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He gets to coach the highest-ranked collegiate judo club team in the nation.

"SJSU is one of the few universities that have a stable judo program," said assistant head coach Bencosme, who graduated from SJSU in May 2005 with a bachelor's degree in marketing.

He said the team is now winning more medals than it has during the previous few years.

"We have been very aggressive in our workouts," said Yoshihiro Uchida, head coach of the judo department, adding that is the reason why the team has managed to stay ahead of other teams.

Bencosme said he believes it is the unity of the team that makes it so successful.

Since he became the assistant head coach in 2009, Bencosme said his own judo career has accelerated.

Bencosme now ranks No. 2 in the nation in his weight division - 81 kilograms - after winning that division at the 2009 U.S. Open Championships held at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in September, Uchida said.

COACHING SPARTANS

"He is a very good coach and I really think highly of him," Uchida said.

Bencosme said that, as a coach, he is strict, yet laid back.

"I like to have fun when it comes to judo," he said, but he admitted that the moment his students slack off, he gets on their case and tells them to give it their all.

He is quick to point out that he does not stand on the side and bark at the students, but practices with them.

Hector Fajardo, a senior communication studies major and judo team member, described Bencosme as a highly motivated, energetic and inspirational coach.

"He notices (his students') mistakes and knows exactly how to fix them," Fajardo said.

SKILLS AND TECHNIQUES

Bencosme said his default move used to be to go for the leg.

"His gripping is outstanding," said Diogo Borges, a junior global studies major and judo team member.

Unfortunately, Bencosme said, there are new judo rules stating that no leg-grabbing throws are allowed, which has forced him to adjust his technique.

Something else that has changed is the style, he said, adding that stand-up judo is now the form mainly practiced.

Bencosme said he knows how to do stand-up judo, but his strength lies in challenging his opponent or sparring partner on the ground.

"I dominate on the ground," Bencosme said. "I'm going to kill (my opponent) on the ground."

BACKGROUND

Bencosme said he began practicing judo at the age of nine.

He said he grew up playing various sports, but developed a strong liking for judo because it was the first sport that he was serious about.

By the age of 16, Bencosme had competed in the judo junior nationals, and he began to consider continuing with the sport after high school.

He said he had heard about the judo program at SJSU and decided to apply.

Bencosme said he wanted to attend SJSU because it offered a good judo program and a good education, a combination the other two schools he had applied to lacked.

He came to SJSU as a freshman in 1999, he said, and immediately started practicing with the judo team.

In 2002, he said he was chosen to serve as the captain of the team.

Though Bencosme focused on judo during this time, he emphasized that school came first because he believes it is important to have a degree to fall back on when one can no longer do judo - a value he is now trying to instill in his students.

Bencosme said this was a stressful time in his life, during which he juggled judo practice all year around, a full load of classes and a couple of jobs to make sure he had enough money to pay his way through college.

"I'm glad I had the judo," Bencosme said. "Whenever I was stressed out, I could always come to the judo room and release that stress."

Despite the stress that came with the hard work he put in, Bencosme said he had fun at SJSU.

After he graduated, Bencosme said he worked - he did mortgage loans, among other things - and put judo aside for a while, but he soon realized he missed the sport.

In 2007, Bencosme said he returned to the judo room at SJSU to practice for the 2008 Olympic trials.

That same year, Bencosme said he was offered to be the assistant coach - an opportunity he seized.

Bencosme didn't make the Olympic team, but he said he gave it a good try.

He said he remained as the assistant coach after that experience.

Then, in 2009, Bencosme said the position as the assistant head coach alongside Uchida became available, and he was promoted.

FUTURE

Bencosme said he is unsure of what the future holds for him and the team, and he prefers to take things day by day.

"The day I step down or am asked to step down, I hope that the team continues to improve," Bencosme said.

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