Judo Families: THE BOUYSSOU FAMILY
Life Lessons Through Judo

When the topics of conversation are judo and family, Serge Bouyssou is not limited to talking about his wife, Elizabeth, their four biological (Katelyn, Serge Jr., Celine and Gabriel) and three adopted (Sandra, Everett and Barry) children. There’s also the more than 40 youth who have come to live with the Bouyssous for periods varying from a few months to years, as well as the more than 200 athletes training at Serge’s Mayo Quanchi Judo and Wrestling in Coventry, Rhode Island.

“Everyone is treated like family,” admits Serge, who started in judo in August 1974 and never really stopped. “Judo was a great tool for keeping me on the right track in my life.”

For Serge, the biggest part of judo is the life skills that judokas learn and continue to benefit from for the rest of their lives.

“You learn so much about life and yourself,” Serge stresses. “Judo does so much for you.”

In the past, the resident athlete program he and Elizabeth offered used judo to change the lives of youth who often come from difficult backgrounds. Now the focus of the resident program is to provide technical training opportunities and life skills for those pursuing their Olympic Dreams.  Besides training on the mat twice a day, participants continue their education by entering the Rhode Island school system. Tutoring and a homework club also provide those who may have previously struggled in the classroom an opportunity to achieve high honors during their stay.

Learning is also important at Mayo Quanchi, but the goal is more than just success as an athlete.

“We are known as a competitive club,” Serge says, “but the focus is not really competition. To focus just on competition is not good. Really, we want to be a development club. We don’t try to push them. We’re more interested in ‘Do they have great grades?’ and ‘Is judo contributing to their lives?’”

The whole Bouyssou family does judo and, according to Serge, they all have been pretty successful. Elizabeth coaches the club’s beginners (4-9 years old) three times a week and Serge Jr. also helps at Mayo Quanchi. Their father says Katelyn and Everett are the two most interested in continuing to compete in the sport; however, Celine and Gabriel have also earned high rankings. And Sandra and her husband, Brett Robichaud, have started their own judo club, Elevate, in Exeter, Rhode Island.

Serge currently serves on the USA Judo board of directors as the coaches’ representative. Asked what he sees as the biggest challenge facing the national governing body, he replied, “Growing the sport’s base. We’ve got to come up with some grassroots efforts to get more athletes to join – and to stay.”

In support of that goal, Serge has been putting the pieces in place to add Rhode Island to the states where “Judo in Schools” programs are offered. This USA Judo endeavor got its start in August 2017 as a partnership between the International Judo Federation and Academica Charter Schools. The pilot program, implemented at 12 Florida-based Academica locations, provided judo instruction as an after-school program. Plans call for the sport to be incorporated as an elective in the physical education curriculum at participating schools as well. 

Serge wants more people to find out about the sport he describes as wonderful and wholesome. 

“We’ve got to concentrate on the better aspects of judo, the discipline and work ethic. There are great benefits for your entire life. You don’t have to fight in tournaments to get a lot out of this sport.”