News

JudoScotland is concerned that the changes proposed by the Scottish Government could have a significant detrimental impact on the safe delivery of judo in Scotland, and that the financial impact on volunteers and judo clubs will create an additional barrier at a time when volunteers have never been needed more. We strongly encourage as many people as possible to contribute their views.

The Scottish Government has opened a consultation and is seeking views on a new fee structure for the different types of disclosure under The Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020. This includes membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme and changes to how discounts and fee waivers are applied to volunteers and other groups.

Disclosure Scotland is proposing to apply discounts for people on benefits, care experienced young people and volunteers. However, the current scheme provides a fee waiver (free PVG) for all volunteers including those on benefits and care experienced young people. These discounts would therefore mean an increase in costs for volunteers from these groups and all volunteers involved in sport and other voluntary organisations.

These changes could:

• Create an additional barrier to people volunteering and ultimately may stop people volunteering within sport.
• Provide an additional financial burden on sports clubs and individuals.
• Increase the risk to children, young people and people from vulnerable groups as some individuals and clubs may decide not to get a PVG for financial reasons.

We urge you to read the briefing document and respond to the consultation which is in the document, prior to the consultation closing on 28th May 2024.

After being awarded his 3^rd Dan at Carnegie judo club, Peter McCann spoke to JudoScotland about his journey in judo so far.

Peter turned to judo initially for self-defence, prompted by his registration as blind and his apprehension about the area he grew up in. Reflecting on those early days, he recalls, “I was registered blind around 25 years ago and because of the area I grew up I felt vulnerable, I was worried someone might do something. I ended up being quite anxious and I felt something had to change. So I felt if someone does try anything I’d have a chance against them with judo. But I soon got the bug.”

His initial foray into judo quickly blossomed into a deep love for the sport. Peter found solace and empowerment on the judo mat. “I fell in love with judo not long after,” he shares. “I loved the people there, the independence it allowed me to have and how I was treated as an equal. I’ve pretty much been doing it twice a week for a long time. I’ve always been interested in martial arts from before I was blind.”

Peter’s journey in judo is not just about personal fulfilment; it’s also about setting an example for his daughters. “I’ve got two daughters,” he explains, “I wanted to show them that if you want to achieve something you can go and do it.” This drive to inspire others extends beyond his family, as Peter actively mentors a young visually impaired member at Carnegie Judo Club, sharing tips and techniques from his own experiences. “I try and pass on as much advice as I can and give him some cheeky bits and pieces that have helped me. I’m not the biggest or the heaviest so I have to depend on my technique and movement.”

Throughout his journey, he found unwavering support from mentors like Jim Feenan, who encouraged him to pursue his goals. “Jim is so encouraging and kept at us to do it (achieving his 3^rd Dan). He’s forever pushing me forward and telling me there are no barriers”.

“I do judo the same as everyone else, I don’t get any special treatment.” His accomplishments speak volumes about his tenacity and skill, including participation in GB squads, earning medals in the British, Lithuanian, and German Open, and achieving a remarkable 3rd Dan.

As he continued in the sport, Peter began to embrace the theory side “I like the technical aspect of judo,” he shares. “It is adapted for me slightly but I really enjoy learning the mechanics of the sport and finding ways in which I can adapt it to suit my body type.”

Beyond judo, Peter leads an active lifestyle, regularly cycling and kayaking. Yet, it’s the camaraderie and sense of community within the judo world that truly resonate with him. “It’s a friendly bunch,” he emphasises. “Everyone is out there to help you.”

Jim Feenan, head coach of Carnegie Judo Club, added: “Peter, together with his training partner Stan Shaw, is a stalwart of the Carnegie Judo Club and the JudoScotland Veterans sessions. He is known for his technical understanding of Newaza, and I often invite him to demonstrate alternatives to the main techniques practised.

I guess I pushed him quite hard over the last year, but Pete’s promotion to 3rd Dan acknowledges his determination and commitment to achieve this significant grade. He is an inspiration to anyone wanting to overcome difficulties, a mentor to many and a trusted adviser. Well done Peter, proud of you!”

