summer 2018 ISSUE 46

JUDO IS FOR LIFE

ENTER THE MASTERS
& VETERANS

e t
g s.n
m a
r l d
o
 e t
g s.n
m a
r l d
o
 CONTENTS
4 EUAN BURTON
12 6 NEWSROOM
JUDO IS FOR LIFE - MASTERS AND VETERANS
11 DAN GRADINGS
24 KEITH BARROW
34 KIDS CORNER
18
OLE BISCHOF IN CONVERSATION

44
28 A DAY IN THE LIFE - ABBIE CLAYTON

TECHNIQUE FOCUS - LUCY RENSHALL

49
38
e t
g s .n
JO CROWLEY - EALING JUDO CLUB HEAD COACH

CLUB FOCUS - THE BUDOKWAI

50 m a
ALL MATERIAL IN THIS MAGAZINE,
INCLUDING BOTH TEXT AND IMAGES,

r l d
o
IS PROTECTED BY COPYRIGHT.
REPLICATION VIA REPUBLISHING
IN ANY PRINT OR DIGITAL FORM
REQUIRES CONSENT FROM THE
BRITISH JUDO ASSOCIATION. CLASSIC MATCH - ROBERTS V CSIZMADIA
 CONSULTANT EDITOR: EUAN
ON EUROPEAN SUCCESS, OLE BISCHOF, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF NE WAZA
Welcome to the second Matside
magazine of 2018 which coincides
neatly with the passing of Continental
Championships across the World and
therefore the opening of the Olympic
Qualification period for Tokyo 2020.
It is also the final edition before British
Judo hosts the 2018 European Veteran
Championships in Glasgow. The event in June
will see hundreds of the more ‘mature’ members
of the judo community across Europe travel to
Scotland to pit their skills against each other in
an attempt to be crowned a Masters Champion.
MATSIDE
There are plenty of hints and tips throughout the
magazine about extending, or indeed starting,
your judo journey in later life and how your
training can be adapted to maximize both your
enjoyment and development as your youthful
years slip into the distance.
If I were to add my own tips, there would
be two above all others. Firstly, to remember
that the relationship between uke and tori in
training is a partnership and not a competition.
The rate of progression made when both are
working together with the aim of mutual benefit
is infinitely greater than when each are trying
to create obstacles. Of course, for many the
4 ultimate aim will be to put their techniques into
practice in a competitive environment where
there is attack and defence required. However,
this will only be safely reached when a
significant technical and physical development
has been made and this will be best achieved
by working to help your fellow judoka.
And secondly, I would enthusiastically
espouse, all day long, the benefits of ne-waza,
and ne-waza randori, as one of the greatest
tools available within our sport. As my one-time
opponent, and Olympic silver medallist, Travis
Stevens of the USA is fond of saying, “Ne-
waza is the most important part of judo yet it
“NE-WAZA IS THE PLACE WHERE,
I BELIEVE, YOU CAN MOST EASILY
SEE A JUDOKA’S CHARACTER
SHINE THROUGH”
BURTON
is the least
trained”. This
is certainly
a view that
I can agree
with. Ne-waza is the place where, I believe,
you can most easily see a judoka’s character
shine through. It is somewhere where you
can observe work ethic, determination,
desire, intent, will to win and focus on the
fundamentals. It is also a place that quickly
highlights if any of these qualities are lacking.
And vitally for Masters judo, it is a place where
competition can be set up with minimal risk of
injury to the participants. When anyone asks
what they can do to improve their conditioning
for judo – ne-waza randori is my exercise of
choice. So, get on those mats, hit the deck and
get your ne-waza on!
Someone who I am sure would also agree
with Travis, although they haven’t always
seen eye to eye on the tatami, is another
competitor of ours, the legendary German
judoka, Ole Bischoff. And what a competitor
he is – Olympic Champion in 2008, Olympic
Silver Medalist in 2012 and a whole host of
other medals and titles mean that he could
quite rightly make claim to being the greatest
middleweight of a generation. Perhaps only
Kim Jae Bum of Korea, who shared those two
Olympic finals with Ole, would have a platform
to claim otherwise. Regardless of who you feel
was the greatest, they are both phenomenal
judoka and in the case of Ole I would argue the
most unbelievable “winner”.
e t
.n
I fought many, many fantastic judoka and
phenomenal champions in my long career as
s
an international judoka. I defeated, and was
g
defeated by, judoka with extraordinary physical
a
attributes or with mesmerizing technical wizardry.
I hope that Ole will take this as a compliment
l d m
when I say that, in my opinion, he
had neither of these. He was in
excellent condition, but I never felt
o r overly threatened by his physicality.
He had a range of very successful
scoring techniques, but I never felt
that he was a technical talent to be
wondered at. Yet he became one
of greatest, most successful, Olympic judoka of
all time. His strength was not in the physical, nor
the technical but in the mental.
Ole recently spent some time at the BJA
Centre of Excellence where he led technical
sessions with our young athletes and coaches.
However, when I have spoken to our athletes
and coaches, the most valuable part of Ole’s
visit was a question and answer session where
Ole outlined his mental and tactical approach
to competition. He is a perfect example of
the ordinary man who is able to achieve the
absolutely extraordinary. If I was a young
judoka I would make sure I took time to read
his interview within the pages that follow over
and over and learn all I could from this master
of competitive judo.
A homegrown judoka who can also lay claim
to some exceptional results also features in the
magazine and again judoka, young and old,
would do well to take notice of her technical
section. Lucy Renshall recently completed an
astounding quartet of European Championship
medals when she added Senior European
Championship bronze to her Under 23 European
gold, Junior European gold and Cadet European
silver medals. Some amazing consistency over
the last seven years for Lucy and I am sure not
the last time that we will see her on the podium
at a European Championships – she certainly
seems to like it up there!
The rest of the GB Team in Tel Aviv were not
to be outdone and Lucy was joined on the 3rd
step of the rostrum by Ashley McKenzie at -60kg,
Gemma Howell at -70kg and Natalie Powell, who
claimed her third successive European Senior
Championship bronze medal at -78kg. And then
there was Super Sal. Sally Conway followed up
her Paris Grand Slam title with a silver medal at
Ole Bischof, who recently spent some time at the Centre of Excellence
the European Championships after a nail-biting
final against Kim Polling in which both judoka
nailed big waza-ari scores before Polling claimed
a 4th European title with another waza-ari in
Golden Score.
That silver, and the four bronze medals meant
that GB finished in the Top 10 on the medal table
with only powerhouse Russia finishing with more
total medals and GB equaling the five won by
France. The job now will be to convert those silver
and bronzes to gold.
A club with a bit of a golden history features
in the ‘Club Focus’ section this edition and it
is perhaps the most well-known and iconic
club in the land. The Budokwai is the oldest
judo club in Europe and as well as judo big-
hitters such as Angelo Parisi, Brian Jacks, Neil
Adams, Ray Stevens and Winston Gordon it
has also played host to stars from sport, stage
and screen with everyone from Seb Coe to
EUAN BURTON
Kylie Minogue having stepped through the
doors at the famous Chelsea establishment.
My own Budokwai experiences are few and far
between, however I did spend a very exciting
day there with the announcement of the 2008
Beijing Olympic Team where Craig Fallon and
myself had the honour of utilising the beautiful
dojo surroundings for some filming for the
BBC. I know that the Budokwai has seen its
fair share of movie stars in the past, but I’m
not sure it had ever been subjected to quite as
much atmospheric smoke before!
Hopefully none of you are practising in
amongst dry ice too often in your own dojo but
wherever you are, just starting out your journey 5
or extending it as a Veteran, I hope you are
enjoying your judo. Keep it up and I’ll see you
all soon.
Euan
e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
 NEWSROOM:
FIVE MEDAL HAUL FOR GB
JUDO AT 2018 EUROPEAN
JUDO CHAMPIONSHIPS
British Judo finished the 2018 European
Judo Championships in Tel Aviv (April 26 –
28) with their best medal haul since 1998 as
they took home five medals.
Sally Conway (-70kg silver), Lucy
Renshall (-63kg bronze) and Gemma Howell
(-70kg bronze) won their first European
MATSIDE
medals while Natalie Powell (-78kg bronze)
and Ashley McKenzie (-60kg bronze) won
their third and second respectively.
6 bronze medal.
2018 BRITISH SCHOOL
CHAMPIONS CROWNED
IN SHEFFIELD
Over 700 keen judoka fought in front of
a packed house in Sheffield on Saturday 17
and Sunday 18 March at the British Schools
Championships at the English Institute of
Sport for the chance to be crowned the
2018 British Schools Champions.
Around 400 schools were represented
over the course of the two day competition,
along with 250 coaches urging them on
from the sidelines whilst an expectant and
jubilant crowd enjoyed every throw, every
grapple and hold.
ALL THE LATEST
BRITISH JUDO NEWS
For Renshall, who was on her Senior
Europeans debut, this completed a unique
quartet of European Championship medals
having won gold at Junior and U23 level
and silver at Cadet.
GB’s five medals also meant that only
Russia, with eight, won more medals at
this year’s Europeans.
Conway lost a terrific final to Kim
Polling (NED) with both judoka scoring
waza-ari inside the opening minute before
the Dutch judoka finished the contest in
golden score with a second waza-ari.
Howell took on two-time World
medallist Maria Bernabeu (ESP) for bronze
and the Wolverhampton judoka finished
the day with her third shime-waza ippon.
Powell was too strong for Portugal’s
Yahima Ramirez as she forced her
opponent to pick up three shidos in their
bronze medal contest.
McKenzie’s experience told against
Artem Lesyuk (UKR) as he threw the
Ukrainian judoka for waza-ari in the
opening minute. Lesyuk levelled things up
in the final minute but McKenzie countered
his opponent not long after to secure the
The weekend saw British Schools
Champions crowned across 91 different age/
weight categories.
The weekend also saw the combined
e t
.n
British Schools Special Needs/Visually
Impaired Champions crowned, which saw
over 40 judoka enter.
ag s
l d m
o r
 NEWS FLASH
SMYTHE-DAVIS WINS MAIDEN GRAND
SLAM TITLE
Nekoda Smythe-Davis backed up her
No.1 seeding at the Dusseldorf Grand Slam
(February 23 – 25) to win gold.
The British judoka went behind early
in her final against Hedvig Karakas (HUN)
before a late waza-ari took the contest into
golden score, where she countered the
Hungarian’s attack for the winning score.
There was also a bronze medal for
Natalie Powell (-78kg) on the final day of
competition, beating Karen Stevenson (NED)
in the medal contest by waza-ari.
GRAND PRIX SUCCESS IN TBILISI AND
ANTALYA
GB Judo continued their medal
success with five medals at the Tbilisi and
Antalya Grand Prix at the end of March and
start of April.
Lucy Renshall and Lubjana Piovesana
(both -63kg) won their third Grand Prix
medals as they both won bronze in Georgia.
In Turkey, Chelsie Giles (-52kg) won her
first Grand Prix medal as she finished with
silver. There were also bronze medals for Sally
Conway (-70kg) and Natalie Powell (-78kg).
MEDAL SUCCESS FOR GB JUDO VI TEAM
The GB Judo VI Team have enjoyed a
strong start to 2018. In the first world ranking
event of the year, Sam Ingram (-100kg) and
Elliot Stewart (-90kg) won silver and bronze
respectively in a world-class entry at the
Antalya IBSA Judo Grand Prix (April 22 – 23).
The VI team also won five medals at
Paralympic International Judo Infraero GP on
Saturday 17 March, including gold for Elliot
Stewart (-90kg) and Chris Skelley (-100kg).
DRAKE JUDO CLUB CELEBRATE 2ND
BIRTHDAY
Drake Judo Club celebrated its second
birthday with what is fast becoming its
traditional birthday party and inter-club festival.
Over 70 athletes from ages 5 – 50 took
part from all Drake Judo Club sites including
Plymouth, Tavistock, Ashburton and
Tavistock School.
Drake Judo Club Vice President Christine
Gallie 7th Dan was on hand to present
awards to all winners along with the two
recently achieved Dan Grades.
BRITISH JUDO LAUNCHES IN THE
MEDITERRANEAN
On the 22nd February at RAF Akrotiri, a
new British Judo Club was officially opened
by the Station Commander, Group Captain
NEWSROOM
Mike Blackburn in the presence of the Club
Management and players, the Chairman of
the RAF Judo Association, Squadron Leader
Steve Parlor, RAF Head Coach and Flight
Sergeant Fred Harris.
In the same year that the RAF celebrates
its 100th anniversary, a new grassroots judo
club is born bringing the sport of judo to
serving personnel and their families posted
to the island.
The Club itself is located in the Akrotiri
Martial Arts Centre and trains both seniors
and juniors from age 5 upwards in the sport
of Judo.
7
HENSHAWS SPECIALIST COLLEGE
STUDENTS GAIN RED BELTS
Students and staff from Henshaws
Specialist College have been awarded their
6th Kyu red belts in judo during a presentation
ceremony at the College’s Harrogate campus.
Kyu means ‘student’ and is the first stepping
e t
.n
stone on the British Judo Grading Syllabus
towards the coveted black belt.
s
This first stepping stone in judo is a major
g
achievement for each of the five students
a
involved as they have a range of disabilities
and learning difficulties and have worked for
l d m
six months to reach this level, gaining self-
awareness and self-confidence through their
first experience of a physical contact sport.
o r
The presentation was made by Dermot
Heslop, Red and White Belt 7th Dan and
Development Officer for the British Judo
Association.
 SOCIAL
CORNER
@sconway70 European Silver Medallist
#JudoTelAviv2018 @BritishJudo
@EdinburghJudo @JudoScotland

