British Judo are pleased to announce the six coaches who will embark on an educational programme, through a collaboration with Neil Adams Effective Fighting.

The lucky six selected coaches (3 women and 3 male) were selected from over 20 applications. They will now participate in four 4-hour sessions led by Neil Adams, exploring the fundamentals of judo before further development opportunities relevant to their personal coaching pathway, with the first session taking place this weekend.

The 6 coaches are:

Gemma Howell; Wolverhampton Judo Club

Eva Minarikova; Kazoku Academy

Michelle Quinn-Boyle; Judo Club Esprit

Daniel Hankinson; Keidokwai Judo Club

Richard Leybourne; Respect Judo

Danny Harper; Craven Judo Academy

Ahead of the programme starting, Neil said: “I know I am known mostly for my world title, Olympic medals and now, probably more as the ‘Voice of Judo’.

“What judoka may not realise is that my heart still rests with increasing the skills of judoka and more pointedly on the instructors and coaches of our sport. For me, it is about understanding the underlying concepts, then skills mastery, and then practical application of the skills into adaptability.

“This is what not only helps to retain judoka but also makes a champion.”

Gemma Howell added: “Since retiring I’ve really enjoyed being involved with judo in other ways. I’m really excited to do this course and develop my coaching skills so I can help others and keep spreading my love of the best sport in the world.”

Daniel Hankinson said: “I’m very humbled to have been selected for this exciting project. I’m looking forward immensely to learning from this experience and bringing that knowledge back to all of the players that I coach!”

Richard Leybourne commented: “Nanakorobi yaoki- fall down 7 times stand up 8. If we can engrain this principle into every child/student of judo they will succeed in every aspect of their life.”

Watch for further news from British Judo by checking out our latest news section. You can also catch up via our official social media platforms, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.