Ryu Ju Song is a famous judo coach who brought up Kye Sun Hui, the quadruple world judo champion. He had participated in national and international games several times as a member of the sports team of Korea University of Physical Education, but the results were not so good. At the time, his coach said, “Never be discouraged, Ju Song. You have merits, too. I think you are fit for a coach rather than for an athlete. You had better change over to the job of coach.”

That was why he became a judo coach of the Moranbong Sports Team. Kye Sun Hui was the first person he took charge of. She had just been to the 1997 World Judo Championships in Paris where she won second place.

Looking back upon the time, Ryu says, “At that time I was still inexperienced. But I made up my mind to train her as world ace of judo.”

Closely observing her training for several days, he found that she had serious weak points. From the next day, he gave her hard training, setting a most difficult goal for her and concentrating on getting her skilled in various tricks and techniques, making her repeat movements over and over to eliminate deficiencies. Sun Hui carried out her daily task without fail overcoming many difficulties. Along with this, she made great efforts to perfect her forte. Now she attained proficiency and got ready for any judo contests.

Ju Song frequently organized exhibition matches with experienced judoists to improve Sun Hui’s skills.

At last, she entered the World Judo Championships in Munich in 2001 and defeated all her rivals in women’s 52 kg category, becoming the titleholder. Then, in the world championships in 2003 and 2005 and in women’s 57 kg category in the world championships held in Brazil in 2007, she became a four consecutive winner.

Kye Sun Hui said, “I have won one after another thanks to my coach Ryu Ju Song’s strenuous efforts. He has imbued us with the idea that the gold medal will add so much to the honour of our motherland. In life he is our elder brother and in training he is a strict coach.”

After Kye, he had An Kum Ae under his charge. An, too, began to stand out among her fellow athletes not long after she came under his coaching. She won her event in the Asian Judo Championships in 2005, a women’s event of the world judo superstar tournament in Turkey in 2006, in a women’s judo event of the World Cup games in Poland in 2012, and in the women’s 52 kg judo event of the 30th Olympic Games.

After the 30th Olympic Games, she recollected, “Whenever I entered the ring, Coach Ryu would keep his eyes fixed on me rousing my spirit. That was the expression of his deepest confidence in us wishing that we would add glory to our motherland with gold medals.”

Ryu Ju Song has trained many more excellent athletes like Ri Kyong Ok. He was awarded the title of People’s Athlete in 2012, and is now devoting all his energy to bringing up judo stars in the April 25 Sports Team.