News

Ultimate Judo in Aberdeen has set a remarkable milestone by becoming the first club in Scotland to achieve the updated 2024 JudoMARK accreditation. Gordon, the head coach of Ultimate Judo, shared his insights into the accreditation process, the benefits it brings to the club, and the positive impact it has on their members and community.

As the governing body, our goal is to provide affiliated clubs with the essential resources required to create an environment in which judo becomes not only safe but also a smooth and welcoming experience for everyone who steps into a dojo.

As soon as Gordon began the process, JudoScotland were on hand to assist every step of the way: “I had a really positive experience, Sam (Ingram, our Club Support Officer) helped us through it. We had the last JudoMARK already so it was just a case of reviewing a lot of the policies and what we do. It was hard at times but very rewarding and ultimately will be so useful for the club and its members”

Becoming accredited will now also be beneficial in attracting new members, establishing trust among potential members serves as a mark of the club’s commitment to ensuring everyone’s safety and professionalism. This assurance is particularly crucial for parents looking for a secure and nurturing environment for their children, Gordon said: “This will benefit us hugely in attracting new people to us. It puts us in front other sports, as we can prove we have proper governance and that is supported by JudoScotland. We understand how important is to our community to foster relationships with the local authority and active schools. It is clear that stakeholders prioritise working with accredited clubs.  It gives parents and judoka the reassurance to trust us, that everything is in place and that we are safeguarding our members, staff and families.”

Ensuring safety was always at the forefront of Gordon’s mind throughout the process: “What stood out the most for us was the safeguarding aspect. We can show everyone how we keep each other safe. We had to update our policies and our constitution. When someone can hold you to it, it has to be specific to you as a club. We now have it nailed down how the club runs and what is expected of everyone. We are using JudoMARK to show our members we are taking this seriously and we can say what is expected of everyone, whether you’re a judo player, a coach or a parent. The JudoMARK means there are no grey areas.” He added, “We’re looking after the workforce as well, it’s often forgotten how important they are and this provides them some security and lets them know they are covered.”

Gordon’s experience resonates with the positive impact JudoMARK has on the club’s operations, providing clarity, professionalism, and a strong foundation for future success. Their achievement not only benefits the club but also contributes to the broader goal of creating safe, welcoming, and thriving judo communities across Scotland.

To learn more about JudoMARK click here

We’d like to share the opportunities available to our members and the process for approval of JudoScotland as the recognised National Federation.

Details of the Championship that will incorporate Veterans, Newaza, Pre-Cadet, Cadet, Junior and Senior categories, can be found here. If you would like to represent Scotland within any of the categories, you must be able to evidence that you meet the required eligibility. It will also be the Judoka’s sole responsibility to cover entry fees and other costs associated with participating in the Commonwealth Judo Championship.

Within the Pre-Cadet, Cadet, Junior and Senior categories, JudoScotland will consider the approval of applications for judoka currently within a JudoScotland or Scottish institute of sport pathway / performance programme. Should there be more notes of interest submitted than places available, a panel consisting of JudoScotland’s CEO, National High Performance Coach and National Talent Development Manager will make a decision based on the suitability.

For Pre-Cadet, Cadet and Junior entrants only, JudoScotland can arrange travel & accommodation (although costs will need to be covered by individuals, expected to be in the region of £600pp) and will provide two staff members to accompany the judoka provided there are more than 6 entrants across these categories.

Within Senior, Newaza and Veteran categories, logistics will be the responsibility of the entrant.

If you are interested in applying, please check that you meet the Championship eligibility criteria and the approval guidance outlined by JudoScotland. Following the above, please submit a note of interest form to JudoScotland by 26^th February 2024.

After this stage, those with approved places will be contacted to supply the relevant information and entry fee to enable JudoScotland to make applications.

Should you have any questions at all, please contact info@judoscotland.com or call 0131 333 2981 to speak to a member of our team.

Happy New Year! I’m sure 2024 going to be a great one for Scottish judo.

