|
The Olympic sport of judo
is lauded for its ability to be practiced by a diverse demographic
and schools currently staging the sport have supported that notion
in a survey conducted by the British Judo Association, the sport’s
National Governing Body in Britain.
99 of the 103 schools surveyed
believe judo caters for young people of all ages, abilities and
sizes.
British Judo, which has
adopted the motto of ‘judo for all’, has two well-established
school-specific programmes in operation.
The Enjoy Judo programme
sees British Judo coaches deliver school tailored classes through
breakfast clubs, curricular activity, dinner time and after school
classes.
The Association also runs
the School 2 Dojo programme which is supported by Sport England
and seeks to give school children additional access to five hours
of sport a week through a combination of community and curriculum
activity. In May the programme reached 500 links between schools
and local judo clubs which provide an outlet for pupils to practice
the sport to a higher level.
British Judo members range
from five to 85 while the Dan Grade Register has on record a man
who started judo aged 54 and in eight years progressed through
the grades to reach the coveted 1st Dan black belt.
The elite Great Britain
squad, who are split between the British Judo Performance Institute
in Dartford and National Training Centre in Ratho, boasts some
of Europe’s finest fighters including a decorated female contingent.
At the forefront is Kingston-upon-Thames’
Karina Bryant, one of the sport’s most prolific medallists, reached
a landmark 20th major medal in April by capturing bronze at the
at the European Championships. The squad also includes Scotland’s
2006 European Champion Sarah Clark and a host of highly-promising
teenagers such as Dartford pair Kelly Edwards and Gemma Howell.
Additionally the sport’s
close contact means judo is an ideal sport for blind or visually
impaired players.
The British Judo Association
is renowned for its visually impaired setup which includes reigning
World Champion Ben Quilter, Coventry brothers Joe and Sam Ingram,
who both picked up silver medals at March’s IBSA VI World Championships,
and talent search product Lesley Reid who captured a bronze medal
at the international showpiece.
The British Judo Association’s
Chief Executive Officer, Scott McCarthy, believes the sport can
engage and benefit any audience.
“With weight categories,
age bands, and clear progression pathways through the grading
system judo is sport that truly caters for everyone – regardless
of shape, size, gender, ethnicity or ability,” he said.
“The sport has something
to offer to anyone who is interested in gaining physical skills,
core stability, confidence, strength and discipline. It is an
educational platform as well as an Olympic sport.”
|