@midsomernortonjudoclub Some of the senior

members in France last weekend as part of the
twinning exchange with @asajudojujitsu.
MATSIDE

@welsh_judo Fantastic displays today

at the British Open Kata Championships
2018! @britishjudo @judogallery @sport_
wales #JudoCymru #WeAreGBjudo 🇷😀
8

@gemmahowell I AM EUROPEAN BRONZE

MEDALIST!

e t
g s .n
@bushido_judokwai473 Even perfecting the
simple and basic of techniques will undoubtedly
become invaluable! @bushido_judokwai473

m a
r l d
o
 @citylondonboys We’re giving a huge
congratulations to Third Former Erik, who has
won an award for being an outstanding Junior
Referee at the @BritishJudo Britsh National
School competition!
@PoppletonRoad4M Thank you to Dan from
Destination @BritishJudo we had a lot of fun
learning some moves!

@nekodadavis_57 @Inspiring the next

TOP TWEETS
generation makes me very happy ❤
#InternationalDayOfHappiness

@leighwasshaw What a top guy! Thank you

@JackHodgsonJudo for taking time out of @mima_yb Czech yourself before wreck
your day to see Caitlin and have a chat while yourself #otcnymburk
she was at Walsall doing some Randori.
It’s the little things that make the biggest
difference. She was made up #inspirational
#GBJudo #VI #strong #randori

e t
g s .n
SEND IN YOUR LETTERS
m a
r l
MATSIDE IS A MAGAZINE FOR YOU, THE BRITISH JUDO COMMUNITY,
SO WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS! WHETHER YOU’RE OFFERING
FEEDBACK, OR SHARING A POINT OF VIEW ON TOPICAL EVENTS,
d
CONTACT US VIA MATSIDE@BRITISHJUDO.ORG.UK
o
 WEARS
WEARS
Please visit our
Please visit our
www.cimac.net
www.cimac.net

e t
g s.n
m a
r l d
o
DAN GRADINGS: A COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF ALL
THE LATEST BRITISH DAN GRADINGS

James Reseigh Freud Ross Taylor

1ST DAN James Scanlan Neil Cameron

Adrian Upex
Joey Low
José Mario Portela
Patricia Quine
Rebecca Gray
3rd DAN
Aimee McElhatton Justin Joon Kong Robin Allsworth Colin Francis
Blake Inniss Goh Rostislav Popov Michael Chamberlain
Caitlin Head Kelly Petersen- Ryan Donson Cezar Voicu
Ellie Worrall Pollard Sebastian Sastre Jeffrey Hill
Elma Birchall Kenneth Kirkwood Steven Ridley Mark Conway
Ethan Nairne Kirsty Marsh Michael Nugent
Gordon Brawley
Ioan Harris
Lisa Giambra
Luke Giller
2nd DAN Shermane Henlon

Jack Dobbinson
Jamie Pugh
Lyle Donald
Nikita Tokarev
Adam Bolwell
Aiden Donald
4Th DAN

DAN GRADINGS
Jason Cossey Oliver Green Antony Ashton James Birnie
Jon Scane Olivia Murtagh-Smith Connor Leonard Gordon McCathie
Kristina Pavlou Paddy Lish Craig Capon James Conroy
Michael Harris Sam Campion Eric Cranston Richard Hogan
Morgan Class-Kirtley Thomas Leadlay Lawrence Warwick
Oliver Russell
Oliver Scarratt
Victoria Taylor
Benjamin George
Lele Nairne
Oriol Pavon Arocas
5Th DAN
Olivia Piechota Brian Sutherland Richard Williams Carol Leverton
Ozzy Gowen Domixanna Trinity Sasha Foxon Ferdinand Baronette
Paul Gray Intini Sebastian Keith Box
Rhys Smith Finley Norton Morgan-Green Derek Paxton
Roddy Short Georgios Benjamin Jackson Sally Conway
Seyed Mehdi Hajivassiliou Brandon Spence
Seyedagha Shouaei
Shane Price
Hannah Niven
Harvey Moyse-
Ernest Hooper
Jack Purllant
6Th DAN 11
Sian Bobrowska Mukhtar James Hucker Mark Montgomery
Tatum Keen Henry Eaton Peter Hayward Ricky Sloane
Thomas Lambert Jenny Roberts Glen Pennington Afshin Shahverdi
Yan Spencer Krzysztof Wojcik Jason Longdon Kim Tilley
Zachary McCallum
Adam Law
Adrian Harding
Lily Seabright
Max Bartolo
Nathan McAdam
Joao Menezes
Keith Lord
Michael Welch
Simon Smith

e t
.n
Andries Pretorius
Anna Peters
Barry Wilson
Billy Rodman
Cameron Foster
Charlotte Beirne
ag s
Christi-Rose
Pretorius
Cian Grace

l d m
Daniel Soule
David Partington
Faye Brennan
Greig Porteous
Isaac Broomfield o r
 JUDO IS FOR LIFE
‘Judo is for life’. You’ve probably heard this cliché uttered
within your dojo walls at one time or another, but have you
ever stopped to think about what it really means?
WORDS: CALLUM MEDCRAFT PICTURES: BEN POLLARD
MATSIDE
For many, judo is a sport, something
to enjoy as a child, adolescent, teenager
and – if health allows – into the late
twenties. Though a sport enjoyed like
any other, the values judo offers its
practitioners stand out – it’s more of a
lifestyle choice than a simple pastime.
No doubt we have all experienced times
when it’s been tough to make it to the
club, but the judo mat is always there,
and always calling. So, with so much
to offer in terms of physical and mental
fitness, camaraderie, friendship and self-
esteem, why should your life as a judoka
12 stop at 30?
At the time of writing, the competitive
masters and veterans judo scene is
perhaps the fastest growing area within
our sport. More and more practitioners
are seeing the benefits - and reaping the
rewards - of maintaining (or increasing)
their training routine, making it to
tournaments and fighting for medals.
There’s no denying that, as judo
continues to evolve, so too does the
lifecycle of its competitors.
“People used to hit 30 and think
that their competition career was
essentially over, but the masters scene is
consistently getting stronger,” says Chris
Doherty, British Judo Executive Lead for
the Masters Commission. “Initially, I think
people assumed that masters events
were just a bunch of old boys messing
about, but that’s just not the case. Now,
the masters scene is probably one of the
fastest growing areas of judo globally,
with so many top-notch competitions
being made available.”
Having worked full-time with British
Judo for over 10 years, Chris’ role
is imperative in serving the growing
community of masters and veterans,
making sure that British Judo is doing
everything possible to accommodate
the community.
“Basically, I’m the liaison between
the Masters Commission and the British
Judo Association,” Chris continues.
“We meet regularly to see how we
can improve masters judo; make the
competitions better and generally
promote things better.
“The committee consists of Ronnie
Saez, the Chairman of British Judo, Terry
e t
.n
Watt from Northern Ireland, Stan Cantrill
from Wales and Mandy Humphrey from
s
England. Ronnie sits on for Scotland as
g
well as being the chair. There’s obviously
a
plenty of other people involved, so
there’s a comprehensive range in there,
m
and god knows how many years of judo
experience to go with it.”
l d
The 2018 Veterans European Judo
r
Championships is to be held in Glasgow,
Scotland, at the beautiful Emirates
o

