Judo

Before we start we MUST give a special warning NOT to try any judo moves without being taught how by a professional coach!!!! It’s a great sport but stay safe.

The Olympics are taking place next year in Tokyo and judo will be one of the sports involved:

With thanks to British Judo for the use of this video.

On 12th-15th September it was the Junior European Judo Championships and 19 year old Kelly Petersen-Pollard won Gold.

Watch her in action in the final. Skip to the 6:45:45 mark in the video below.

With thanks to the European Judo Union for the use of this video.

This month top judo competitors will be heading to the World Martial Arts Games in London, so what is judo?

More and more 7-14 year olds are getting involved in Judo because it is a great sport for strength and coordination. It’s more like wrestling than other martial arts you might have seen and there’s no punching or kicking.

British Judo has created a great website to help you to get involved or to develop your skills.

Visit www.britishjudo.org.uk and on the main page you will see ‘My Judo’. Click on that and scroll down to ‘My Club’ and there is a club finder box so you can find somewhere to learn or train near you.

If you want to get started with coaching or refereeing, officiating or volunteering you can also find out how on the ‘My Judo’ section.

Judo uses some words that you will need to know the meaning of too. One of those is ‘Ippon’ – this is the highest score a competitor can achieve in a contest.

Here’s a video of the Top 18 Ippons from last year:

With thanks to British Judo for the use of this video.

How do you perform a ‘Throw for Ippon’ in judo? Take a look at the advice from Dan Powell and Eric Ham.

With thanks to British Judo for the use of this video.

We have been lucky enough to be given an interview with Nekoda Smythe-Davis who was a volunteer at London 2012 and will be competing at the Tokyo Olympics Games next year!

Athlete fact file

Nekoda Smythe-Davis or Nekoda Davis

Born in London

26 years old

Ealing Judo Club

How did you first get involved in your sport?

Started up at my primary school club age 6, My mum encouraged me to take judo up as a hobby after school to learn self defence and build my confidence.

Who were your sporting heroes growing up?

Kelly Holmes.

Do you remember your first competition?

I think I remember one of my first ever competitions, I remember being really nervous and apprehensive to fight but I found the courage to take part. I lost all my fights but was happy to still get a little trophy.

How often do you train?

I train every week day. Twice a day. Weekends are normally rest days or competition days.

Describe a typical training session…

Morning training: Warm up 30mins. Followed by technique for 30mins to practice skills & prep for randori. 1 hours worth of randori, 30mins technique drilling to finish.

Which one food / foods fuel your training?

I love to have porridge with honey and strawberries for breakfast before morning training.

Best piece of advice your coach ever gave you?

Small steps, hard work & Integrity.

What would be your advice for grassroots judoka looking to compete internationally?

Firstly, I would say to make sure you enjoy Judo, its a fun sport with opportunities to travel the world, meet new people and make new friends. I would also say never pass on a new challenge in Judo. Whether that be a new competition or going for your next grade. A challenge is an opportunity to broaden your knowledge and gain all the experience you need to become a better Judoka.

Tell us three things not many people know about you…

I have full Jamaican heritage and background. I love turtles, so much so I own over 40 ceramic and fluffy turties. I have been in the same Judo weight category for over a decade.

What are your goals for the rest of the year?

To compete in the European games at the end of June, I would like a third consecutive world medal (Gold to finish the collection). Lastly to put myself in a strong qualifying position for the Olympics next year.