About the instructors

Sensei David Miller
Head Instructor and founder of
the Annex Judo Academy and Bosei Judo Academy

Born & reside Toronto, Canada
Physical Education/Judo Teacher

Study and teaching experience
Kodokan Judo 6th degree black belt
Over 50 years judo experience
Over 43years judo teaching experience
9years of judo study at Tokai University Japan (Under World renowned instructors Nobuyuki Sato & Yasuhiro Yamashita)
9years of intermittent training at Kodokan Judo Institute (Tokyo, Japan)
5years as an apprentice judo instructor at the Matsumae Judo Juku (Tokyo, Japan)
1997 to present – Chief instructor - Annex Judo Academy
2000 to 2004 - Head of Phys.Ed Judo – Crescent School (Toronto, Canada)
1999 to present – Judo / Physical Education - Royal St. George’s College (Toronto, Canada)
NCCP Level 2 coach

Competitions and awards
10 years Canadian National Team Member
14 years Judo Ontario Team Member
1985 US Open Bronze Medal
1986 Canada Cup Silver Medal
1988 to 1997 Over 120 victories at kodokan grading tournaments
1989 Kodokan Judo Institute Batsugun (Award of excellence) First westerner in history to achieve this award by the Kodokan
1991 Pacific Rim International Judo Championships (Honolulu, Hawaii) Bronze Medal
1991 Kano Cup International – Canadian National Team Member (Tokyo, Japan)
1992 to 1997 Corporate judo team member for “Fuji & Tri Ocean” Tokyo, Japan
1993 Represented the Kodokan Judo Institute in the
Osaka Bone Setters Association
International Tournament Osaka, Japan - Bronze medal

1995 Canadian Senior National Judo Championship *Gold medal champion
1995 IJF Senior World Championships Makuhari Japan - Open Weight representative for Team Canada
1997 All Japan Corporate Team Championships Top 8
1999 World Masters Judo Championships - Gold Medal
2003 Pan-American Masters Championships - Gold Medal
2002 World Masters Championships Derry Northern Ireland- Bronze Medal
2003 World Masters Championships Kodokan Japan Bronze Medal
2004 Pan-American Masters Championships - Gold Medal
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Sensei
Tami Dacks
Assistant Head Judo Instructor and Chief Administrator
A student of Sensei Miller’s, Tami is a passionate judoka and competitor with the awards to prove it. Tami is a Certified Shodan – first degree judo black belt - and NCCP level 2 certified coach and has often competed at high level international tournaments where her titles have included a silver medal at the 2009 Pan Am Masters open weight competitions. She is a 2010 Canadian Masters National champion and won two silver and one bronze medal at the World Judo Masters in 2010.

Tami focuses her practice on traditional techniques and the basics, taking a ‘from the ground up’ approach to firmly establish a student’s understanding of this venerable martial art. From her own experience as well as her teaching practice, she understands how to hone those basic techniques for competition.

Sensei Tami is an inspiring role model for us at every level of judo development. Sensei among other things Sensei Tami is a specialist in youth judo development.

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For those who know me:
"Yes I do own some clothes that are not judo gis"

I began judo in 1972 just before my 11th birthday, in a introductory program hosted in a public school gymnasium in North York. It was not as much by choice as it was necessity that drew me to judo or at least that's what I thought at the time. The oldest of four boys, I was the first to play organized ice hockey in our family. Our family couldn't afford for all of us to join hockey teams that year, so my father instructed my brothers research judo programs in the area. As luck would have it there was a very affordable introductory judo program hosted in a public school 5min walk from our home. Two of my younger brothers (youngest was too young at 2years old) began immediately. Hockey season ended for me 6months later and by that time my brothers were doing incredible in judo, already ready winning awards at competitions. This is when I felt a necessity to join. Why a necessity? In my mind my brothers proficiency in judo threatened my status as oldest brother and all that comes with it. So off to judo I went. And the rest you might say is history.

Judo has been an integral part of my life ever since. I have dedicated most of my adult life to training and teaching judo. Judo has taken me around the world. Judo is where I have met most of my life long friends, where I continue to meet new friends. My own sons all do judo now. 100's of my students have visited Japan, four of which stayed for at least a year on scholarships.

Judo is a lot of different things to the diverse people who embrace it, from self defence, personal fitness, or social gathering to exciting and dynamic Olympic Sport. Judo is all that to me and much much more. Much of the man I am today can be attributed to judo and the people who lives intersected with mine on and off the mats in judo.

At the Bosei Judo Academy you can expect to meet very good people who love to work hard, strive to hone their skills, are very supportive of each other. Yup we will toss you on the mats and then pin you down, in some cases even twist your arm. However we will show you how to do the same and even let you get us when you don't really yet have the skill to do.

Whether you are a complete beginner, a returning judoka or an active participating judo, we would love to have you join the us on the mats!

David Miller
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Sensei Matt Collins -
Bosei Judo Academy
Assistant instructor.
Personal Philosophy - I am passionate about the Kodokan art of Judo and aim to embody the values of Seiryoku-Zenyo maximum efficiency (精力善用) and Jita-Kyoei mutual welfare (自他共栄). I advocate for a safety first, hard and mindful training approach.
Tokui-Waza (Specialty) Osoto Gari and Katame-waza, specifically transitioning into Osaekomi-waza.
Belt rank Shodan. Awarded at a Kodokan grading and Batsugun in Sendai, Japan (2008).
Club affiliation history
2022–Present Bosei Judo Academy (Canada).
2015–2016 Pennsylvania State University J.C. (USA).
2007–2008 Tohoku University Judo Team member     東北大学柔道部 (Japan).
2006–2018 Sydney University Judo Club (Australia).
2000–2005 Wollongong Judo Club (Australia).
1996–1998 Bulli Kids Judo Club (Australia).
Judo competition experience
2009 Australian University Championships,
3rd place U/90kg, 1st place in team event (Captain).
2007–2008 Tohoku University Judo Team member.    1st place team champions at the Nanadai Sen
(Technical University Team Championships, Kossen rule set).
First foreign student to compete at the
Nanadai Sen.
2007 Australian team member, Osaka International Judo Goodwill games.
2006 Australian University Judo Championships, 1st place U/90kg.
2005 Member of Junior Men’s Australian Team to the 2005 Youth Olympics Festival.
2004 Australian Kodokan National Championships, 1st place, U/20years U/90kg.
2003 Australian Judo National Championships,
3rd place, U/20years U/81kg.
          Other competition experience
2017 Oceania Sumo Championship,
2nd place U/85kg.
2015 Oceania Sumo Championship,
2nd place U/85kg.
2012 Australian Ssireum (Korean folk wrestling) Championship,
1st place U/100kg.
Australian team member, World Ssireum Championships, Busan Korea.
Coaching and club management
Summer 2014 Volunteer coach in remote indigenous Community, Mornington Island.
2009 Sydney University Judo Team Captain.
Sydney University Judo Club President.
2009-2010 University of Sydney Seniors competition class coach (Wednesdays).
2007 Sydney University Judo Club Secretary.

James Barringer, Sandan
(3rd-degree black belt)
Hajimemashite! I am especially interested in the philosophies of Judo, and particularly in exploring how they can be physically manifested. That is, how do the principles at the heart of Judo, such as Ju Yoku Go Wo Seisu (“softness can overcome hardness”), Sei Ryoku Zen Yo (“maximally efficient use of mind and body”), and Ji Ta Kyo Ei (“mutual welfare and benefit”) actually inform how the judoka moves and reacts on the mat? I have been involved in judo since the early 1970’s, and have come to believe that the greater the understanding of this interplay of ideas and actions, the greater the rewards that judo offers.

History
I began judo in Grade One, when a classmate brought in a trophy and judogi for “show and tell”, and I was immediately intrigued (though the Best Man at my wedding suggested in his speech that my life might have been very different had little Timmy brought in his ballet slippers…)

I did judo in Toronto, taught by Sensei Ray Hounsell at the Scarborough Dojo, then in Hamilton under Sensei Cliff Burke at the Dalewood Judo Academy, and later under Sensei Mitchell Kawasaki and a large team of Black Belt instructors at the Kawasaki Rendokan Judo Academy.

Things took a major turn in the early ‘90s, when I moved to Japan for what turned into 20 wonderful years. I was blessed to be able to train primarily at the Kodokan, as well as many local dojos throughout Tokyo. Learning from - and of course being endlessly thrown, pinned, armlocked and strangled by - an innumerable number of Senseis and Black Belt training partners during this time gave me a great appreciation of the depth, richness, subtlety, and range of possibilities inherent in Judo. While in Japan, I received my Shodan, Nidan and Sandan (first, second and third-degree black belts).

Competition
Shiai - competition in tournaments - has always been a part of my judo, and indeed I think the lessons learned in shiai are an irreplaceable and invaluable part of a judoka’s growth. As is often said, in shiai the true battle is with oneself, with the opponent providing a welcome challenge against which to test one’s skills, resolve, and character - win or lose.

Some competition highlights for me include:

The 1993 Canadian Championships as a member of the Ontario team
At the Kodokan, regular participation in the monthly Tsukinami Shiai - an open-weight competition which, because of its frequency, allows the judoka to try out, hone, and alter techniques, skills, and approaches
Regular participation in the Kodokan’s semi-annual Red & White tournament, also open-weight, which draws judoka from across Japan
Fighting at the Budokan (rather like playing hockey at Maple Leaf Gardens!) as a member of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara team
And many local tournaments over the years, in Canada, the US and Japan

I am delighted to be part of this large, vibrant, varied and immensely positive judo community at the Bosei Judo Academy, and I look forward to continuing to learn from and sharing my experiences with all my fellow judoka.