Arena, a venue more than capable of hosting
senior Grand Prix events. The demand from
masters and veteran players is always on the
rise, and with it comes more opportunities to
compete in professional settings.
“It’s been continuously evolving for a long
time now,” Chris explains. “My first masters
tournament was back in 2001 when I went to
the Worlds in Arizona – this was back when it
was still the World Masters Judo Federation.
The numbers have consistently been on the
increase; by the time the World Masters in
Japan came around in 2003, there were
probably 1300 competitors in attendance.
That’s also when I took a bronze at the event,
which is probably my best result.”
As the masters and veterans global
tournament circuit has improved, so too has
the level of commitment displayed by the
athletes in attendance. It’s not uncommon for
the players to put in training camps worthy of
senior professionals in the build up to major
MASTERS AND VETERANS
tournaments such as the World Masters, and
the standard of judo on display is extremely high. 13
“In the past you may have been able to just
do your regular club training, then head off and
get a result at a big masters event,’ says Chris.
“Nowadays, people are taking things much
more seriously, and some of the competitors
are training twice a day, six days a week for
masters events.”
e t
.n
In order to meet the increasing demand for
group training opportunities, Chris and his team
s
have ensured that a timetable with a minimum
g
of four monthly national randori sessions is in
a
place for masters and veterans – as well as
regular country specific sessions.
m
“We’re getting 40 to 50 people turning
up for the national randori sessions, which
l d
is a really good turnout,” says Chris on the
o r
growing number of judoka in attendance.
“I’m expecting more for the next few sessions
as we head into the Europeans in Glasgow.
I put some notifications up on the masters
MATSIDE
Facebook pages, which has already generated
lots of interest. We have also set up regional
training sessions in all four countries, so there’s
a lot that goes into it and there’s plenty of
opportunity to get some good training in.”
The demographic of judoka making their
way to these group training sessions and
14 international competitions is, refreshingly,
extremely varied. The mats show a mix of
men and women, with an age range from the
early thirties all the way up to mid seventies
– no matter what your age, weight or gender,
there’s an opportunity for everyone to train
and compete.
At 71 years young, Danny Bidgood is
one veteran judoka proving that age is just a
number. Having returned to judo later in life,
he received his 1st Dan in 2015. What makes
this achievement even more remarkable?
He underwent a triple heart bypass just four
years earlier.
“In the June of 2010 I was out running and I
came over all funny,” says Danny in reflection. “I
had to sit down by the side of the road and try
to compose myself. Anyway, the long and short
of it is that by August 2010, they took me in
to have a triple heart bypass – I was 63 then I
believe. I tried to get out of the hospital as soon
as possible, as I’m not a fan of hospitals, so I
was operated on the Wednesday and walking
across the car park to come home by the
Saturday – not too bad for 63 really!
“I got back into the swing of things quickly
after the operation, started up my running
again, but aside from that it was only five
months post-operation that I decided it was
time to get back on the judo mat. By December
12th 2011 - my birthday - I entered my first
competition. The doctor said to me, ‘I hope
you’re not going to be going back to judo,’ but
I chose to ignore that.”
Since returning to judo, Danny has
maintained a rigorous training routine
and regularly medalled at major veterans
e t
.n
competitions across Europe. Judo is very
much a focal point in his life, and a prime
can always enjoy.
a s
example of how our sport is something you
g
“I train every single day without exception
- sometimes twice a day,” Danny explains. “I
m
have to really; otherwise I drop off very quickly.
I’m not unique with this by the way, everyone
l d
I know and compete against take the same
r
stance with the training. It’s not always mat
work, so I’ll mix it up with my cardio training
o
and core work.”
Though his sights are now set on achieving
his 3rd Dan, Danny’s road to 1st Dan was

“SOME OF THE COMPETITORS ARE
TRAINING TWICE A DAY, SIX DAYS A
WEEK FOR MASTERS EVENTS”
- CHRIS DOHERTY
nothing short of inspirational. Going on to gain
your black belt - at the age of 70 and off the
back of a triple heart bypass – is something we
can all draw strength from.
“I’ve fought for all my Dan grades,” Danny
says. “I’ve kept a record of all the things I’ve
done in a little book; it took me 36 competitions
and gradings – spanning 96 fights – to get my
1st Dan. It was registered on the 31st of March
2015, so four years after coming back to judo. I
went on to get my 2nd Dan in 2017, and I’m 40
points into my 3rd Dan now.”
Now, aged 71, Danny is a big part of the
masters and veterans community, and shows
no signs of slowing down: “I’ll keep going. I’m
a current World and European silver medallist.
I still get so much from it all; the competition,
the friends I’ve made and the experiences I’ve
had. So, next up, I’m really looking forward to
the Europeans in Glasgow – that should be a
good one!”
For 43-year-old Craig Homer, his endeavours
as a master have offered the perfect outlet to
realise his competitive goals after missing
out on a career as a senior. Having started
judo at the age of eight, Craig – like many
– drifted away from the sport during his
early twenties, thanks mainly to the pull of
socialising with friends and “discovering
going out and having a beer.”
However, as many can relate to, the
call of the mats never goes away, and
Craig found his way back into judo later in
life. “I started grading with the BJC actually,”
Craig says. “I was already a 2nd or 3rd Dan
with the BJC, but I knew I wanted to start
my grading with British Judo. “When I went
to a grading event at Walsall, Keith Merrick
knew about my history and I think I got
graded straight in at 2nd Dan with the BJA.
Obviously, I hit masters at 30, and I’m going
to be 44 this year.”
Still a relatively young man, Craig maintains
MASTERS AND VETERANS
high intensity within his judo training, but does
admit to “having to train smarter.” Like most
judoka achieving their goals, his success is
based on being disciplined with his training
regime and making the most of the 24 hours in
every single day.
“I have a full-time job in recruitment, so
it’s a busy schedule, but I manage to make
it all work,” says Craig. “It can be tough,
but I’m very disciplined with my training.
My wife is fantastic; I think she’s accepted
that she’s a judo widow! I go training on
15
e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
MATSIDE

16

e t
g s.n
m a
r l d
o
 as hard as I do now, was as dedicated
“IT TOOK ME 36 COMPETITIONS as I am now, but that also gives me the
motivation to give everything I can to
AND GRADINGS – SPANNING 96 getting better now.

FIGHTS – TO GET MY 1ST DAN”
- DANNY BIDGOOD
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Sometimes, if I can fit it in, I’ll go to the gym
over the weekend as well.”
Though approaching his mid-forties, Craig
stresses that he still likes to train with senior
players and reaps many benefits as a result. As
you mature, your training may have to evolve,
but that doesn’t mean you can’t exercise
diversity and continue to practise with players
of various ages.
“I do think training with the seniors is still a
“With the way judo is, you can never
stop learning, be it via training, randori
or whatever. I would encourage people
to keep competing, but I do think that
choice depends on what level you’ve
been competing at. If you’re a Craig Fallon,
who’s been there and done it at the highest
level, his motivation to carry on as a masters
player is probably minimal. If you’re a club level
player, you can continue to gain the benefits of
competition at masters.
“Personally, I still get an absolute buzz from
the competition, to the point where I’d say my
judo is really focussed primarily around the
competition; it means that much to me. My son
also trains and competes, so maybe I crack on

MASTERS AND VETERANS

great tool when trying to keep your speed and a bit to give him some inspiration as well.”
cardio in check,” Craig explains. “Sometimes For anyone interested in finding out
you can see masters players slow down that bit more about British Judo masters and
too much, so I find training with the seniors, or veterans opportunities and incentives,
high performance players, you still get a lot out visit www.britishjudo.org.uk/gb-judo/gb-
of it. You may only be able to get a few randori masters/
in, and you may get
thrown a lot, but you’re
still becoming a better
fighter at masters level.”
Masters and veterans
competitions are on the
rise, but that’s only one
side of the coin. Looking
past the ranks of judoka 17
continuing to enjoy
the adrenaline rush on
tournament mats, there
are just as many making
their way through the club
doors and benefitting from
training. In conclusion:
e t
.n
competition isn’t just for
seniors, and judo is for life.
“I’m probably the
most in love with judo
now as I’ve ever been,”
Craig states in closing. “I
ag s
maybe missed a window
when I was younger,
mainly due to finding the

l d m
beer and going out a
lot, so I feel like I’ve a bit
of a point to prove now
as a competitor. I look
back and wish I trained o r
 WORDS & PICTURES:
CALLUM MEDCRAFT
MATSIDE

18

e t
g s.n
m a
r l d
o
 I STARTED AS A WHITE BELT
OLE BISCHOF A CONVERSATION WITH THE 2008 OLYMPIC CHAMPION AND 2012 OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALIST

OLE BISCHOF
19

e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
MATSIDE
H eading into the 2000 European
Championships, Germany’s Ole
Bischof was lacking major accolades in his
trophy cabinet and still to reach the top
level in our sport. He was 24 years old, well
into his stride as an athlete, and reaching
a stage in his career when it was time to
20 hit ‘top gear’.
Many thought it was too late for
Bischof - who had lacked full-time training
opportunities in his early development –
to achieve his childhood Olympic dream.
However, he came away from the 2000
European Championships with a silver
medal, and with it the realisation that he
could achieve his dreams, that he WOULD
achieve his dreams.
“I was 24 when I started to have full-
time support with my judo,” Ole explains.
“This is very, very late compared to most
judoka. In 2000, I won silver at the European
championships but, before that, I’d always felt
like I was number five or six within Germany
at my weight class – up until then, that was
possibly the truth.
“I always trained a lot but I didn’t have the
support of the system, as in training full-time,
until quite late in my development. Despite
this, I always carried hope, because my results
continued to get better and I thought it was just
a matter of time.”
His work ethic and strong desire were no
doubt products of his environment, having
been raised by parents who both taught
physical education. Like many youngsters,
Ole’s Olympic dream was conceived as a
spectator, having watched one of his fellow
countrymen step onto the rostrum in 1988.
“I was about eight or nine years old when
the summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea,
were taking place,” Ole says. “Marc Meiling
was competing for Germany at -95kg; he was
a very strong competitor. I remember coming
home from school and watching Marc win all
e t
.n
his matches to qualify for the final. Sadly, he
lost in the final, but I just loved watching him
s
fight so much. That night my father came home
g
from work and I asked him what he thought
a
about it. I was thinking, this guy got silver, and I
think my dream is now to get a gold medal.
m
“Like most parents, my father lifted me up
with his words: ‘Of course! You’re my son, and
l d
you can be an Olympic Champion. Both of
r
my parents are sports teachers, specialising in
swimming and Olympic gymnastics for men. I
o
was always taking part in all these sports, but
judo was really my thing. I just kept going; like
they say, I started as a white belt (laughs).”
 Ole’s route to success was certainly
unconventional. As a youngster, his
commitment to judo was clear as he trained as
close to full-time as possible while carrying out
his studies. He was yet to have the support of
the national programme, but he was training as
much as humanly possible.
“Up until I was 18, I think I trained around
eight or nine times per week,” Ole says. “It was
still a lot compared to recreational players. Also,
I lived on a hill, so in the mornings and evenings
I would cycle for 30 minutes each way – that
was training on its own. My first chance to do
full-time training was when I went into the army.
In that time national service was in place, so I
chose to go to the sports group for two years.
It was a little bit longer than you had to be
there, but it was a good experience.”
Bischof’s academic education ran in
tandem with his development as a judoka,
setting a fine example for aspiring young
athletes. In fact, his education in economics
was only concluded
in 2012, the year he
made his final Olympic
appearance in London:
“I KNOW IT WASN’T THE BEST
“I studied
economics. I started
WAY TO PREPARE FOR AN
in 2000 and I finished OLYMPICS, BUT MY BIGGEST AIM
in 2012 – a long time!
In the UK you would WAS TO GO AND FIGHT AND NOT
call it Bachelor and
Masters degrees. I
LOSE IN THE FIRST ROUND”
had to stretch it across
such a length of time because of my training,
but you can do these things; there’s always
time in the day.”
As his career progressed Ole developed
into an extremely talented fighter, known for his
toughness, wide range of tachi-waza attacks,
and his fierce dominance of kumi-kata.
“I’d be lying if I said I trained it more than
other areas of my judo; there was no specific
focus on this,” Ole says honestly. “I would say
that my strength was that I had a complete
system, understand? I never entered a match
thinking I didn’t have a solution to apply to the
situation. Somehow, I always found an avenue
to explore that was based around my training.”
Having continued to gain momentum on
the competition circuit, Bischof qualified for the
2008 Olympics in Beijing, entering the event
as the number four seed. At the age of 28, it
was relatively late for a judoka to be making his
Olympic debut, but the German fighter was set
to hit the ground running.
“I was ranked fourth going into the Games,
and I’d medalled at all the big competitions
leading up to it, so I felt confident I could do
well if I performed at my best,” Ole says of his
pre-Olympic expectations. “I was as prepared
as I possibly could have been and you have
to be ready to take your moments, as well as
have a bit of luck to guide you through.”
Ole walked away from Beijing as the -81kg
Olympic Champion, beating Kim Jae-bum of
South Korea in the final. Olympic gold is the
ultimate achievement for every judoka, and
for Ole it was the culmination of his life’s work.
The fact that it was his debut Olympics, at the
age of 28, undoubtedly made the moment that
much sweeter.
“Winning Olympic gold will always be my
proudest moment but getting that silver at
the European championships was probably
the most important for myself,” Ole states
OLE BISCHOF
while reflecting on success. “That result really
was a turning point for me, a moment when I
realised I could achieve
what I wanted.”
Picking up a fairy
tale Olympic title in
Beijing could have
easily marked the end
of Bischof’s athletic
career; retiring as an
undefeated Olympian
certainly does have a
ring to it. But London
2012 would see Bischof
compete as a 32-year-old, towards the tail 21
end of his career and potentially past his best.
Though retirement was his initial plan, he
eventually decided to keep his competition gi in
circulation and fight for a chance to defend his
Olympic title.
“My plan before going to Beijing was to
retire after the competition,” Ole states. “I
e t
.n
thought it would be the highlight of my career,
and that it should be the way to end. I really
s
thought about this a lot after the Olympics,
g
but I was sure I wanted to keep training for a
a
few years after winning gold; there was a lot
of media attention in Germany, and I was able
m
to promote our sport and earn some money.
When 2010 rolled around, I’d come to the
l d
conclusion that I wanted to keep going for
r
London. As soon as I tasted Olympic defeat for
the first time, I knew I should retire (laughs).”
o
As you’d expect, Ole’s preparation for
London 2012 couldn’t have been more different
than that for his Olympic debut in Beijing.
MATSIDE

22

e t
g s.n
m a
r l d
o
“I never entered a match thinking I didn’t have a
NUMBER OF solutionS to apply to the situation”
Having eased off the gas during 2009 and
2010, he found himself fighting an uphill battle
to once again establish himself as the German
number 1 at -81kg.
“It was completely different than leading
up to Beijing,” Ole says on his London 2012
preparation. “I’d love to say that I was as well
prepared mentally, but it wasn’t the case.
I’d essentially been marketing for two years
post Beijing, and then there were plenty of
other German athletes who wanted to go
to London. There was Sven Maresch, who
was a top ten fighter, and I only managed to
over me. The fight obviously heated up, it was
very emotional, but I handled the emotions
and kept trying to apply my strategy. It’s
always a fine line trying to play within the rules
and not to receive penalties, so it was a very
interesting fight. It was full of tension, full of
emotion, but a great moment.”
The London Olympic final was a replay
of the bout from Beijing, with Bischof taking
on the South Korean, Kim Jae-bum. Though
this time the German had to make do with a
silver medal, his Olympic career is perhaps as
close to perfect as anyone could ever hope for,

OLE BISCHOF
secure my qualification above him a month and he chose to retire straight after the final –
before the games. having lost just one Olympic bout in his career.
“I know it wasn’t the best way to prepare Bischof’s journey couldn’t be more
for an Olympics, but my biggest aim was to inspiring: believe in yourself, never give up, and
go and fight and not lose in the first round. work harder than anyone around you – on and
I didn’t want people to be able to point to off the mat. A pretty sound message for future
my selection and say I didn’t deserve to be generations, wouldn’t you agree?
there. If you lose your first fight, as an Olympic
champion, I think people will point to your
preparation, your desire; say things like, ‘Ah,
you know what, he was doing too much
marketing’, and things like that.
“I fought fight by fight, and the outcome
ended up being amazing. However, if you’d
asked me in the morning if I could have taken 23
fifth place, I probably would have settled for
that I think.’
A standout moment during Ole’s run
to silver in London came via his semi-final
encounter with the American, Travis Stevens.
The match came as close to boiling over as
possible, with both athletes teetering on the
e t
.n
edge of sportsmanship with their heated,
gripping exchanges. Their emotions were
palpable and it made for a riveting watch,
but Ole is quick to stress that – when all said
and done - the match was nothing short of a
professional display.
ag s
“Maybe you will laugh now, but I think it
was a very professional display from both
sides, because both fighters showed a great

l d m
desire to win,” Bischof says on his encounter
with Stevens in London. “I think his strategy
was to show me his dominance; he wanted
to show he was in amazing shape, he was a
physical fighter, and that he had an advantage o r
 Chief Medical
KEITH BARROW: Officer
MATSIDE
24
A fter 20 years of service as Chief
Medical Officer, Keith Barrow
has long been one of the most familiar
faces within British Judo. We sat down
with Keith to discuss some of the finer
details within his role, as well as some
standout memories from his career.
Hi Keith, can you tell us a little bit
about what your role as Chief Medical
Officer entails?
It’s quite all-encompassing actually; it’s
not just looking after the high-performance
team – like many people assume – but looking
after judo players all over the country. So,
for the players and the staff at the Centre
of Excellence, I act as a sort of GP. I do ask
them to go and get their own GP, but often
they chose to use me for prescriptions and
general health matters for sake of ease. We
communicate in person when I make visits, or
over the phone.
The other big role I take on is the emphasis
on the muscular and skeletal systems;
managing injury and things like that; very
much in conjunction with the head physio.
So, we keep an eye on the patients, discuss
their health, organise scans or consultant
appointments and that sort of thing. I’ll liaise
with Dave Hart, the Lead Physio, a lot when it
comes to plans around managing injury and
things of that nature as well.
The third prong to what I do would be the
team on competitions and training camps.
e t
sort of travel doctor bit, as I go away with the
.n
Once again, I’m there to operate as a sort of
GP, but also, I’ll be mat side during the events
s
to manage any issues that come up.
g
There’s also a responsibility as the doctor
a
for the British Judo Association as a whole.
Sometimes I’ll get calls from parents and
m
coaches around the country asking about
specific medications and treatments, so it’s a
l d
fairly varied role.
r And though you have a wealth of
experience specific to judo, you’ve been
o
actively involved with a number of other
sports during your career?
My history with sports medicine goes
“I THINK JUDO PLAYERS ARE SOME
THE HARDEST TRAINING, FITTEST
ATHLETES THAT I HAVE EVER MET
ACROSS ALL THE SPORTS”
back to 1997, so I’ve been doing this for
20 odd years. I’ve looked after professional
rugby league sides – specifically the London
Broncos – as well as my work within judo.
I was also the Chief Medical Officer for the
British Olympic team and Chief Medical Officer
for the Youth Olympics. It was more of an
admin role with the Olympics, organising the
doctors on hand for that multi-sport event.
I’ve also been a doctor for amateur boxing
as well, so that’s university-based boxing at
the University of Brighton – I’ve been their
doctor for around five or six years now. So,
yes, I’ve been involved with a number of
different sports, but judo has always been my
main one.
What would you say are the typical
issues that you have had to address with
judo players – from an injury perspective
– over the years?
Well, obviously, due to the sport being quite
gladiatorial by nature – it’s a very attritional,
conflict sport – we get a lot of upper limb,
specifically shoulder issues to manage. We
see a lot of wrist and finger issues, while knee
problems are another big one we see a fair bit –
ACL injuries being a common occurrence.
Do you find yourself having to decide
when it’s appropriate to treat injuries with
rest, rehab, or surgery?
It’s not a unilateral decision,
actually. There’s always a lot of
consultation with Dave Heart;
we may get a scan of an injury
and draw conclusions from
that. It may be that a player
needs some time out – and
obviously the next step is to
discuss this with their coaches.
Interestingly, the majority
of judo injuries do require a
consultant opinion, which
generally implies some form
of surgical correction is on the
cards. There are few players
I can think of where we’ve
seen that all they require is
time out. Having said that,
we recently had Nekoda
Davies take some time out
to let her ankle injury settle
down, but that is unusual.
Usually we see players go to
a consultant for a repair job,
and then Dave will do the
rehab post-operation. It can
be a tricky process, as it’s not in the nature of a
judo player to want to take any time off.
You’ve been in your role with British
Judo for 20 years; a phenomenal service
to the sport. Can you remember your first
experiences in the role?
I actually remember one of my first
tournaments, back in 1997, was when Kate
Howey broke her arm. So, that sadly spelt the
end of her career just while I was getting started.
You must have so many standout
memories and experiences during your 20
KEITH BARROW
years with British Judo?
Oh absolutely. One player who springs to
mind, which is quite appropriate given her recent
European Championship silver, is Sally Conway.
I was there when Sally won a World Junior silver
medal in the Dominican Republic; I was there in
Rio when she won her Olympic bronze medal,
then obviously at the European Championships
this year as well. Following Sally through the ups
and downs during her career is something that
has stood out for me, definitely.
What have you found to be the most
enjoyable parts of your role over the
years?
For me, it has to be travelling with the 25
teams. We don’t actually get to that many
exotic locations overall with the judo circuit;
e t
.n
ag s
l d m
o r

