We meet at St Matthias and Dr Bell's Primary School, Fishponds Road, Fishponds on Monday and Thursday evenings.

• Mondays: 6.15 pm to 7.30 pm - beginners aged 8 to 15 years old
• Thursdays 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm - beginners and all those aged under 10 years old
• 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm - intermediates and all those aged 10-15 year olds

We meet at The Ridings International Academy Sports Hall, High Street, Winterbourne Bristol BS36 1JL on Friday evenings.

• 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm - 8 to 13 year olds
• 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm - 14-18 year olds and adults

Mat Fees

The cost per session at Blackhorse Judo Club is currently £3.00.

We now have international standard geemats available to practice on, thanks to grants from Sport Relief, S. Gloucestershire Council and National Lottery Funding provided by Awards 4 All.

Judo suits

You will need a judo suit. We occasionally have some second-hand suits, for around £10. Otherwise we have brand new suits for about £20. Be careful when buying a judo suit elsewhere - make sure it is suitable for judo! Other martial arts often use lighter weight suits, suitable for dealing with kicks and punches at a distance. Many of these suits will not be able to cope for long with the throws and grappling techniques used in judo.

As well as the judo suit, we ask that you wear something on your feet to the edge of the mat. The custom is to wear a pair of Zoris (Japanese "slippers"), which should be considered part of your judo "uniform". A cheaper, acceptable, alternative is to buy a pair of flip-flops as these are easy to slip on and off if you need to leave the mat for any reason.

Girls will also need to wear a plain white T-shirt under their jackets to take part in competitions, contests and gradings - make sure these T-shirts do not have any buttons or other fastenings that might cause injury either to yourself or other judoka.

Judo Licences

From the 1st January 2005 it has been a requirement that anyone practicing judo has to hold a licence from a recognised judo organisation.

The British Judo Council have a 3 month provisional licence, which costs £6 for juniors (under 16s) and £8 for seniors. This licence provides insurance cover and BJC membership whilst you decide whether you want to keep going, and can be arranged so that you are covered from your first session.

After three months you can pay the difference and take out a full licence. The British Judo Council's full licence costs £25 for juniors, £30 for seniors for the first twelve months. Annual renewal fees (from 1 Sep 2009) are: £22 for juniors, £25 for seniors.

Currently £6 of the annual membership fee goes towards insurance, the rest is BJC membership fees. You will be provided with a BJC licence, which will hold a record of everything you achieve on the judo mat.

Home

The instructors at Blackhorse Judo Club are Penny and Tony Grigg.

Penny Grigg

Penny started judo in Cornwall, when she was 13. She was graded to 1st Dan (black belt) when 17, and competed at National level throughout the 1980s. Moving into coaching when she retired from competition, she holds a Master's Degree in Education and a PhD in Education Technology, as well as both levels of the British Judo Council's coaching awards. She is currently a BJC 5th Dan, chair of the BJC Technical Centre's Coaching Committee and represents the BJC on the National Source Group for Coaching for the National Governing Body for Judo, the British Judo Association.

Tony Grigg

Tony Grigg started judo when he arrived at Bristol University in 1979. Currently a 3rd Dan, he is a national level referee...

Competition and Grading Fees

These fees will vary, depending on the nature of the event. Expect to pay from £5 to £10 for juniors, more for seniors, for competitions. Grading fees, if not run as part of a weekend or national course, tend to be around £8 for juniors, and take place every few months - speak to one of your instructors for more information, or keep an eye out on the "Forthcoming Events" diary.