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Nathanael received his black belt from Coach John Holm on December 17th, 2007. Like his brothers Josiah and Adam and their friend William Nitta, the black belt candidates all got a Taser application first!
 
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Although he went into the Air Force hoping to be a jet pilot, Nathanael is also considering Speical Ops.
A trip with fellow cadets to the Grand Canyon after Recognition.
 
March, 2007, Nathanael completed "Recognition" at the Academy after a 3-day "beating," three days of physical stress. Once recognized, many of the daily restrictions of Academy life ease up.
U.S. Air Force Academy
Nathanael entered Basic Cadet Training (left) June 29th, 2006. August 8th (center), Nathanael Thalhofer and his roommate Edmund Ward graduated from Basic Training and were accepted into the Cadet Wing, Fourth Class. Classes started two days later. Nathanael enrolled in Calculus, Chemistry, Engineering, English, Military Strategic Sciences, and...Boxing! Nathanael by the Academy Chapel (right) on Parent's Weekend, September 4th, 2006.
  
Spring 2006 Judo College Nationals, Chicago
Sunday, March 26th, Nathanael, a brown belt, beat this West Point black belt with a choke at the College Nationals (top left). That same night, he learned that he earned an Offer of Acceptance to the U.S. Air Force Academy. On the way back to Seattle, Nathanael and his Dad visited the Academy March 29th (top right) and also climbed Pike's Peak March 31st (bottom left). On June 28th, Nathanael flew to Colorado Springs to begin Basic Cadet Training (BCT-"Beast") at the Academy.
 
 
Before Nathanael left for Academy, our club threw a going-away party for him (bottom right). From left to right are: Adam, Tyler, Noel, Mariko, Shawn, William, Nathanael, Coach John Holm, David, Eddie, David, Tim, and Joe.
Nathanael is certain that his experience at the U.S. Judo Training Center, with Coach John Holm, is a critical element of his acceptance to the U.S. Air Force Academy. Why?
Before starting at U.S. Judo in May of 1990, Nathanael learned typical classical judo from a series of instructors in Seattle and Tacoma. He never won a single match at competition. In fact, both sets of grandparents were saying, "Get Nathanael out of judo--it's destroying him!" Since training at U.S. Judo, beginning with his first match as a member of the club in the Fall of 1990, Nathanael has become a judo champion. The confidence and determination the U.Sl Judo Training Center experience has brought Nathanael is a key element of character qualities the U.S. Air Force Academy is seeking in future officers.
The difference between the training taught at typical classical judo clubs and the U.S. Judo Training Center in Renton, Washington, with Coach John Holm, is the difference between failure and success.
Washington State Championships, January 28th, 2006.
Nathanael Thalhofer won this match with an arm bar.
  
The next week, Coach John Holm promoted Nathanael to the rank of Brown Belt.
 
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At 16 years old, Nathanael graduated from high school in June of 2005, simultaneously completing his first year of Tacoma Community College. With a full course load, he finished 2nd in his Integral Calculus class at TCC. At 17, Nathanael finished the Calculus series in his second year at TCC, 2005-2006. He had to do a second year of TCC because, even though he had graduated from high school, he was still too young to enter a military academy at 16.
In December of 2005, Nathanael received a nomination to the Air Force Academy from Congressman Jim McDermott in Seattle. Then he earned a nomination to West Point from Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington State. Nathanael's goals are to become an engineer, to fly military aircraft, and to continue to train and compete in judo. He was accepted to West Point's Summer Leaders Seminar in June, 2005, one of 700 selected from around the nation, and won a math award while he was there. |
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Pacific International Junior Invitational, Steveston, BC, 11-19-05
Nathanael gets one of his wins with a spectacular combination throw, "Switching Hip Waist Lifter."
 
 
Summer 2005 trip to the Judo Nationals in Irvine, CA.
Nathanael, Josiah, and Adam pulled the van each day on the way down as a workout/weight loss routine. One of Nathanael's wins at Nationals, with Bare Wrist Strangle. After Nationals, the boys hiked the Grand Canyon, spending the night at Phantom Ranch. In this picture, they are ascending Bright Angel Trail from the Colorado river. The day before this hike, a 28-year-old from England died in the 115 degree+ heat, possibly from "hyponatremia," sweating out his salts. Taking the ranger's advice, Nathanael carried the pack with sports drinks and salty snacks for the hike.
  
 
 
In this series, Nathanael (in white) counters a throw in his first match on his way to winning gold May 28th, 2005, in the Seniors division of the Budokan Tournament in Seattle.
Nathanael, in the middle, won 1st place in the Pacific Northwest High School Championship for his third year in a row, May 14th, 2005, this time at 16 years old, beating opponents who outweigh him by as much as 65 pounds. He and his brother Josiah decided they didn't want to fight each other, so they each went way up in weight categories.
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Nathanael developed this version of one of his favorite throws. He calls it "Eagle Drop" and used it to win this match in Canada, November 20th, 2004, at the Pacific International Junior Invitational in Steveston, BC.
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May 20th, 2004, while on a trip to Israel with Christian Friends of Israel, Nathanael, 15, was able to train with the head of Israeli judo, Amos Gilad, and Benny, one of his students.
Also on that trip, Nathanael met IDF soldiers in Hebron on May 18th, and watched a Merkava tank exercise on the Golan Heights on May 21st.
 
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