the Cohen brothers\u2019 wives also support the sport and talk as a family about Grandpa Irwin\u2019s legacy. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe tell them everyday about our father \u2013 how special he was, how much he loved them, how proud he would have been to see them on the mat,\u201d R.J. said. \u201cNot everyone is an Olympian. Not everyone is going to the Olympics. But everyone here pretty much excels at everything they do, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re proud of.\u201d <\/p>\n
By Nicole Sedivy On a recent evening, three little Cohens-in-training \u2013 all wearing judogi uniforms \u2013 were sticking their tongues out at each other, falling down, laughing and bouncing against the mats on the wall. The kids just want to have fun: Strangulation, arm bars and pins can wait a few years. But not forever. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":265,"featured_media":36361,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,585],"tags":[2197,2196,993],"class_list":["post-36354","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","category-winter-2016","tag-irwin-cohen","tag-judo","tag-olympics"],"yoast_head":"\n