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I have to congratulate you. You gave coal to all the critics of the Olympians.

As a worldwide competitor in martial arts and a sixth degree black belt, I can agree 100 percent. These people that say these things probably never competed nationally or worldwide.

In the late 1960s I trained seven and a half hours a day, seven days a week. I had to watch my weight to keep it in the top of my class without going over.

My sensei (coach) was in several Olympics. He was also my competitor, because we were both in the same weight class.

These Olympians don’t just go to Rio and enter. They train very hard, which would probably kill most people. They deserve all the credit in the world, whether they win or lose or what country they are from.

You wouldn’t believe what they go through, physically and mentally.

By the way, my old sensei, when he quit competing, he was the U.S. Olympic training coach.

We both are life members of the Kodo Kan Judo Institute in Tokyo, Japan, the main school of Judo in the world. There are very few in the U.S. who ever even see it.

Ray A. Hall

Wilkes-Barre

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