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WHEREAS, the sport of judo was developed in 1882 by Kano Jigoro in Japan as a gentler but more effective alternative to the jujitsu of the day; and
WHEREAS, the popularity of the sport spread quickly across Japan, and shortly thereafter to the United States, where President Theodore Roosevelt would practice with his wife and sister-in-law; and
WHEREAS, in 1946, judo made its way to Pittsburgh when Nick Zaffuto, who learned the practice while stationed as a marine in Honolulu, began teaching the sport in a self-defense class at the downtown YMCA; and
WHEREAS, for decades, Zaffuto taught Judo at the South Hills Judo Club on Brownsville Road in Carrick which has been instrumental in training practitioners, including the 1996 Olympian Dr. Marissa Pedulla; and
WHEREAS, the South Hills Judo Club partners with Allegheny Youth Development to provide AYD Judo, a program that dozens of boys have participated in to master judo skills, improve physical fitness, develop healthier lifestyles, and learn the self-control and discipline which judo is known for; and
WHEREAS, Allegheny Youth Development and the South Hills Judo Club are partnering to present the second Zaffuto Fall Classic on Saturday, October 27th, a tournament that is fun, affordable, and focused on good, competitive judo; and
WHEREAS, the tournament will benefit the continued work of the South Hills Judo Club and Allegheny Youth Development to continue to provide an after school program of Judo to nearly 200 children over the past decade.
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THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh commends the work of Allegheny Youth Development and the South Hills Judo Club in promoting Judo in our communities; and
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare Saturday, October 27th, 2012 to be Zaffuto Fall Classic Day in the City of Pittsburgh.