A bit of History and a Dream

Today I fulfilled a small dream.

I taught at the Budokwai in London.

http://www.thebudokwai.com/

The oldest Judo Club in Europe. I was fortunate enough to be on the coaching team for a training season for Boys attending the Headmasters Conference Independent Schools championship next week.

For those who have never been the Budokwai’s reception is full of photos of the great and good of British Judo from Palmer and Inman to Stevens and Jacks, form Sweeny to Adams they all have trained there.

Watching my boys look at the these and be more impressed by Guy Richie than Angelo Parissi, it made me realise how little they know about Judo in the UK. Now that may be my fault as a coach but how much do we teach our students about the history of Judo?

To me the Budokwai was a place my dad trained in the 1960’s and was iconic in my judo upbringing. It was hallowed ground, I wonder with modern training centres if there will be places like that in the future.?

So perhaps I will dig out old clip on You-tube of Starbrook or Jacks and recount their big wins. I am fortunate I have Jane Bridge as a tutor at Bath University but my students don’t know she was the first ever Female Judo World Champion in New York where she also won the Style Award. Perhaps we have Judo traditions on the mat but it might be time for me to start and let students know about the footsteps they are following in.

I hope 2012 in London will give 1000’s of young judo players an inspiration and the ability to say I remember when I saw....... today I added my own first ...the day i first bowed on as a guest coach at the Budokwai.

It is the small things that mean a lot.......hope you fill a small dream soon they make life feel sweet.