MONTHLY CLUB ROUND UP (MARCH '25)
- EdinburghJudo
- Apr 4
- 6 min read
March kicked off with a great day of judo and celebrations at the club for Loretta Doyle receiving her IJF 9th Dan!
A huge thank you to everyone who was able to come along, sent a video message or passed on their congratulations. It was great to catch up and share stories, memories and talk about what the future holds for judo development.
Billy would like to say a big thank you to everyone that helped with the planning, organisation and execution of the event - it takes a community of people to make it all happen!
The first competitive action of the month came from James, Alan and George who competed at the Strathkelvin Open in Cumbernauld.
Some good contests, wins, losses and most importantly, a lot of positive judo on display by all three. It was the first competitive outing for Alan in the kyu grade division and he came away with the silver medal in his category, congratulations!
Thank you to Edinburgh University Judo Club for welcoming us to another one of their JudoGirlsRock sessions. It was wonderful to be part of such a great session led by Loretta Doyle, with so many women and girls doing judo together on International Women’s Day.
At EdinburghJudo, we are working to support the progress of women and girls in judo by the tackling barriers they may face in sport, such as confidence gaps and retention struggles. Through offering inclusive training, ensuring our strong female role models are more visible and accessible, providing mentorship and creating stronger partnerships, we’re building a supportive community where women and girls can grow, connect and progress together - on and off the tatami.
These sessions are a great opportunity for women and girls in judo to come together and we look forward to the next JudoGirlsRock session!
Well done to all of our players who competed at the 2025 British Schools Judo Championships in Sheffield!
A lot of experience gained by everyone who stepped on the mat, win or lose, especially for those who took part in their first British Schools tournament. Now it’s time to reflect on the experience and work hard towards the next event.
Congratulations to Archie M on his gold medal and title of British Schools Champion, and to Evan L and Ella C who both came away with bronze medals! Thank you to Sarah A and Craig for coaching and supporting the young team over the weekend.
This month we had players compete at the British University and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Championships down in Walsall. This event sees judoka who are studying at universities and colleges across the UK compete in both an individual and teams competition, aiming to claim the title of BUCS Champion and secure ranking points for their respective institution.
Saturday was the individual competition, where Andrew took the top spot in the -66KG category; securing both the gold medal and a place to compete at the European University Games later this year.
On Sunday, Reece, Matt, Tom and Nico represented the University of Edinburgh in the teams competition, and came away with well deserved silver medals after a great run of contests and an exciting final against Team Bath.
Well done to the boys, and our friends at Edinburgh University, for their performances over the weekend!
Congratulations to David Gibson, and his kata partner Colin Dunlop from Carnegie Judo, for their performances at the British Judo Council (BJC) National Kata Championships in Tamworth.
The competition was well attended with junior, senior, VI and deaf competitors of the BJA & BJC from across the home nations. David and Colin competed in the Itsutsu No Kata, where they were awarded gold, and also picked up the bronze in the Katame No Kata. Well done!
Well done to the EdinburghJudo players who competed at the first Grand Prix of the year - the Hibari Kan Grand Prix.
It was a busy day at Ravenscraig, with great attitudes and good judo on display; from our youngest competitors all the way up to our seniors, everyone gave it their all. Plenty of positives to take away from the event and work on in training! Well done everyone and congratulations to the following players on their podium finishes:
A Band:
Jan - Silver
Kimon - Bronze
B Band:
Ci Ci - Bronze
Seniors:
Archie - Gold
Evan - Silver
A group of EdinburghJudo players and coaches took part in a two-day kata weekend hosted by JudoScotland at the SportScotland National Centre in Largs. The weekend covered two different sets of kata, Nage No Kata and Kime No Kata. The course was led by Sensei Yoshihiko Iura, a world renowned kata expert, Kodokan coach and 8th Dan, and his expertise was great to see.
Kata teaches the fundamentals of judo. It helps judoka understand the grammar of judo, including balance (kuzushi), timing and efficient movement - all essential for both randori (free practice) and competition.
Nage No Kata is the standard kata that most of us start to learn as we approach our black belt, as you must demonstrate at least one set as part of the Dan grade theory test. Kime no Kata is less well-known. It is a series of self-defence oriented katas in judo and was developed at the Kodokan around 1888. The series is composed of eight techniques from a kneeling posture, and twelve techniques from a standing position. It represents tradition and formality in the days of the Samurai and the techniques relate to actual Samurai combat situations, focusing on striking vital spots of the body.
The Kime No Kata was extremely interesting and it was great for those who took part to learn something new. It brought home how important kata is to understanding judo and how there is always something new to learn in your journey; we look forward to including more kata sessions for our members in our programme!
A massive congratulations to 17-year-old Evan, who is the latest EdinburghJudo player to achieve his black belt after obtaining the final competitive points required at the Hibari Kan Grand Prix!
Evan first stepped on the mat at the age of four and over the past thirteen years he’s grown into a brilliant young man, both on and off the mat. He’s hard-working, always turning up and giving 100%, even through the ups and the downs.
He’s now training to compete and travelling across the country to challenge himself against the best. Evan is also developing into a great young coach, alongside his studies. From volunteering on camps to becoming a UKCC Level 1 coach, he’s gaining valuable experience working in both the club and local schools, supporting young people starting out on their judo journey.
His judo has been shaped by many coaches throughout the club, each playing their part in his development, but it’s Evan’s consistent effort, attitude, and resilience that have brought him this far. The support from Evan’s family has been incredible and they are a big part of the EdinburghJudo community; their commitment and encouragement behind the scenes have helped make this achievement possible.
We’re so proud of you, Evan. Your black belt is now the beginning of your next journey!
There's a lot coming up in April, including more competitions, our senior club gradings and the next edition of our 6-week Beginners Judo Course for adults - which begins on Tuesday 22nd of April and is ideal for those looking to start their judo journey!
Whether you’re looking to get fit, try something new or connect with others, this course is the perfect start. Over the 6 weeks our expert coaches will cover all the judo basics, from safely falling and throwing, to groundwork and mobility - taking you from a complete beginner to your first grading to red belt (6th kyu).
Booking is now open and spaces are limited, so click the button below to book, or get in touch for more information!
Our Easter Camp for kids aged 5+ is also taking place from April 7th-11th and is open to members, non-members, friends and family! If you're looking for days filled with fun activities, games and judo to keep the kids active over the Easter break, book a place on our camp now via the button below.
See you in the next round-up,
The EdinburghJudo Team ⛩️