On 14th January, we had a Board Training Day where we discussed communication and effectiveness, teamwork, culture and our Code of Conduct. The session was facilitated by Michael Cavanagh OBE. It was an excellent, informative and uplifting day, and nice to catch up with Michael (someone I’ve been on the mat with many years ago at the Newhaven Club in Edinburgh.)

On a personal note, on 20th January, I had another reunion – this time with judoka from my old judo school, the Kendal Judo Centre. Just looking around the company, I was struck by how many highly successful judoka were there. Too many to name but a fabulous night and lots of happy memories were shared.
During the same weekend, we had the Scottish Open.

It was an excellent event with over 620 competitors and 5 mats over the 2 days at the weekend. The feedback I have had since has been tremendous and I would like to thank the entire team for all of the hard work – often unseen – that goes on in the background to plan and run such a big event.

The event had a camp afterwards and it was great to host some of our international visitors for an extended period for some high-quality training.
At this point, I’d like to thank Robert Sneddon, whose company RA Sneddon Ltd sponsored the camp. Robert was on the JudoScotland Board for around 15 years and is a very valued member of the judo community. Thank you, Robert.

And some sad news. Many of you will know Andy McKenna 3rd Dan of East Kilbride Judo Club who sadly passed away in January. In 2021 both Andy and his wife Margaret received Lifetime Achievement Awards from JudoScotland. Andy and Margaret have had clubs over the years in Strathaven and Stonehouse delivering the benefits of our sport of judo to many hundreds of young people around the area. Andy’s legacy will endure through the generations of judoka whose lives he touched and will remain in our sport for many years to come. Our condolences go to his wife Margaret, a successful judo competitor – a sad loss.

Finally, we ended January with an online Board meeting. We’ve introduced updated technology which now allows us to run ‘virtual’ sessions – something that proved very helpful to our more far-flung Board members, given the great Scottish weather we’re having at the moment.

Here’s to some sunshine – and fewer storms – onwards!

Marc Preston

6^th Dan

The picturesque town of Largs played host to an exhilarating weekend of judo as the Scottish Open returned. Judoka hailing from various corners of the world gathered at the Inverclyde National Training Centre to put on some breathtaking displays.

The highlight of the meeting turned out to be a family affair as brothers Alex and Olly Short met in a final for the first time. It meant the men’s -73kg category had an extra air of intensity as all eyes were drawn to the siblings from Edinburgh. Olly was victorious over his older brother, though both put on an excellent display. Olly said: “It was a really hard fight, we’re brothers but also training partners. It was a bit more intense than it usually is at Randori! The Scottish Open is unique, it’s the first one back after the new year which means there are a lot of people motivated to start strong and using it to prepare for the year to come with the European and world circuits approaching.”

Alex added: “I enjoyed fighting my brother. It’s good fun, it’s just like training every day. I felt like we could open up and just go for it and put on a bit of a show. I don’t know what others thought but it felt like a good fight to watch. It was difficult but good fun. Being brothers, it gets heated quite easily. It could’ve been in the living room, could’ve been in Ratho but to do it at the Scottish Open was fun.”

Day one had seen cadets and masters take to our five mats with competitors from Norway, the USA, Sweden and Germany providing great competition for our home nations judoka. The plethora of countries competing created an electric atmosphere in the Inverclyde Training Centre and, with tensions and nerves beginning to rise, coaches and teammates alike could be heard shouting encouragement to those on the mats. There was Scottish success from both categories with masters taking home 17 medals and cadets achieving 19.

There was also success for our English counterparts, including the Craven club from Yorkshire. Craven coach Danny Harper, who was recently named BJA coach of the year, won gold himself and was later on hand to assist eight judoka from his club. He said: “It’s a well run, professional event and personally it was good to work on some throws. I’ve got eight athletes with me, some double entries so they are getting plenty of matches. That’s why we bring them over and the fact they can go up against some top international athletes is really good.”

