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MARIO A. PITALUA
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MARIO ALBERTO PITALUA RODRIGUEZ
Member - United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF)
Mario Alberto Pitalua Rodriguez was born in Tampico, MX, on January 9th, 1976. He started practicing Judo at age seven and continued to train until age ten, at the Jigoro Kano Dojo, under Sensei Antonio Wong Ortiz, who founded the dojo on April 19th, 1969. Later in life, while studying Computer Systems Engineering at Madero City
Technological Institute, Mario trained in Judo again with Sensei Wong, the coach of the School's Judo Team.
After graduating college, Mario moved to Lubbock, Texas. He started his studies at Texas Tech University, where he started training in Aikido since there was no Judo sports club. During this season, Mario met Matthew Aaron at the Student Recreational Center and informally taught him Judo Ne Waza. When Matthew visited his martial arts Sensei
during Spring Break, in one of his matches, Matthew showed ground techniques that his Sensei had not taught him, so his Sensei inquired who had taught him Judo Ne Waza. This question triggered an invitation for Mario to meet Sensei Soke Darrell Cain in Amarillo, TX, to give him rank in Judo in the U.S. Mario was tested demonstrating Judo
Techniques and going against other students under Sensei Cain on June 17th, 2006. A couple of weeks later, Sensei Cain presented Mario with a Brown belt in Judo, a Green Belt in Brazilian Jujitsu, and a Green Belt in his own Cain-Ryu system.
Later in the Fall of 2008, a group of freshmen, Joshua Heebner, Paul Gonzalez, and Rebecca Gabrilska, came to Texas Tech from Houston, TX. The fresh ran into at the Recreational Student Center and commented on their intention to start a Judo Sports Club. Mario helped them start a Judo Club as their Academic Advisor and instructor.
As the club flourished, some university professors approached the sports club, asking to provide a class for their kids. So a kids’ class started with Joshua Heebner as their instructor and Mario performing the promotions and supervising the instruction. As the kid’s class grew, other club members volunteered to assist. Mario would be the one conducting testing for promotion.
Mario prepared Joshua Heebner, Seung Yoo, Carlos Ornelas, Chris Trieu, and Edson Leandro for their tournaments, including the Dallas invitational and the Go Shibata memorial tournament. Later, when Joshua Heebner obtained Shodan by his competitive record from his Houston Sensei and Robert Merriman came to study a Texas Tech and joined the club already a Black Belt; Mario continued participating as one of the club's instructors and academic advisor.
Mario Pitalua has collaborated with other distinguished Martial Arts Senseis in the city of Lubbock, TX, providing self-defense seminars for people with disabilities, church groups, and other departments within Texas Tech University; this included assisting the Aikido PE class. Mario continued studying Aikido and Judo formally while supporting both sports clubs as their Academic Advisor and assistant instructor. He obtained his Shodan in Aikido in August 2015 with Midwest Aikido Federation. Later in 2017, a Shodan in Jing Te Jutsu under 7th Dan Cathy Givens, daughter of Soke Fred Givens, who developed the system after multiple military deployments where he trained under the best
Senseis he could find, having Judo as the foundation of the system.
The Judo club grew and remained active until the pandemic forced all the sports clubs to stop. Mario has been either an instructor or an academic advisor since its conception. On February 2021, when activity restarted post-pandemic at the Student Recreation Center, now University Recreation, Mario assisted another group of students to reignite the club, this time not just as a single discipline Sports Club but instead as the Tech Martial Arts Sports Club encompassing multiple martial arts, including Judo, Aikido, and Brazilian Jujitsu. Once more, as the academic advisor and one of the instructors for Judo and Aikido. Mario works alongside Judo Coach Matt Simmons and Aikido
Sensei Read Fowler, under whom he received the Black Belt in each discipline. Judo Shodan in May 2022 and Ni Dan in Aikido in November 2022. He is currently training in Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu and working on his
coaching certification in Judo.