“I AM GOING TO MISS MY
ROLE GREATLY, BUT I REALLY
DO FEEL IT’S TIME FOR SOME
NEW THINKING”
some of the places are far from it! That said,
travelling with the teams to competitions,
being part of the performance team as we
collectively try to help the athletes get their
results, that’s what I have always enjoyed. You
also get one of the best seats in the house as
a mat side doctor.
I have to say that everything has come
on leaps and bounds since Nigel has taken
over. We’ve got such a great system in place
now when the team goes away; everyone
knows their role and I think that reflects on
MATSIDE
the players, who are now getting the medals.
I do think that’s a sign the support staff are all
really working well together as well.
You must have seen a lot of changes
during your time in terms of the
professionalism of the sport from a
medical perspective?
I think you quite rightly hit the nail on the
head with the word professionalism, as the
players are much more professional nowadays.
26
Keith has supported Sally Conway since she
won silver at the Junior World Championships
I’d also say the whole medical
approach to sports medicine has
come on hugely. It’s much more
scientific now whereas it was
previously a hearsay thing. We’re
always working hard to apply
more science and research into
what we are doing and keeping
things as efficient as possible.
Given your experience in sport, how
physically demanding would you say
judo is as a sport in the grand scheme of
things?
I think judo players are some the hardest
training, fittest athletes that I have ever met
across all the sports. Even rugby league
players, who have a sort of reputation as
being super fit, I think judo players outstrip
them in terms of fitness and attitude. The
combative nature of judo brings with it a
constant grind on the body, but judo players
approach this very, very well.
You must have had some tough
decisions to make during competitions
when it comes to athletes who are
injured, but want to carry on fighting?
Yes, that’s always a tough one. If you
remember the London Olympics, when
Gemma got her silver medal, the doctor, Craig
White and physio, Ben Ashworth knew that
she’d broken her thumb in an earlier match.
We all agreed that we weren’t going to tell
her, which I think worked out to be the right
decision, but it’s not always an easy choice.
Ultimately, you have the athletes’ health as
the number one responsibility. But, you know,
in situations where you have an Olympic final
like with Gemma, you have to weigh things
up. In general, though, you go for what’s best
for an athlete’s health.
After 20 years of service to British
Judo, Keith, it must be tough to be
e t
.n
stepping down from your role?
Well, after 20 years, I feel it’s the right
s
time for some new blood. I feel it’s right to be
g
stepping down now, and the new doctor, Joe
a
Banks, will be taking on my role. I am going to
miss it greatly, but I really do feel it’s time for
l d m
some new thinking, some new ideas, and a
new person in the post.
Having looked after both our
o r
performance team and Association
members alike, we would all like to say a
huge ‘thank you’ to Keith for everything
he has done for our sport over the years.
 GLASGOW
VETERAN EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
EMIRATES ARENA 14-17 JUNE

2018
GLASGOW
Veteran EUROPEAN
JUDO Championships

O W O P E N !
S T R AT I O N N
L E T E R EG I
AT H
THE 2018 VETERAN EUROPEAN JUDO
e t
CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE COMING TO GREAT
BRITAIN!
g s .n
ENTER ONLINE NOW AT
m a
l d
WWW.EUROJUDOVETS2018.CO.UK
r
o
 LUCY RENSHALL: TECH FOCUS WITH OUR JUNIOR EUROPEAN CHAMPION

HARAI-GOSHI
Still only 22 years-old, Lucy Renshall is one of our bright young talents on the British
Judo Squad. She became a Junior European Championship in 2015, but has gone on
to show a number of terrific showings as a senior, topped off by a fifth place finish at
the 2018 Paris Grand Slam. In this instalment of Tech Focus, Lucy shows some of her
favourite throws, as well as a transition into ne-waza.

1 2
MATSIDE

Starting with a standard collar and sleeve grip on your opponent. Start to pull your opponent
28 on to you with their right sleeve as you turn 180 degrees and bring your right arm around your
opponent’s head.

3 4

e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
Continue to pull your opponent on to you with your grip on their right sleeve as you rotate into
the throw. Your hips must be lower than your opponent’s hips in order to break their balance as
you propel them forwards and over your right shoulder to the mat.

5 6

TECHNIQUE FOCUS
7 8
29

e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
 LUCY RENSHALL: TECH FOCUS WITH OUR JUNIOR EUROPEAN CHAMPION
O-UCHI-GARI

1 2
MATSIDE

Starting with a standard collar and sleeve grip. Pull your opponent towards you slightly to get a
reaction and make them sit back on their heels. As your opponent shifts their weight backwards,
step in with your right foot to bring your chest again theirs.

30
3 4

e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
Make a circle on the mat with your right foot so that it sweeps behind your opponent’s left ankle;
try to keep your foot on the mat at this stage. As you kick your opponent’s left leg away from
underneath them, continue to drive forward as you pull your opponent’s right lapel downwards to
help break their posture and finish the throw.

5 6

TECHNIQUE FOCUS
7 8
31

e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
 LUCY RENSHALL: TECH FOCUS WITH OUR JUNIOR EUROPEAN CHAMPION
SANKAKU-JIME

1 2
MATSIDE

There are a obviously a number of ways to get your opponent down to the mat and on all fours, so
this simple chop down works fine.

3 4

32

e t
.n
5 6

ag s
l d m
o r
As soon as your opponent hits the mat, bring your left hand underneath their own left arm to gain
control of their lapel, at the same time throw your right leg over their right shoulder. Roll down
towards your right hip to turn your opponent, at the same time lock off the sankaku. Adjust your
feet if you need to and start to sit up over your opponent’s body to finish the strangle.

7 8

TECHNIQUE FOCUS
19 1
10

33

1
11 1
12
e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
 KIDS CORNER
WORD SEARCH
F C A S Q L J S T B T D Y K O

M U G F F J K G O V Q X Y A L

E V A R G T E P L A M A J R E

O J I M H F E Q B F Y O K P B

P D J K P J X V R X T Q G O I
MATSIDE

S M U J E I Z A F N H Z Z T S

T H O J U M N F A S E M N A C

W R I E N K U C I D M E F Y H

E V E Q D A O I Z F T V Z L O

A G W E N I E S M N G Y W E F
34
C L W T V K Q P P A I Z M C S

K I S A O Y K C O R M D K A H

T Q L V T E D D Y R I N E R X

e t
.n
N F D B J U L X M U U U Z D F

O N O I E H O H S M I E

ag
F
s B T

HOW MANY OF EUROPEANJUDO OLEBISCHOF

THESE WORDS
ACELYATOPRAK
JAMALPETGRAVE
ld m
SHOHEIONO
FRANKDEWIT

CAN YOU FIND?

