Judo Club

Contact

President: Chris Coelle
Phone: (M) 0423 016 400

Head Coach: Graham Mines Phone: (M) 0428 861 330

Class Times

Every Tuesday and Thursday Night 6.00pm – 7.30pm
All Grades during School Terms

Contact Graham Mines on 0428 861 330 office for more information

Latest News

The Western Youth Centre Judo Club mourns the death of Max Mines. Max passed away on Friday the 16th August 2024. Max coached at the club for 43 years and retired in 2022. A former State coach was supportive of all of his players, was an amazing coach and legend of our club.

Why Judo

Judo was founded by the Japanese Polymath Jigaro Kano in 1882. It is based on more than 10 different Jujitsu styles that Kano had studied and analyzed to develop, what he deemed the most effective system that can be practiced by free sparring (randori).

It is:

  • A versatile physical activity that conditions both strength and stamina and improves general fitness
  • An effective and comprehensive self-defense system
  • A functional martial arts with traditional roots that gets practiced against resisting opponents
  • A grappling style that gets practiced standing and on the ground
  • A vibrant sport that has been in the Olympics since 1964
  • A great way to improve self-knowledge and self-discipline
  • A means to improve coordination and balance and protect our bodies from taking a fall.

Judo’s main principles are jita kyōei – mutual benefit and seiryoku zen’yō, often translated as – maximum efficiency, minimum effort. Kano saw Judo and its practice as a microcosmic exploration of life and it’s problems.

A practice session at Judo

(From left to right and top to bottom) Picture 1: Warm-up, to improve general fitness and playfully practice Judo specific skills, Picture 2: Ground fighting (Newaza), to practice immobilizing or submitting your opponent when fighting goes to the ground, Picture 3: Technical work, judo throws (Tachi waza), learning all the different throws and principles of grappling while on your feet, including combinations, counters, grip-fighting, and transitions), Picture 4: Free sparring (Randori), the use and exploration of all Judo techniques and physical principles against a resisting opponent.

Meet the Coaches

Graham is a fourth degree black belt (Yon Dan) who started Judo when he was 7 years old, moved to Western Youth Centre as a 17 year old from Postal Institute Judo Club. Graham is an accredited coach and was appointed Senior coach of WYC Judo club since 1996 and has been in this position since, he has also coached the SA state team from 1996 to 2001. Graham has a great deal of experience in competition Judo including state and national experience. Graham represented Australia at the 1983 Oceania Games in New Caledonia. During the day Graham works as a Senior Planner with a Defence contractor.

David is a first-degree black belt (Shodan), who started as a white belt at the Western Youth Centre along with his daughter who at the time, was interested in all things Japanese. David is an accredited coach and has been enjoying the martial arts since he was 19 years old, when he started doing Shaolin Kung Fu while studying Math at Flinders University.  During the day, David works in Information Technology for SA Government.

Chris is a first-degree black belt (Shodan), who started as a white belt at the Western Youth Centre. Chris has been engaged in martial arts since he was 6 years old, when he started off with Judo in Germany. He is an accredited Senior Judo Coach and has been the president of the Western Youth Centre Judo Club since 2017. When Chris is not on the mat, he is moonlights as a Psychologist.