As Peter reflects on his judo journey, he offers words of encouragement to aspiring judokas: “I’d say go for it, there’s no limit in judo. First and foremost enjoy it, and once you start to do that it will lead you to bigger and better things.”

Bellahouston Judo Club proudly marks its 50^th anniversary this year, kicking off a series of celebratory events. Founded in 1974 by Eric Kane, following the closure of the Osaka Club, the club started its journey at Bellahouston Sport Centre.

Over the decades, it journeyed through different locations, from The Palace of Arts to Pollokshields, finally finding its home at The Arc Sports Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Eric Kane has been a National Competitor, Coach, Team Manager and has held various Governing Body Positions throughout that time yet his enthusiasm has not diminished. He has been practising judo since 1967 and now in his 77^th Year, he is still on the mats each week.

Club Coach Derek McCutcheon presented Eric with a plaque adorned with the ‘7 Virtues of Bushido’, symbolising righteousness, loyalty, honour, respect, honesty, courage, and consistency—values deeply ingrained in Bellahouston Judo Club’s ethos.

This is particularly apt as Eric has always emphasised the teachings of Jigoro Kano (The Founder of Judo).

Jigoro Kano is well known for his motivational teaching and quotes such as ‘Maximum Efficiency, Minimal Effort’, ‘Mutual Welfare and Benefit’, ‘The purpose Of Judo Is to Perfect Yourself and To Contribute To Society’, ‘Judo Helps Us To Understand That Worry Is A Waste Of Energy’ and many more which are as valuable today as they ever were.

Club Members were issued with a specially struck commemorative medal and plans are in place for a dinner with past and current members.

Got a story you’d like to see on the JudoScotland website? Get in touch! alisterbean@judoscotland.com

Hi all,

Graham Campbell, who’s been a member of our Board of Directors for 30 years, will be stepping down from the post later this year.  As a player I was with Graham at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand where he won 2 bronze medals for Scotland.  As I’m sure you’ll agree, Graham has been an extremely valuable member of the Board and will be a great loss to us.

Together with Graham and Judith, I was part of an interview panel, to identify and recruit someone for the (soon to be vacant) position of Finance Director.

I’m delighted to say that, after Board approval, Anthony Daye will be joining us. Anthony has an excellent, relevant CV and we’re looking forward to working with him.  As part of our succession planning process, he’ll be attending the Board soon and learning about the role ahead of his official appointment later in the year. We all wish him well and are looking forward to working with him.

On the 27^th April I attended the Cluarankwai Judo Club 75^th Anniversary  event in Kilmarnock. The club was founded in 1949 and is believed to be Scotland’s oldest club.  To celebrate the occasion they put on a special masterclass with Gary Edwards – our National Talent Development Coach, and Takafumi Kitahara – Assistant High Performance Judo Coach.

Unfortunately I had a slight accident on the morning of the event and managed to split my head open whilst setting up to teach judo.  I had to go to hospital to have my head ‘glued’ in a couple of different places so I do apologise for the state of my hair when I arrived!

Apart from that it was a great day and a delight to catch up with a couple of top judoka from a previous time – namely Paul Cassidy and Jim McCormack, both fabulous players from the 70s/80s. Overall it was a great day celebrating an excellent club!

The next day on 28^th April, we were at the Lagoon Centre in Paisley for the Clyde Grand Prix. Again, good to catch up with the broader judo community and, as ever, the event was well run and went very smoothly. Watching some of the younger weight divisions, I was struck by the quality of the judo, hopefully signifying exciting times ahead!

On Monday 29 April I flew down to Birmingham for the British Judo Board of Directors meeting. They had arranged for us to be at the horse racing at Wolverhampton Race Track the evening before and a couple of their Directors walked away with a bucket full of cash, unfortunately not me! The Board meeting took place the next morning; an interesting session where all of the home nations have a prepared update, and linked up srategies across the NGBs is encouraged.

Elsewhere in the month, most of you will be aware that in April we went digital.  JudoScotland have brought us into the 21^st century and introduced new digital memberships you can access via your phone. To make things easier for clubs, they will soon be able to administer their gradings online too; music to many ears I’m sure!

And finally Judith and myself spent a bit of time this month in conversations with a few sporting facilities that may be of benefit to us for the future and keep us ahead of the game….more on that to come!