IJF
TEDDYRINER
o r MAMIUMEKI
FLAVIOCANTO
 Solutions: 1. Flag has changed on Kate Howey’s gi. 2. Kate Howey has an extra finger! 3. Gemma Howell’s
base layer has changed colour. 4. Gemma Howell’s gi logo has changed. 5. Kate Howey’s name on her gi

o
has changed. 6. The gym equipment in the background has extended to the ceiling.

r l d
m a
.n g s
e t
35

KIDS CORNER
CAN YOU SPOT SIX DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE TWO PICTURES?
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
 e t
g s.n
m a
r l d
o
 e t
g s.n
m a
r l d
o
 CLUB FOCUS

THE BUDOKWAI
HEAD COACH & CHAIRMAN: PETER BLEWETT || FOUNDED IN 1918 BY GUNJI KOIZUMI
G.K. HOUSE, 4 GILSTON RD, LONDON SW10 9SL
BUDOKWAI.CO.UK
MATSIDE

38

e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
 T he Budokwai is a dojo steeped
in history, and often referred to
as one of the most influential martial
arts facilities aside from The Kodokan in
Tokyo, the spiritual home of judo. 2018
saw The Budokwai - the oldest martial
arts club in Europe – celebrate its 100th
birthday, having been founded in 1918 by
Japanese immigrant, Gunji Koizumi.
Over time, The Budokwai has hosted some
of the best Japanese and British athletes and
teachers in judo, forging its place as one of the
truly special dojos in the world of martial arts.
Located in the heart of Chelsea, the building
itself is one of the most endearing and unique
“WE’VE HAD THE LIKES OF GUY RITCHIE,
WILLIAM HAGUE, LORD SEBASTIAN COE
ALL TRAIN HERE – IT’S AN ENDLESS
LIST TO BE HONEST”
dojos you are likely to see. The Budokwai
members own their building’s freehold; a
remarkable fact when you consider it would
undoubtedly be valued at many multiples of
millions sterling.
We caught up with Peter Blewett – a
Budokwai member since the 70s, now Chief
Instructor and Chairman – to discuss his affinity
with this unique club and his hopes for its future.
Hi Peter, thank you for your time. Can
you start by telling us a little bit about
your personal background in judo?
So, I started judo in 1965 at a club called
the South Bucks Judo Society – as it was
then - in a town called Beaconsfield. That
was a sort of Sunday morning type thing,
but it wasn’t long until one of the coaches,
Richard Cohen, suggested I really needed to
be training in London if I wanted to take it to
the next level. Richard’s original allegiance was
with the Renshuden, so I started going there,
but I knew I really wanted to get my black belt
at the Budokwai.
I got my black belt at the Budokwai in
September of 1973; I got it at my first attempt,
which was all very memorable, as I had Chris
Bowles in my line-up. Fast-forward to 1986 and
the Budokwai made me their Chief Instructor.
One of my many weaknesses is perhaps not
being able to let go of things, so
I still maintain my role as Chief
Instructor (laughs), and I was made
Chairman in 2012.
As a competitor, I had a brief
CLUB FOCUS
spell in the British team, but the
challenge for me was that I was
around at the same time as the great
Neil Adams, which was always going to make
things tricky! I still had some great experiences,
with a standout being the Senior European
Championships in 1980. We ended up losing
the bronze medal match, but I fought the
reigning Olympic and World champion, so there
were some great memories.
What has been your occupation
and has it helped with your roles at the
Budokwai?
Professionally, my background was in
Physical Education, I was a teacher for 38 39
years – I finished my career as the Vice Principal
of the Langley Academy before retiring a year
e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
MATSIDE

ago. So now I am devoting all my energy to my that you can dip in and out and you’re only
involvement here at the club. affecting yourself.
You are also Chairman of the London The Budokwai is a fascinating club for
area, so how does that tie in with your a number of reasons, but one very unique
role at the Budokwai? feature is the facility you currently occupy.
I’m trying to get the club involved more You must be very proud of your dojo!
and more within the infrastructure of London So, this year marks our centenary year, and
because, in my opinion, it was a little bit isolated we’ve actually been in this building since 1954
before. I’m trying to encourage our Budokwai – so 64 years in this building. The joy is that we
members to go out and do more across own the freehold to the building, in an amazing
London. There wasn’t much infrastructure in area. The rest of the planet is selling off its
place when I took over as the Chairman of the resourses, but while I’m here the vision is for the
London area, but now we have five matted club to remain on this site, but to perhaps use
40 areas at the University of East London; we’ve the space more creatively. We’ve actually just
a great venue to host events and things are
moving forward.
I believe sport reflects society, and in
London we have such a vibrant, diverse society
– it’s just such an amazing place, as is the
Budokwai of course.
What would you say are your current
e t
.n
goals as Chairman of the Budokwai?
Well, we cradle to the philosophy of
involvement at the club; that’s extremely
prominent in our thinking. Kids are inspired by
their experiences at school, but there are a lot
of schools that – for good reason – don’t have
ag s
judo in place from an early age. There’s always
a reasonably high turnover with youngsters,
but we believe that if they’re having good

l d m
experiences from a young age, they’re more
likely to either stick with the sport, or return to it
again at some stage in life.
Obviously, we encourage commitment, but
the beauty of judo – unlike team sports – is o r
“I BELIEVE SPORT REFLECTS
SOCIETY, AND IN LONDON
WE HAVE SUCH A VIBRANT,
DIVERSE SOCIETY – IT’S JUST
SUCH AN AMAZING PLACE, AS
IS THE BUDOKWAI OF COURSE”
commissioned some quite sophisticated designs
from an architect and we’re about to launch a
funding project to refurbish the building for the
21st century.
This building was built about 100 years
ago as a school, and we’ve sort of adapted
the building as best we can, but it’s not really
fit for purpose in a modern-day sense. Our
apex ceiling is very unusual for this borough of been able to showcase something new for us
London, and I think we’re probably the only full- to learn and take on. I do think that’s something

time sports facility in the borough that is owned
by its members – I think we’re pretty quirky. Our
goal with the development project is to always
pay homage to our past, our Japanese heritage,
while paving a vision for the future.
You mention your Japanese heritage,
which is as prominent as any club outside
of Japan. Also, because of your location
in London, you must get such a wide
variety of people come to train?
We’ve had the likes of Guy Ritchie, William
Hague, Lord Sebastian Coe – it’s an endless list
to be honest. Of course, when you get so many
different characters on the mat, there are always
issues with how you handle that.
I think one of the nicest compliments
someone ever paid me was when they said
I run this place like a successful cocktail
party. I was a bit on the back foot with that
at first, but we do treat everyone here with
equal importance. I believe judo lends itself to
this sort of inclusion; whether you’re a world
champion or a hobbyist, you can always adapt
your training within this environment.
As a club with strong Japanese
roots, do you do anything in particular to
replicate your ties with the Kodokan?
I believe paying respect to our Japanese
heritage is hugely important, especially with
our personal ties to Japan. I’ve been extremely
privileged as Chief Instructor to have a number
CLUB FOCUS
we’ve had here which is very unique, so we do
try to maintain our Japanese heritage, as it’s
something we are extremely proud of.
Is it hard to cultivate your competitive
students’ development alongside more
recreational players?
That is hard, and it can prove very tough at
times. It’s not always easy to create a perfect
environment for everyone, but then I’ve always
encouraged our members to develop their
training away from the club if they so desire. I
have people who train with us two or three times
a week but will get another session in at another
club for a bit of variety.
There was a time when I first took over in 41
the mid ‘80s – and probably even earlier when
I first started training here in the ‘70s – where
e t
.n
ag s

l d m
of top Japanese judoka come through to teach
and train at the Budokwai, so I’m still learning all
the time at 62.
For every single one of the top, top
Japanese judoka we’ve had here, they’ve all o r
 there was a sort of Budokwai clique, who would head into a lot of moving uchi-comi. After that,
just smash. The view was that if you were tough we head to randori, so you cover all the bases.
MATSIDE

enough - or stupid enough, depending how you
look at things – you’d stick around. I thought
the balance wasn’t right, so we are very hot on
keeping an eye on sessions to make sure no
one is taking advantage of situations, particularly
for people who come here for the first time.
For every one person who comes through
your doors, there’s a potential half a dozen
hovering outside waiting to get the confidence
to come through. I think it’s very important that a
person’s first experience is a positive one.
What have been the biggest changes
you’ve seen since you’ve been involved at
the Budokwai?
42 At the risk of repeating myself, it’s probably
the change in culture over the years. My
generation could probably have been arrested
off the back of some of our training sessions
(laughs). The general mentality has shifted now
- within judo as a whole – so from that point of
view things are much more professional and
less, for want of a better word, barbaric.
The way we teach has changed greatly
as well. In my first class I learned break falls
exclusively, which was pretty dull if I’m honest. For
me, whenever there’s a new student in the judo
class, of course they learn how to fall properly, but
they will always experience – not necessarily do –
a throw or a hold down or a strangle.
What would a typical class look like
for you?
As we mentioned earlier, we have a huge
range of people coming through the door, so
often you’re looking at busy, professional people,
who just want a release. Managing expectations
and making sure everyone getting what they
need. We have classes that consist of a nice
warm up, uchi-comi, and then essentially a free
practice. If you’re looking for more technical
advice, we have sessions geared towards that
also, so it’s all encompassing really.
In closing Peter, what advice would you
give to people when it comes to coaching?
For people starting out, deliver what
you’re comfortable with before stepping
out of your comfort zone. Do try to develop
situations that challenge you, so if someone
good turns up at a class, try to exploit that
and learn from them as well.
e t
.n
ag s

l d m
So, I always start with a warm-up; a balance
between routine, then also some form of
exercise that imposes a challenge and breaks
things up a bit. I move on to some technical
work, nothing too complex actually, and then we o r
 CLUB FOCUS
43

e t
g s.n
m a
r l d
o
 A DAY IN THE LIFE:
Abbie Clayton2ND DAN OXFORD JUDO, GB MASTERS SQUAD TRAINING FOR JUNE
EUROPEANS, MUM OF TWO, AND HR CONSULTANCY DIRECTOR.

The prospect of returning to judo after

a long lay-off can be a daunting one. Like
most things that are worthwhile, it requires
confidence, bravery and – undoubtedly
- plenty of persistence. Abbie Clayton
returned to judo after 21 years away from
the mat, going on to claim her Second Dan
and set her sights on the 2018 Veterans
European Championships in Glasgow.
As a mother of two young girls, Abbie
maintains a full-time job, lives on a farm, and
MATSIDE

still manages to fit plenty of judo into her busy

schedule by “making time for the things that are
important.” As a former football player, sport
has always been prevalent in her life, but judo
offers the challenges and opportunities Abbie
continues to crave.
“I started judo at an after-school club when
I was around nine,” Abbie says. “I was getting
into a few scraps at school – getting into
trouble – so I think my mum thought it would
be good for me to go along to judo and learn
some discipline. I got to around green belt, but I
ended up stopping when I was about 13.
“I stopped doing judo because my football developing the farm on her plate - many
44 really took off. I used to play for Oxford United, would have thought Abbie was busy enough.
followed by Stockport and some other clubs, However, her judo career was put back on
so that really took up a lot of my time. When I track thanks to her children, and a chance
went to university, I was playing football every reunion with her old kit…
single day. I played for Oxford City and Oxford “My kids are now nine and ten, and they
United when I came back home as well. When started doing judo a couple of years ago,”
women’s football turned professional, you either
had to dedicate all your time to it, or play for
Abbie says. “We were building an extension to
our house back then, and I was moving some
e t
.n
a rubbish club – and I didn’t want to do either boxes of stuff around when out fell my old judo
of those (laughs). With judo being an individual kit. I tried it on, and it still kind of fit (laughs).
sport, and looking back at the number of yellow
cards I got playing football, perhaps judo was
always going to be the sport for me!”
With her football career in the past - and
s
My two girls are pretty strong, they were doing

g
their judo and we live on a farm, so there are

a
always plenty of things to be doing. I decided I
didn’t want the kids to get stronger than me, so
a busy schedule of work, family life and

“I ALWAYS THINK YOU l d m

I looked online and saw that Oxford Judo had a
re-joiners course; this was 21 years after I
had stopped doing judo. The lady running

MAKE TIME FOR WHAT’S

IMPORTANT TO YOU” o r the re-joiners course was Jordan Doherty,
and she was just brilliant - very supportive
and full of encouragement.
“I’d been back on the mats for a
couple of weeks when I then went up
to visit my sister in Birmingham. I
randomly entered a competition,
which I won, and I well and truly got
the bug back. I treated myself to a
new kit after that (laughs). After my
first few competitions I graded up
to brown belt, followed by my black
belt, and I’m now a Second Dan.”
After 21 years away from the
mat, Abbie’s return and promotion
to Second Dan is a truly inspirational
story, emphasising that it’s never too
late to benefit from judo. For Abbie,
her judo has once again become
an important part of her life, and
therefore she gives it the time it
warrants within her week.
“I am an HR consultant and I do
work full-time, but it’s quite flexible,”
Abbie says on her busy schedule.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

“Aside from work and judo, I’m either looking after
my kids or working on the farm, which we live on.
“I always think you make time for what’s
important to you. Initially it was a real struggle
to make that beginner session at Oxford Judo,
but I juggled everything around so that I could
definitely do it. Luckily, with Oxford now, you can
pretty much train every day and it’s much easier
to get on the mat. As an example, this evening I’ll
be training 8:30 until 10, so I can put the kids to
bed and then still get out for a session – it works
perfectly. I’ve have had people ask me how I
find time to fit everything in, but I really do think
you’ll find the time if it’s important to you. Even
if I’m in the office – and it’s impossible for me to
get to judo in the evening – I’ll go for a 10k run
at lunchtime to get some head space and keep
on top of things. The other thing that makes all
my judo and training possible is my wonderful
husband, who encourages me all the way.”
Her competitive nature was undoubtedly
cultivated through playing football at a high
level, and it’s something that remains prevalent
through her judo. Abbie competes regularly,
uses judo to set goals, and continues to
develop into the best she can possibly be.
“For me, I think it’s great to have a focus;
something to aim for,” Abbie says. “Competition
of competition you go to, the less likely you are
to get injured. Some people can be a bit afraid
of the prospect of getting hurt; you do have to
be aware of that, but I do think we can build up
competitions to be much more daunting than
they really are. It’s just about trying to put into
practice what you’ve learned at your club.”
Abbie’s return to judo shows that it’s never
too late to rediscover your passion, and that
judo is a fantastic tool for self-development.
She leads a busy life, but it’s a fulfilling one,
with her judo set to remain in focus for many
years to come.
“Judo gives me so much drive and
direction, especially having moved on from 45
playing football,” Abbie says. “From a personal
perspective, it’s great having a goal to aim for
and being able to think about what I want to
achieve over the year. My aim this year is to
turn up fit and healthy at the Europeans and
just give the best possible display of myself as
I can. I’m going to be proud of being there and
e t
.n
doing what I can.
“We have a fantastic group of around 10
s
women at our club, who are all focussed and

g
train hard. I have two little girls who also train

a
at Oxford, and for them to have this group of
women as role models is amazing. There are
is brilliant for that, but I don’t think it has to be
that. It could be as simple as committing to
training a certain number of times a month. m
PHD students and just lots of intelligent, vibrant
people who are focused on being good at

l d
what they do, so it’s just a great environment
A friend of mine at the weekend did a kata
competition, so even if you don’t want to be
dumped on the mat, there’s always plenty of
options for you.
“What I would say is that the higher the level
r
to be around. You can’t really put a value on
that camaraderie really. And finally, you can’t

o
underestimate the value of the physical exercise
you get, and I lost a fair bit of weight once I
returned to judo.”
 A DAY IN THE LIFE
2ND DAN: ABBIE CLAYTON
SO, WHAT DOES A TYPICAL ‘DAY IN THE
LIFE’ LOOK LIKE FOR ABBIE CLAYTON?
Wake up – I live in a semi-
7:00AM converted Pig Shed on a farm
in rural Oxfordshire; it’s often
cold and muddy but great fun. I get up and
feed the chickens and collect some eggs
for my usual breakfast – poached eggs on
toast - then check into work.
MATSIDE
Wake the rest of the family
7:30AM and take my daughters to
school (Jessie 9 and Lily 10)
before heading into my office in Henley
46 on Thames. I work full-time as a Client
Director for Getfeedback – an established
HR Consultancy. The work is varied
and really interesting. I’m a qualified
business psychologist working with
clients to improve the performance of their
businesses through their people, it’s really
rewarding but quite full on.
10:00AM
New client meeting in
the office – discussing
a client’s high potential
development programme – working
through how to select, profile and
coach talented individuals within
their organisation.
Lunchtime 10k out over the
12:00PM Henley hills and back by the
river. Run, showered and
back at my desk ready for the afternoon’s
meetings. Henley is a really beautiful place
– I have about 8 different runs depending
on weather, if it’s a hill day, raining or
muddy and how long I have. I mostly run
alone to keep my weight down for judo
and think about my morning’s work. I
ALWAYS run when I am in the office, keep
my kit there – it is my sanity.
e t
1:00PM
g s
Lunch at my desk, then .n
m a
working, my colleagues
discussing another client’s people
challenges. I work alongside a number
of Olympians (rowers) who have
r l d
moved from high performance sport
to high performing business and they
have great drive and passion. We
o
discuss the psychometric testing and
360 feedback options for a new client’s
development programme.
 Pick up the kids from school.
4:00PM Get their dinner and play at
the farm – both Lily and Jessie love judo
too and regularly train with me on the
farm – we have a home gym (called the
Shed Shed) with weights and machines
(running, rowing, bike) but when the
weather is fine we train outside with
hay bales and tractor tyres – tonight the
weather was rubbish so we just did some
training in the gym.
Head home and pick my
9:00PM eldest up from Cubs on the
way back. Bedtime for the kids, tucking
them up with a story. Then, finally, sit
down for dinner and a well-earned glass of
wine with my husband. We have chicken
Kiev and salad. I have a final check in
with work and we sit down, chuck a
couple of logs on the fire and watch some
catch up TV.

A DAY IN THE LIFE

My husband gets back
6:00PM from his work – he is a
builder - I drop my youngest
at Brownies and head to Oxford for the
Thursday Randori session .

Oxford Judo Randori - There

6:30PM are lots of high grades that
attend the Thursday Oxford
session and a good number of competitive 47
women to train with. Oxford Judo includes
both the university and city clubs and has
a number of different training session each
week – I try to attend as many as I can and
Thursday Randori is one of my favourites
run by our head coach Chris Doherty.

e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
11:00PM
Shut the chickens up, check
on the kids and head to bed.
 JO CROWLEY:
WE TALK TO EALING JUDO CLUB’S HEAD COACH
I started practising judo in 1985 at
the Ealing Youth Judokwai in Sudbury
Hill. I was very fortunate to have Keith
Remfrey as my first coach; a real gentle
giant. When I was 14, I moved to Willesden
Judo Club, but following a successful
British Championships in 1992, I chose to
concentrate on school and left the sport; a
decision taken by many teenagers.
In 2001, while qualifying as a teacher,
I decided to get back on the mat and was
training and coaching at High Wycombe with
the wonderful John O’Brien. I then met up with
MATSIDE
an old Willesden buddy, Mr Basil Dawkins,
and took up what was effectively a coaching
apprenticeship with him at Moberly. No one has
a bigger heart than Basil in British Judo and I
learned so much. I then opened Ealing Judo
Club on 10th April 2003, teaching a class of 15
local beginners.
“CELEBRATE WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT
YOUR CLUB, AND ALWAYS STRIVE TO
IMPROVE AS AN INDIVIDUAL, WITH THE
48 GOAL OF IMPROVING YOUR MEMBERS”
From 2006-2010 I was caretaker back at
Willesden, alongside my fledgling club - and
boy was that a learning curve; so many high-
level athletes at Willesden and I really wasn’t
ready to take it on, but I did my best. In 2010 I
was able to concentrate solely on Ealing again
and from that point we have flourished. I feel
privileged to be in the position I am in now with
my club members being such a fantastic bunch
of people to work with.
CONTINUING TO GROW AS A COACH
I am a sucker for Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) opportunities and have
always sought ways to up-skill. To that end,
I have worked hard to gain qualifications,
experiences and knowledge that challenge me
and facilitate delivery; continually improving. I
travelled to Japan in 2001 to spend some time
at the Kodokan learning kata. I completed the
FDSc in Sports Performance at the University
of Bath in 2008 and also enjoyed working with
Patrick
Roux on
the Fast-
Track
Coaches Programme, also in that period.
In 2012 I was very fortunate to be
employed by LOCOG as a member of the
team organising the judo event at the London
Olympics. That was an incredible experience
and really opened my eyes to the different
faces of elite sport. The Judo Manager, Lisa
Allan, was the most empowering boss and
she taught me so much about managing
people and also managing self. In 2013 I
began attending Sheffield Hallam University
as a member of the first cohort on the PGdip
Advanced Sport Coaching and UKCC Level 4
courses. I passed and have since deferred the
‘level up’ to full MSc, which I am now working
on again. I hope to graduate in November.
COACHING MENTALITY
I believe all coaching should
be approached as any skill
acquisition is approached: it’s
a learning curve, a continuum
of skill development and it
takes time to gather enough
information and experience to
coach well or even satisfactorily at any level.
The key at club level is to guide
philosophies/values for training, competition,
supporting others, team spirit, progression
etc and all within a generally safe - but not
soft - environment. That has to be linked to
sound technical teaching and exposure to the
e t
.n
right events at the right time for each individual
judoka. It’s at club level that we ignite passion
a s
for the sport and show that pretty much all
g
barriers can be leapt over if you really want to.
I don’t think it’s any different a process
at elite level, or for SN groups, or any other
m
coaching cohort; its just a matter of specialism,
learning the parameters and processes at
l d
each level. Being an outstanding coach in a
r
beginner’s class takes as much skill as being
an expert coaching elite cadets or heavyweight
o
senior men, for example. It can be difficult for
many to understand the complexities involved
with running a club, with all its quirks and

