Classes

Loughborough Judo classes are held on Wednesday evenings throughout the year at the United Reform Church on Frederick Street in Loughborough. You can find out how to get to us here.

Beginners are welcome to join us on any Wednesday, and we aim to be accessible and inclusive. If you have any concerns about your ability to participate, please get in touch. Once you arrive, just introduce yourself to any of the coaches and we will talk you through the basics.

What to expect from your first class

What should I wear?

Judo is practiced in a ‘gi’, which is a thick cotton jacket and trousers. This is necessary to enable us to throw and be thrown without tearing any clothes.

The club has a stock of “try out” gi tops that we will be happy to lend you for your first few weeks, to save the cost of buying one until you are sure you want to continue with the sport.

We recommend that you wear a cotton or sports t-shirt and a comfortable pair of jogging bottoms or full-length leggings.

We train barefoot on the judo mats, and we ask that you wear flip-flops or other indoor shoes if you need to step off the mat for any reason – this keeps the mats clean and hygienic.

Please also bring along a water bottle, as training can be intensive and hydration is important.

When you are ready to buy your own gi, we have club discounts with two different brands, Blitz and Fighting Films, which offer gis at most price points, starting from £15 for a child’s first gi, up to £150 for a high-level competition gi. You are also welcome to buy your own, although we ask that it is judo-specific and preferably white.

Class structure

Most classes will follow a similar structure:

• We start any session lined up in grade order and take a standing or kneeling bow to our coaches/sensei.
• A thorough warm-up to ensure we are ready for training and to reduce risk of injury.
• Practising breakfalls (ukemi), which help us learn how to fall safely when thrown.
• Learning a combination of technical syllabus or competition techniques and practising these in a safe and constructive environment.
• At the end of the younger junior class, we usually finish with a game of dodgeball, bulldog, sumo, or tug-of-war, which are all fun, but also help the children develop their judo skills.
• Finally, we line up in grade order once again, taking a standing or kneeling bow to close the class.

Costs

Your first class is free of charge, and afterwards all classes are pay-as-you-go, at £2 for the younger junior class and £3.50 for the junior and senior class.

After you have been training for a few weeks, we will ask you to join the Amateur Judo Association, which costs a maximum of £30 (less for juniors). A license is needed for any competition entries or to progress through belt gradings.

Class times