This praise was echoed by Olympian and current Enfield judo coach Prisca Awiti Alcaraz who said: “It’s always great to come here and compete against the best across the country. It was a good opportunity for our athletes to do a bit of learning, we have a younger group with new coaches and this is a perfect place for them to learn their trade.”

As Saturday wound down, all thoughts turned to the seniors and juniors who were gearing up to take centre stage on Sunday. And so, by 8:30am, we were ready to go again. First up were the juniors who put on some lively displays with several Scots dramatically securing gold.

Keeping an eye on all the action was our National High Performance Coach Euan Burton who said: “It’s been a fantastic event so far, we’ve had international representation from Asia, Australasia, Europe and America so it’s great for Scottish athletes to be able to compete against that level of an opponent without having to leave our sunny shores which unfortunately have not been particularly sunny this weekend! For our group, match experience is so important, particularly for our cadets and juniors, and this gives them loads of time on task, and competition. So, hopefully they can take lots from this weekend into training.”

Come 1pm the bleachers were full and the mat-side was getting busier, the seniors were about to start. Our Scottish athletes came flying out the blocks, with Josie Steele securing gold in the senior -63 category. Fellow Scottish judoka Rachel Tytler also left Largs with a gold medal after triumphing in the -78 senior category. “I’m happy with how I fought,” said the Bearsden athlete. “I had a wee chat with Euan (coach) and we were both pleased with how I was calm and collected but kept committed. Events like the Scottish Open are so important as it gives me a chance to try out the judo I’ve been practising, to improve my confidence in doing so.”

“Being closer to home is nice as my parents came down to watch as usually they’re unable to watch me overseas. I could hear my mum shouting away, which she was not allowed to do! But, it was nice having them here.”

Following the competition, our three-day camp started on Monday thanks to the sponsorship of RA Sneddon. This allowed several judoka to learn from our national coaches as well as a masterclass from double Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion Shohei Ono.

The camp included 10 athletes from Chukyo University in Japan, who provided great training partners and really added value to the camp for our domestic judoka. Robert, a generous supporter of the event, shared his perspective on his continued sponsorship, stating, “I’ve sponsored it before, years ago when it was getting started, my main aim to get the Scottish Open up and running. This year I felt why not sponsor it again, the camp aspect looked great and I’m happy to be supporting it.”

Clubs in our Scottish judo community have been invited to become affiliated with the BJA. The affiliation process for the 2024/25 season is now open, offering your club the opportunity to be officially recognised and endorsed by the British National Governing Body for judo.

Affiliated clubs will proudly display the British Judo Affiliated Club status, signifying a commitment to excellence, safety, and the values that make judo a remarkable sport.

National Recognition
Affiliating with British Judo opens doors to national recognition. Your club will be part of a network that spans across nations, allowing your members to connect with judo enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds.

Official Certificate:
Displaying the British Judo Affiliated Club certificate adds a prestigious touch to your club’s identity. It signifies that your club aligns with the highest standards set by the BJA in terms of coaching, safety, and sportsmanship.

Access to BJA Resources:
Affiliated clubs gain exclusive access to a wealth of resources provided by the BJA. This includes coaching materials, training programs, and educational resources that can enhance the skills and knowledge of both coaches and athletes.

Event Opportunities:
Affiliated clubs have the chance to participate in and host a variety of BJA-sanctioned events, tournaments, and championships. This not only provides valuable exposure for your club but also allows your members to experience the thrill of competitive judo at different levels.

Hi all

Just a short note to end the year, one which has been hugely successful for JudoScotland.

During that time, our Board has gone from strength to strength and, with the addition of new staff, we’ve never been in a stronger position.

A special mention must go to Judith McCleary and her team. Judith has been truly inspirational and we are absolutely seeing the fruits of her labours. Thank you also to all the volunteers and officials who tirelessly give up their time. Your efforts don’t go unnoticed.

Financially we’ve never been in a better position and as always we are looking for ways to maximise our potential. With this in mind, I’d like to thank the clubs, coaches, members and the wider judo community for their tremendous support during 2023. We absolutely need you all on board on this journey.

