Judo beginners excel on judgement day

The Judo club’s recent beginner’s course, which concluded on Friday 29 November, saw this year’s batch of novices impress with their newly acquired sporting ability. Keith Merrick of the British Judo Association (BJA) visited campus especially for the event in order to grade this year’s beginners.

Merrick, a highly noted 6th Dan black belt, coach and referee with decades of experience in the sport, expressed his praise for Warwick’s amateurs during the course. Most notably, Merrick commented on the group’s developed sense of movement and technique, both of which are difficult to build up in martial arts.

Judo uses a belt system to denote technical and competitive ability; so, grading not only allows students to compete but also signifies their level of proficiency.

Typically, the beginner’s course sees students grade as red belts, yet remarkably sixteen of the new judokas at Warwick graded at the higher standard of yellow belt. This is, in part, due to a particularly strong class of novices this year, as well as there being more sessions for students to participate in than seen in preceding years; term one saw the club dedicate seven hours a week to training the judokas.

Liam O’Sullivan and Sofina Nur stand proud with their awards of best beginner in their respective gender groups.

Beginners received awards for their ability and improvement this term as chosen by the club’s regular coach, Dave Nicholls, who has observed the development of the new fighters throughout the first term.

In an impressive group of novices, the prominent ‘Best Male Beginner’ award was handed to Liam O’Sullivan, a first year Engineering student and promising lightweight fighter. Sofina Nur, a first year Physics student, was also victorious in taking the title of ‘Best Female Beginner.’

In recent weeks, these two players in particular have impressed their fellows by participating in ‘randori’ (free style fighting practice) against other beginners, as well as taking on the more experienced black belts of the club.

In fact, many of this year’s group have shown a taste for competition, and are sure to continue with the competitive aspect of the sport next year.

Some of the club’s strongest competitors started with the very course held  last month, and have now progressed to a standard where they are able to earn medals at national University competitions.

Those beginners who turned so many heads at the first grading in November are now likely to follow in the footsteps of the Warwick judokas before them in a bid to climb the belt system, earn medals for the club and continue with their sporting progress.