I teach at a Judo school, meaning as well as a school, it has a respected Judo program. Those kids are always in the hospital, although usually from intestinal problems related to making or cutting weight (which I also think is cruel. Adults are one thing, but kids still growing...) These are horrible accidents, and if the instructor responsible deliberately beat kids to death, he should be punished; that said I can't help but feel the journalism is a little one-sided. Shoddy, really. For one thing, that sparring with the coach/sensei is written as a somehow unusual thing, or even a punishment, rather than an everyday event. I also knew plenty of kids with asthma in my own school days. It never allowed them to get out of PE class, nor do I think it should have, as many were better athletes than non-asthma-having me... but being "forced" to do Judo is different? Also mentioning the instructor's transfer (who was not interviewed for comment, curiously) even though the transfer is mentioned as standard, hints at a coverup, instead of saying "All teachers are routinely transferred, and had we wanted to, his name was on record and we could have interviewed him but chose not to." I'm not trying to side with the instructors at all, but let's see some journalistic objectivity. My own thoughts are, judo training should involve headgear. Those mats aren't feather pillows. No one wants to hear that, but all the same.