Marc Preston

6^th Dan

Say hello to JudoScotland’s brand-new Digital Membership – your key to easy access, seamless tracking, and a paper-free journey! We are excited to be launching this new membership feature to improve your membership experience.

Here’s what you need to know:

📱 Access your membership details via Apple/Google wallet – quick and hassle-free!

ℹ️ Everything you need – membership details, grade, and club info will just be a tap away!

📅 Our Digital Membership is now live!

💻Part of our commitment to the ‘Judo For All’ strategy – improving your digital experience

🌲 Going green! No more paper memberships or blue books

💷 Good news! We froze 2024 fees – so there is no extra cost for this digital leap.

📃No smartphone, no problem! Don’t worry if you don’t have a smartphone your email confirmation will act as your membership or you can log in via the JudoScotland website to access all your membership details.

All existing memberships will be transferred to a digital membership over the next three days, so keep an eye on your inbox. If you have any questions or would like to know more email info@judoscotland.com or call us at 0131 333 2981.

Hi all,

March was a busy month for the judo community.

I attended a couple of Kata courses. On 2-3 March internationally renowned Sensei Yoshihiko Iura 8th Dan ran a kata course, organised by JudoScotland at Largs. We learned Koshiki No Kata and Ju No Kata. It was a fantastic weekend and exceptionally well attended. Great to see two of our Vice Presidents, Rick Kenney and Jim Feenan on the mat illustrating that you’re never too experienced to stop learning!

Then on 17th March, I joined the Kodokan Goshin Jutsu. The event was a fundraiser for Chris Murphy, our exceptional ID World Judo Champion, as he looks to enhance his training and competitive skills in preparation for defending his title later this year. The course demonstrated how judo can counter different forms of attack from an armed opponent, an invaluable lesson in self-defence.

During the month, I went for a short family holiday to Budapest. Whilst there, we met up with Lisa Allan, Secretary General of the International Judo Federation at their offices. Lovely to see Lisa again and to learn more about her role and her life in this beautiful European capital city! And incredible that a small country like Scotland can produce so many exceptional people. Well done Lisa and thanks for a delicious lunch – very kind!

From 18-20 March colleagues at JudoScotland and I had a progress check with external auditors KPMG. The whole team have been working exceptionally hard on the recommendations and actions to improve governance and efficiencies at JudoSotland. I am personally confident that we will get a much-improved bill of health!

On 21 March I attended the Scottish Governing Bodies Chairs Networking Event. This is an excellent forum where the Chairs of different Scottish sports get together to share experiences and tackle emerging issues. The topics in March included funding cuts and venue closures, what’s happening and what we might do to mitigate risks. We discussed collaborating across sports to share venues and support each other.

Finally, let’s not forget all of the various events and courses delivered by JudoScotland during the month. The Level 1 Coaching Course on the 24th was a great success and sold out! Not to mention other events such as the Open Mat Session on the 12th, Coaching for Visually Impaired Athletes on the 24th and our Female Voices Open Call on the 27th.

And all the very best from us to Malin Wilson who has taken up Spanish citizenship and from now will be competing for Spain in her quest to be selected for this year’s Olympic Games. Good luck Malin from Scotland.

Marc Preston

6^th Dan

As the excitement builds for the upcoming Commonwealth Championships in Malta, the Scottish judo contingent eagerly prepares to showcase their skills on an international stage. With a total of 16 judokas from Scotland making their way to Pembroke in the Northern Region of Malta, anticipation is reaching fever pitch. Among them are competitors spanning various categories including pre-cadets, cadets, and seasoned veterans, each ready to leave their mark on the competition. Ahead of the event, we caught up with some of our members.

Coach and former Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Louise Renicks, who will be there in a coaching capacity said: “It’s an opportunity for the athletes to represent Scotland, mix with other countries and step on the mat and give their best. For some of the players, it’s their first time away at an international event and it’s important that the coaching staff make sure their experience is professional and they enjoy themselves.”