During 2023 our membership has steadily grown and we’ve now surpassed our target figure for the year, with membership currently sitting at around 8,500.

It excites me to think about what we can achieve in 2024 if we keep on this trajectory. I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. At JudoScotland, we can’t wait to get started! Let’s smash 2024!

As an organisation, we are committed to achieving corporate excellence and our Board and Staff are continually challenging what we can do better.

One of the things identified by the Board a number of months ago was the need to have clarity on the criteria, selection and approval process for JudoScotland Lifetime Membership and Hall of Fame Awards.

Following work undertaken recently, we are delighted to now share our new policies.

We encourage members to nominate individuals who meet the criteria and who they think are deserving of these prestigious awards.

The nomination forms for both the JudoScotland Hall of Fame and Lifetime Membership can be found below:

Our Chairman, Marc Preston, said: “JudoScotland Lifetime Membership recognises an individual’s exceptional contribution to judo in Scotland whilst our Hall of Fame awards recognise an individual’s exceptional achievements within judo. Both are awarded based on not only an individual’s contribution and / or achievement but based on the individual consistently demonstrating the values within judo’s moral code. We haven’t had a clear process in the past and I’m absolutely delighted to have these new policies in place that provide greater transparency to our members. As always, we may not have thought of everything so we welcome any feedback that can be taken into consideration when we review the policies.”

Guidance for the forms can be found below:

Following a thorough recruitment process, JudoScotland is thrilled to announce Laura Kirkhouse has joined us as a Club Support Officer. 

Laura, who comes from a sporting background, will work alongside Sam Ingram in supporting judo clubs across the country. As part of the business development team she will assist the organisation to achieve its mission to ‘maximise the contribution of judo to Scotland’s communities through the provision of safe, inclusive and inspiring clubs based on judo’s values.’ 

On her appointment, Laura said: “I’m excited to be part of an organisation that shares the values of what I am most passionate about – the power of sport to transform individual lives and shape communities. 

I’m delighted to join the team at JudoScotland. Judo is a sport that has the distinct ability to combine its high-performance pathways with an engaging development programme which grows participation and exposure to the sport.  

I’m looking forward to meeting, and building a relationship, with more of the clubs and individuals who are the heartbeat of the Judo community in Scotland. I’m excited to continue to find ways to grow Judo, provide bespoke support to clubs and fulfil the sport’s potential to positively impact local communities and the wider Scottish society.” 

Laura strongly believes in the positive impact clubs can have on individuals, saying: I believe clubs are such a positive way for anyone to get stuck in, grow in confidence, and build relationships. They are places that are safe, inclusive, and it’s about giving people the opportunity to try new things in a healthy way. I’ve got a good handle on club structures, I know that in the judo community, clubs are such a driving force for the growth of the sport across Scotland. They’re the touchpoints for kids getting involved in the sport and I can’t wait to get out to clubs and see how we can positively support them and find new ways for them to engage with their local communities.” 

Laura enthusiastically shares her commitment to promoting female involvement in judo, “I’m really passionate about female participation in both how we can create positive pathways for girls who are already in the sport and how we can attract more women into judo that maybe didn’t get the opportunity when they were younger. I can’t wait to help shape a positive female development program that is in line with the Judo For All strategy. I want to make the experience as positive as possible for young girls across the clubs, knowing that they are supported and represented within the wider judo community.” 

If you would like to discuss the landscape of your Judo club in Scotland further, you can contact Laura at laurakirkhouse@judoscotland.com. 

🥋 Keizoku 2023 🥋

What an event! Thanks to everyone who made this year’s Keizoku so special 🙌 This event is designed to give everyone as much time on the mat as possible with fun activities in between.

We hope we created a positive environment for all young judoka who took part and we can’t wait to see you all again next year!

We want to thank everyone that helped make this year’s Keizoku event so special. It served us as a great reminder of why we love the sport, seeing so many young judoka beginning their judo journey while having lots of fun along the way. Below we have uploaded all pool sheets from the event: