Marshalswick Judo Club

General information

MARSHALSWICK JUDO CLUB AND THE COMMUNITY

MJC is proud to be at the heart of the community of marshalswick, proud to have inspirational parents and students, who are forever helping us continue the club for the future benefit for all.
Over the 13 years we have been a community club. We have always put our students first, encouraging and given them the opportunity to achieve their goals, MJC coaches are sensitive to and understand that not all students learn at the same level, our aims are to help them gain and grow in confidence, to aspire to be what they can be. We will keep them focused on what they can achieve, and not what they feel they should achieve. MJC coaches have and will always teach with care, consideration and understanding,and try and cater for all our student needs.

Coaches at MJC respect those who always try hard in their lessons and those who help others. We at MJC are proud of our junior volunteers, who give their time in helping other students, with respect, kindness and understanding.

Judo players do not become Instructors/Coaches over night or by just by gaining their black belt. They need the ability, integrity, technical knowledge, passionand love for judo to instruct/teach students with varying abilities. All of our coaches are fully UKcc level 2 qualified and certified with the British Judo Association. who can be found at the BJA are the National Governing Body for Judo in the UK and we like to teach/offer all who join our club with quality and safe instruction, more importantly, to us are our students needs, we will try to meet all of these where possible.
Many clubs believe that all that matters is winning medals, that is certainly not the case with us. our training is structured for all abilities in both Competitive and Traditional Judo in the Kodokan style.
Marshalswick Judo Club was started back in September 1998 by Doug and Wendy Seabrook, the main object of starting the club was to get young children and teenagers off the streets in Marshalswick, and into something that would be useful and helpful to them and give them a purpose in life.

This was the challenge set by Wendy and myself, having seen problems around the streets in our area, but by talking to, and listening to the youths and young children, we found that having nothing to do in the Marshalwick reduced them to roaming the streets looking for things to occupy them.

Club Coach Doug Seabrook said, that although this was when the club was originally though of, its launch took a great deal of work, and a lot of thought went into how we could get the club started, how we could make the club successful, and most of all where we could hold our judo sessions.

With the help of Skywood School head teacher Alan Willison, we found a home for our club, and then the hard work began, finding the correct mats, organising the starting date, co-ordinating this to the children, having the correct team in place, this came by two brilliant students I had taught from a very young age, Vince and Martin Square and with Dave Lambert and Elaine Funnell parents who joined our club with there children, who’s help and dedication make up the clubs team of instructors, has helped make this club a brilliant place to come and train.

Word of our club soon spread, via the children, and through news letters sent out by the school, and we went from strength to strength.

As our club grew, it was decided that we had to move as we had grown too big for the gym at Skyswood School, and moved to our new home at Sandringham school in the Ridgeway, where we now run all our judo sessions.

Marshalswick Judo Club now plays host to over 100 students, and is a thriving place of activity, not only for the children of Marshalswick and surrounding areas, but also for the parents, who also get involved with the club and help out with all activities.

Marshalwick has produced seven Dan Grades since it started back in 1998,

and with rising junior contesting stars in our club, like, Lauren Baverstock member of the BJA/GB squad and fought in the under 63 Klo, in the World Championships both in Birmingham and The Dominican Republic last year and with a very large medal tally to her name, and Ben Funnell National and international champion at his weight group, and a member of the BJC squad, also has a very large medal tally to his name.

As coach I am fascinated by the differences between other clubs styles and mine, especially when we are competing in competitions throughout our country and abroad, it helps focus the mind. And with our younger rising contesting stars, Jemma O’Dwyer, Marieke Stewart, Liam Campion, Lyle Stewart, Jack Hamilton and Eaun Gelling just to mention a few, who constantly go out to competitions and bring back medals, help put our club on the Judo map, which makes us very proud to have started Marshalswick Judo Club, Marshalswick is now heavily involved with promoting Judo through health activity days in conjunction with the sports department of Sandringham School, run by Nick Cousins head of sport, this involves the students of Sandringham School taking part and learning new skills, which is endorsed by The head teacher Alan Gray.

Marshalswick Judo Club also take students from all senior schools through part of their GCSE sports exams, and is acknowledged as part of the sports curriculm .

Wendy and I are proud to have such wonderful students and parents who’s, dedication, fun, laughter and enthusiasm, make our club continue on its way to becoming a Judo school of excellence.

I look forward to the challenges ahead for Marshalswick Judo Club and its members and wish them well in all they do.