the huge range of players and the parents’
involvement. It’s a tough job.
ADVICE FOR ASPIRING COACHES
Coaching is about those you coach, not
the person coaching - put the right person
at the centre of the journey. Players choose
coaches, not the other way round. Shouting
loudly does not equal coaching well. Develop
your philosophies and allow them to evolve,
while sticking to them consistently - bias will
be the death of your integrity. Celebrate and
commiserate for the same length of time (not
very long).
Everyone who walks through your dojo
door deserves your attention. Commit
everyone’s name to long-term memory from the
first time you meet them - this shows value and
acceptance. Always prepare lunch in advance!
Dress more smartly than you think you need
to, impressions last and your effort leads your
athletes’ effort and shows you value them. I
could go on for hours...
COACHING HIGHLIGHTS
I’m very lucky to have sooooo many
highlights as a coach. In no particular order...
Don Werner giving me a nickname at his last
Pinewood annual awards dinner, where I was
his guest. He also gave me a corsage - what
a man! Watching Nekoda (Davies) bounce
on to the mats, carrying the hearts of all the
club members with her, at the Rio Olympics
and winning World bronze and becoming
Commonwealth champ and at every live-
streamed huge event.
Being with Blake Inniss when he won his
black belt on a line up having been injured for
more than three years and having been told
he wouldn’t be able to do judo any more -
judoka resilience is top-drawer stuff! Being with
my sons at their national championships. A
former (they aren’t former, they’re all lifers!) club
member, who I’ve known since she was five,
inviting me to do my motorbike test with her.
Sharing the mat at Ealing Judo Club
with Judo legends such as Neil Adams,
Maki Tsukada, Miklos Ungvari and Darcel
Yandzi - Neil was particularly generous when
he delivered a session to raise funds for the
#SaveSteph campaign. Judo people can
really pull together when it counts, can’t they?!
Hearing Sheldon Franco-Rooks over the live
stream as Nekoda won gold in Zagreb, saying,
‘I bet Jo has just fallen off her sofa!’ This isn’t
an exhaustive list, just a tiny snapshot. Pride
JO CROWLEY
and frustration come in almost equal measure,
but one makes the other worth it.
I believe that every club is unique, and
there are many things that make ours as such.
One practical thing is that we travel; we really
travel, competing and training all over the
world, seeing each event and country as an
opportunity. We run the club with a rich mix of
humour, expectation, madness and challenge!
Honestly, every club has its uniqueness and its
identity and the players will mould themselves
around the coach(es) and the ethos. We have
a wonderful collection of misfits and strays at
Ealing and I love our celebratory handling of all
things different. 49
Celebrate what is different about your club,
and always strive to improve as an individual,
with the goal of improving your members.
e t
.n
ag s
l d m
o r
 CLASSIC KAREN ROBERTS
MATCH: ESZTER CSIZMADIA
1999 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS BRONZE MEDAL MATCH
The 20th anniversary of the International
Judo Federation World Championships
was an especially momentous occasion for
British Judo, as the prestigious tournament
was hosted on native soil for the very first
time. 1999 saw the vibrant Midlands city
of Birmingham entertain the world judo
community, as well as set the scene for
-63kg fighter, Karen Roberts, to produce
MATSIDE
the form of her life.
Heading into the tournament, Kate Howey
was the reigning World Champion looking to
retain her title, while the Scotsman, Graham
Randall, was also hotly tipped to compete for
medals. Few would have thought that Karen
Roberts - a talented junior player yet to fully
showcase her skills as a senior, and whose
selection wasn’t guaranteed until late - would
take home a medal over the weekend.
“So, there had been two of us competing
at -63kg that year and going into the British
Open we were pretty much level pegging,”
Karen says on her selection
50 ordeals. “We were
pretty much of the
understanding that
whoever did better
at the British Open
would be going
to the European
Championships. I
won the British
Open but
ended
up not
getting
selected for the European Championships,
which was absolutely devastating at the
time. The person who went to the Europeans
instead of me didn’t do too well, so I ended
up then being called forward for the World
Championships.
“I guess my state of mind was along the lines
of me having something to prove, and this was
a sort of second chance to show what I can
do having missed out on European selection. I
mean, as judo players, we always step on the
mat with the mentality that we’re going to win –
it’s a strong mind-set – so that was exactly the
same for me leading into the Worlds.”
Having felt aggrieved for missing out on
competing at the Europeans, Karen found
extra motivation to perform on the World stage,
cementing her status as an elite judoka and
showing that she was finally where she belonged.
Judo pressures aside, Roberts could have been
forgiven for losing focus, with her grandfather
taken ill in the build-up to Birmingham.
“We did a holding camp before the
competition down at Bisham Abbey and, just
before we left for Birmingham, I had to go and
see my granddad in hospital,” Karen explains.
“He was 93 at the time and taken poorly. I think
there was a lot going on in my mind leading
up to the event, but I’d done all the usual
preparation and was focussed on answering
all the doubts surrounding me and justifying
e t
.n
the support I’d had – from family and friends –
along the way.”
s
Having finally arrived in Birmingham,
g
Karen was set to experience a tournament
a
atmosphere like none other. The roar of a
packed house, all rooting for their homegrown
l d m
athletes, is something few will ever have the
privilege to experience.
“It was the first time I’d witnessed that level
o r
of support,” Karen says on the vocal crowd.
“After that, I did experience the Olympics, Paris
Grand Slam, Manchester Commonwealth
Games, but that was the first time I’d felt like
there was a packed crowd all supporting me.

“I REMEMBER SOMETIMES
DURING THE DAY JUST LOOKING
UP AND FEELING LIKE SOMEONE
IS HELPING ME THROUGH THIS”
“To be competing in Birmingham was just
incredible; when you walked into the arena it
was absolutely full, and that always lifts you.
I was just determined to step on the mat that
day and make sure I left it all out there and
gave everything I possibly could. It was a really,
really positive energy; it didn’t feel like there was
added pressure, but more along the lines of the
crowd being with you in what you were doing.”
Having gone through her usual routines, and
harnessing the home support, Karen was set to
compete: “I can’t actually remember if I won my
first match and then lost the second, but either
way I ended up in the repechage. I know I lost to
the top Spanish player, who made it to the semi-
final, which in turn brought me back through. My
first repechage match was with a Cuban fighter
called Kenia Rodriguez, which was a really tough
match that went the distance, but I got through
to fight for the medal.”
At the highest level of competition, there
are few judoka who haven’t fought each other
at some stage over the years. Leading into
her bronze medal match, Karen found herself
in an unusual situation: she was set to fight a
Hungarian athlete who she’d never faced, nor
seen face anyone else.
“When it came to the bronze medal
fight, I had never seen the Hungarian - Eszter
Csizmadia - before, so I remember sitting
watching the video back from her fights from
the day before we went back out,” Karen says.”
All I really knew about her was that she’d pretty
much had the day of her life to make it to this
stage of the tournament, so it was going to be
tricky figuring out how to fight her. I managed to
force her into conceding a couple of penalties,
and back then penalties sort of went across as
scores. In the latter stages of the contest I was
able to turn her over in ne-waza; I didn’t hold her
for ippon, but it was a score.”
Coming away from the first World
Championships to be held in Britain with
a bronze medal marked a phenomenal
achievement for Roberts, who left everything
on the mat in some absolute wars on the way
to the rostrum. Though normally a fighter void
of emotion on the tatami,
even Karen struggled to
contain herself once her
achievement sunk in.
“The way I’ve been
brought up – starting in
Pinewood Judo Club –
my coach had always
drummed home the idea
that you don’t give your opponent anything,”
Karen explains. “Any emotion you feel is hidden
away and you maintain your poker face, so
I don’t think I’d ever really expressed any
emotion on the judo mat. For a bit of context,
I remember when I won the Junior World
Championships when I was 15, I came off the
mat and my coaches were asking me what’s
wrong because I wasn’t emotional.
“Fast forward seven years - in that
environment at the World Championships, on
CLASSIC MATCH
home soil, with the whole crowd willing you on
and giving you that extra energy – I remember
just bringing my hands to my face, standing up
and punching the air with joy. I found my mum
in the crowd, and she said she had never seen
me outwardly enjoy a moment like that before.
I think that crowd did something to really allow
me to enjoy that moment. Unless I could have
changed the colour of the medal, I don’t think
I could have hoped to change anything else
about that experience. I retired comfortable
thinking I was a bronze World medallist.”
Karen’s family were in full attendance at the
tournament, and her sister was even able to warm
her up before fighting. It wasn’t until the next day 51
that Karen was to be told some sad news, but
news that also underpinned the importance of her
winning the biggest medal of her career.
“It’s hard to talk about, but I remember
sometimes during the day just looking up and
feeling like someone is helping me through
this,” Karen says. “After the competition, I
e t
.n
stopped mum and dad in the car park and
asked if granddad was ok. They just replied
s
with a ‘yes’. The next morning, they told me
g
that my granddad had actually passed away
a
on the Wednesday, but they’d all made a family
decision that they weren’t going to tell me after
m
I’d competed. Once I’d got the result, they then
decided they weren’t going to tell me until I’d
l d
had one night to enjoy the moment.
r
“It would have been really great to be able
to have told my Granddad, but I’ll be forever
o
grateful to my family for the way they handled
that situation and the medal will always remind
me of him.”
 e t
g s .n
m a
r l d
o
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. ^£5 donation per quote relates to all quotations for
relevant products that have been contacted and verified by A-Plan Staff. *£30 donation per new policy will be
made once policy has remained in force for 14 days.