One of those players heading overseas is pre-cadet Stella Cameron, who said: “Competing for Scotland at the Commonwealth Judo Championships in Malta is a great opportunity. Whilst I have been here, I have had the chance to explore some of Malta and experience training at a Maltese Judo Club where we were made to feel very welcome. I look forward to competing on Saturday for Scotland.” Cadet James Rutherford shared his excitement, saying:  “I’m absolutely buzzing for this trip and ready to walk away with a medal.”

Veteran John Thacker, added: “We are proud and honoured to be representing Scotland in this prestigious international event.”

Our Vice President, Rick Kenney OBE MBA, who is President of the Commonwealth Judo Association, was honored by the association with a Judo Legacy award, recognising his 60-year journey in the sport.

We’d like to wish the very best to all our Scottish judoka competing: James Rutherford, James McKelvie, Lois Goldie, Logan Goldie, Lewis Yates, Kayla Smith, John Thacker, Arran Brown, Stella Cameron, Murdo Cameron, Sam Brown, Coby Sweetland, Kieran Carson, Luke McCafferty, Anthony Daye, and Sean Doran.

If you are worried, either for yourself or for anyone else, there are organisations who can offer support and advice. If someone is at immediate risk of harm however, please contact Police on 999.

CHILDLINE – 0800 1111 (a service for children and young people who need support or are facing problems or dangers. Calls are free and confidential, and will not show up on a phone bill)

https://www.childline.org.uk/

NSPCC – 0808 800 5000 (a service for any adult with concerns about a child)

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/

SHOUT – text the word ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 (a free, confidential, 24/7 text support service for anyone of any age in the UK who is struggling to cope)

https://giveusashout.org/

SAMARITANS – Call 116 123 (Calls are free and you can talk about anything that is upsetting you)

https://www.samaritans.org/

REPORT REMOVE – A service from Childline to help young people under 18 in the UK to confidentially report sexual images and videos of themselves and remove them from the internet: https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/report-remove/

CAMPAIGN AGAINST LIVING MISERABLY (CALM) – 0800 58 58 58 information and support for anyone who is struggling with things and needs to talk. Offers a helpline and webchat.

https://www.thecalmzone.net/

THE MIX – 0808 808 4994 or Text THEMIX to 85258 – Support and advice for people under 25

https://www.themix.org.uk/

PAPYRUS HOPELINEUK- 0800 068 4141 or 07860 039967 (textline) Support and advice for people under 35 experiencing suicidal thoughts or finding it hard to cope.

https://www.papyrus-uk.org/

BEAT – 0808 801 0432  UK’s Eating Disorder Charity

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/

SAMH – 0344 800 0550 (9am-6pm Mon-Fri) Scottish Action for Mental Health

https://www.samh.org.uk/

RESPECTME – 0344 800 8600 Scotland’s Anti-Bullying Service

CHILDREN1ST – 08000 28 22 33 (Parentline – A helping hand for every family in Scotland)

https://www.children1st.org.uk/

Jane Lawson was presented her COV Young Volunteer of the Year award at our NTC session on Tuesday evening. Jane, formerly of St Andrews University Judo Club, was delighted to pick up the award. She said: “I’m really honored to receive the award. My time at the club was really rewarding and I will remember my time there fondly. I’d like to thank those who nominated me, I’m very grateful.”

Serving as both vice-captain and captain, Jane has played a pivotal role in fostering a welcoming environment for both seasoned practitioners and newcomers alike.

Her infectious enthusiasm and unwavering commitment have left a mark on the club. Jane’s leadership has been instrumental in nurturing the growth of young judoka community, instilling a sense of camaraderie and motivation among members. Her dedication to the sport serves as a great source of inspiration for all.

Sam Ingram said: “Jane and Volunteers like her are a hugely valuable to the judo community as a whole, it’s great to see young people volunteering and taking on responsibility in order to support their club. Congratulations Jane!”

Beyond her roles in club management, Jane’s contributions extend far beyond administration. Despite the demands of her own academic pursuits, she consistently prioritises attending training sessions and supporting her fellow club members.

Jane Lawson embodies the spirit of a true hero within our judo community. Without her unwavering dedication and selfless contributions, St Andrews Judo Club would undoubtedly not thrive as it does today, making her a deserving recipient of JudoScotland’s Young Volunteer of the Year award.