by Story via MHA Nation Times
When one thinks of Japan and wrestling, the first thing that comes to mind is the famed Sumo wrestling and that unique sport for Japanese men of large stature. One athletically-talented MHA Nation tribal member is gaining his own kind of stature in high school wrestling across the Pacific. This young grappler fared well this year as an individual while his team brought home the division championship plaque and banners. Usually of short duration, sumo wrestling is not exactly what Jason Alexander (Alex) Dudley ll is interested in, but he does like it when his own high school wrestling matches are also of short duration and he wins by pinning his opponent.
Dudley and his Division ll high school wrestling team, the Edgren Eagles, just won the Far East Wrestling Championships in Japan and the high school style in that part of the world is ‘freestyle’, which is similar to the ‘folk style utilized in the United States. Holding a record of 13-5 on the season, Dudley placed fourth in what is one of the toughest weight classes in the Far East divisions – and that is the 180 pound class.
In gaining the 4th place in the tournament held at Kinnick Marine Corps Base near Tokyo, Dudley returned home with a lot of hardware. He has three new medals to add to his trophy case and plans on earning many more in the future in wrestling, football and track and field. Dudley is a stand out football player and a thrower in track and field of the shot put and discus. Dudley began wrestling his freshman year in high school in Cabot, Arkansas, where he wrestled for the high school team there at 170 pounds. He managed to earn a spot on the varsity at the end of the season for Cabot after learning many of the basic fundamentals from his first coach ever. That particular coach (Coach Payne) in Arkansas had the perfect name for a tough high school wrestling coach.
“Coach Payne did teach me a lot in my first year that I took with me to Japan in my sophomore and now my junior year,” Dudley emphasized. “But to give credit to my coaches, I have to thank my team for being who they are. Without my teammates and all the hard work we do, we would not have the championship banners and I would not have done as well without us pushing and encouraging each other.”
There are many wrestling victories over the last three years that he can savor since he has participated in the very challenging sport, but the one that stands out most in his mind is the victory he had over an opponent that he was not expected to beat. Dudley was asked to go up against the number-two ranked wrestler in the Far East and his coach told him that all he had to do was not get pinned and the team would win the tournament. However, Dudley had other plans. He pulled a big switch when he unexpectedly won and pinned the elite wrestler he was facing that day. It may have been unexpected to everyone else, but Dudley was not so surprised as he is gaining more experience and techniques in leaps and bounds each match he adds to his total in his career.
Proud of his Arikara heritage, the high school junior still has one more year to wrestle for the Eagles and his parents are extremely proud of him and the way he conducts himself as a young man and his mother, Chasmin Yellow Bird misses her second-oldest child but is happy he is flourishing while he lives in Japan with his father, Jason Dudley Sr, who is stationed in Japan for another year. Chasmin is planning on attending her son’s graduation in Japan next year.
“I also want to thank my parents for raising me right” concluded Dudley.
His parents are Chasmin Yellow Bird of White Shield and Jason Dudley Sr. His grandparents on his maternal side are Leone White and Dennis Yellow Bird. On his paternal side, his grandparents are Jan Stokes Dudley and Ralph Dudley.
