It’s been a very busy month here at Edinburgh Judo, with our members showcasing their skills, determination, and sportsmanship across various competitions up and down the country - here’s a look back at some of the highlights!
September kicked off with David Gibson securing a bronze medal in Katame-No-Kata at the British Kata Championships alongside his partner Colin Dunlop from Carnegie Judo.
To top it off, David has also been promoted to BJA Kata Examiner - congratulations, David!
Congratulations to the guys who fought at the annual PSUK National Judo Championships over in Stirling.
A great weekend of judo for the entire team, who came out strong and took home the silverware to prove it!
Kyu:
Mark M +100KG - Gold
Charles H +100KG - Silver
Dan:
Greig P -73KG - Bronze Matthew A +100KG - Gold
Gavin McNeill +100KG - Bronze
Veterans:
Greig P -81KG - Silver
KoKo D -100KG - Silver
Well done to the group of squad players who took the long journey down to fight at the Welsh Open in Cardiff, with Craig coaching and supporting the team across the weekend.
It was a tough weekend at this level of national competition, however, everyone gave it their all in each contest, displayed some good judo and came away with valuable lessons to work further on in training.
Junior:
Archie M +100KG - Silver
Senior:
Hazel T -78KG - Bronze
We were delighted to have our friend Philipp Chuck from Germany join us again for a couple of weeks of training and making memories with the team. It’s always great to have visitors at the club, and we hope to welcome you back to the dojo soon, Philipp! 🇩🇪
With eleven players from Edinburgh Judo competing at the Hibari Kan Grand Prix, it was a busy day for all. The event brought plenty of learning and areas for improvement. We’re most proud of our players’ attitude and determination, always striving to score an ippon, even when the outcome doesn’t go our way.
Pre-Cadet (B Band):
CiCi F - 57KG - Bronze
Fergus W -66KG - Bronze
Cadet (C Band):
Liam T -66KG - Bronze
Omar K -73KG - Bronze
Evan L -90KG - Gold
Archie M +90KG - Gold
Ella CL -48KG - Gold
Kirsty W - 70KG - Gold
Senior:
Nur -63KG - Gold
Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve had to say goodbye to both Ethan (University of Bath) and Nathan (University of Glasgow) as they embark on their university journeys.
Ethan and Nathan have been part of Edinburgh Judo for over 10 years. It’s been a joy to witness your development on the mat, but even more rewarding to see you grow into exceptional young adults. Best of luck, boys! We hope you’ll visit us during the holidays.
Several of our members participated in the inaugural Alba Veteran Championship at Cluarankwai Judo Club in Kilmarnock. This event had a fantastic atmosphere, and many of our players competed in multiple categories, some facing up to seven contests.
It takes real courage to step onto the mat and compete. Some had competed as children, while others were relatively new to their judo journey; but all showed incredible determination throughout the day. Everyone demonstrated a genuine desire to apply what they’ve learned in training, putting their skills and techniques to the test while remaining positive about their judo.
A huge congratulations to everyone who took part, and a special shout-out to those who earned medals. Onwards and upwards to the next event!
Marino - Gold
Louis - Gold
Chris - Gold
Ross - Gold
Well done to all our seniors who rounded off the month by completing their latest grading.
Across the two evenings, great technical demonstrations and attention to detail were shown by all 32 participants; ranging from beginners (white belt) to those gaining their 1st kyu (brown belt) and we are very proud of everyone who has taken the next step in their judo journey!
As September has come to a close, we couldn’t be prouder of everything our members have achieved, both on and off the mat. Whether you’re training, competing, refereeing, coaching, or cheering from the sidelines, it all plays a vital role in our community!
We're ready to keep the momentum going into October, with another month of training hard ahead as our squad players look towards the Scottish National Championships in November and our juniors work hard towards their upcoming club gradings next month. Consistency is key, so keep training hard, learning, and, most importantly - keep showing up.
The EdinburghJudo Team