Sensei Mario A. Pitalua Info -
Email: mpitalua@gmail.com
Member - United States Ju-Jitsu Federation (USJJF)
Mario Alberto Pitalua Rodriguez was born in Tampico, MX, on January 9th, 1976. He started practicing Judo at age seven and continued to train until age ten, at the Jigoro Kano Dojo, under Sensei Antonio Wong Ortiz, who founded the dojo on April 19th, 1969. Later in life, while studying Computer Systems Engineering at Madero City
Technological Institute, Mario trained in Judo again with Sensei Wong, the coach of the School's Judo Team.
After graduating college, Mario moved to Lubbock, Texas. He started his studies at Texas Tech University, where he started training in Aikido since there was no Judo sports club. During this season, Mario met Matthew Aaron at the Student Recreational Center and informally taught him Judo Ne Waza. When Matthew visited his martial arts Sensei
during Spring Break, in one of his matches, Matthew showed ground techniques that his Sensei had not taught him, so his Sensei inquired who had taught him Judo Ne Waza. This question triggered an invitation for Mario to meet Sensei Soke Darrell Cain in Amarillo, TX, to give him rank in Judo in the U.S. Mario was tested demonstrating Judo
Techniques and going against other students under Sensei Cain on June 17th, 2006. A couple of weeks later, Sensei Cain presented Mario with a Brown belt in Judo, a Green Belt in Brazilian Jujitsu, and a Green Belt in his own Cain-Ryu system.
Later in the Fall of 2008, a group of freshmen, Joshua Heebner, Paul Gonzalez, and Rebecca Gabrilska, came to Texas Tech from Houston, TX. The fresh ran into at the Recreational Student Center and commented on their intention to start a Judo Sports Club. Mario helped them start a Judo Club as their Academic Advisor and instructor.
As the club flourished, some university professors approached the sports club, asking to provide a class for their kids. So a kids’ class started with Joshua Heebner as their instructor and Mario performing the promotions and supervising the instruction. As the kid’s class grew, other club members volunteered to assist. Mario would be the one conducting testing for promotion.
Mario prepared Joshua Heebner, Seung Yoo, Carlos Ornelas, Chris Trieu, and Edson Leandro for their tournaments, including the Dallas invitational and the Go Shibata memorial tournament. Later, when Joshua Heebner obtained Shodan by his competitive record from his Houston Sensei and Robert Merriman came to study a Texas Tech and joined the club already a Black Belt; Mario continued participating as one of the club's instructors and academic advisor.
Mario Pitalua has collaborated with other distinguished Martial Arts Senseis in the city of Lubbock, TX, providing self-defense seminars for people with disabilities, church groups, and other departments within Texas Tech University; this included assisting the Aikido PE class. Mario continued studying Aikido and Judo formally while supporting both sports clubs as their Academic Advisor and assistant instructor. He obtained his Shodan in Aikido in August 2015 with Midwest Aikido Federation. Later in 2017, a Shodan in Jing Te Jutsu under 7th Dan Cathy Givens, daughter of Soke Fred Givens, who developed the system after multiple military deployments where he trained under the best
Senseis he could find, having Judo as the foundation of the system.
The Judo club grew and remained active until the pandemic forced all the sports clubs to stop. Mario has been either an instructor or an academic advisor since its conception. On February 2021, when activity restarted post-pandemic at the Student Recreation Center, now University Recreation, Mario assisted another group of students to reignite the club, this time not just as a single discipline Sports Club but instead as the Tech Martial Arts Sports Club encompassing multiple martial arts, including Judo, Aikido, and Brazilian Jujitsu. Once more, as the academic advisor and one of the instructors for Judo and Aikido. Mario works alongside Judo Coach Matt Simmons and Aikido
Sensei Read Fowler, under whom he received the Black Belt in each discipline. Judo Shodan in May 2022 and Ni Dan in Aikido in November 2022. He is currently training in Heike-Ryu Jiu Jitsu and working on his
coaching certification in Judo.
Sensei Mario A. Pitalua Info -
Email: mpitalua@gmail.com
