Combat Sports Hub is an exciting new initiative aimed at introducing the Olympic sports of Judo, Wrestling, Taekwondo and Boxing into schools and was officially launched at the British Judo Centre of Excellence on Friday 28 November.

Around 50 youngsters aged between 15 and 19 had the chance to try out each of the four sports during taster sessions within the purpose-built dojo at the Centre of Excellence. All of the sports were played out in groups on the mat at the same time, with groups rotating around the mat.

The judo sessions were delivered by BJA service managers Sam Dunkley and Laurence Kenyon and involved sampling animal shapes and simple judo moves broken down with the aim to make the sport engaging and enjoyable. 

The Youth Sport Trust will work in partnership with governing bodies of each of the chosen sports to develop each of the Combat Sport Hubs. The scheme aims to drive young people’s participation by increasing activity within the sport. At the same time it will provide clear inclusive pathways for young people to get involved through community clubs; as participants, young leaders, coaches and/or instructors. Hub Schools aim to increase the opportunities for young people to engage in a range of non-traditional school sports.

The ultimate aim is to highlight the role schools’ play in raising the profile of non-traditional school sports. Through the scheme, young people, school staff and parents will be developed as players, coaches, leaders and volunteers in each of the sports.

British Judo is keen to work alongside other combat sports to explore new ways of introducing judo into young people’s lives through the school environment.

British Judo Service Manager Liz Burdis said: “Being part of this new initiative allows us to work alongside other sports that share many of the same values that underpin our sport. “It allows us to work together to explore new ways, and share current methods, of introducing our sports into young people’s lives through the school environment and helps us to create resources that equip teachers and participants to do this. “I am really looking forward to working alongside schools across the country that have been chosen to be combat sport hub schools to further develop the judo programmes that they currently offer and in some cases helping them establish a brand new offering.”

During the launch, The Youth Sport Trust and British Judo, provided the opportunity for each of the other National Sporting Governing Bodies (NGB’s) to meet with teachers from 10 pilot schools with the ultimate aim is to introduce the sports into their schools, and show examples of best practice.

Ten pilot schools have been chosen to trial the scheme.

These include:

Bosworth Academy, Leicestershire

Highfields School. Derbyshire

Derby Moor Community Sports College, Derby

Our Lady and St Chad Catholic Sports College, Wolverhampton

Bishop Barrington School, Co Durham

Accrington Academy, Lancs

Shoeburyness High School, Essex

Stowmarket High School, Suffolk

Penwortham Priory Academy, Lancs

Langdon Park Community School, Tower Hamlets

Bishop Barrington School, Co Durham

Combat Sports work together in partnership 

The schools receives support in terms of a support grant, instructor and leader training, additional support (including Lead School, NGB staff and YST staff support), bespoke resources developed in partnership with hub schools and other activities. School Hubs in Cycling and Watersports have proved a real success and the pupils chosen as advocates of the sports have been encouraged to support competition development and growth through School Games delivery. Combat Sports Hub will explore and maximise the potential of each of the sports to drive pupil attainment and achievement at the school as a whole. Schools will work with the Youth Sport Trust and each of the National Governing Bodies on research and development projects and they will provide advice and guidance around developing new products and services.

Suzy Broadhead, clubs programme manager for the Youth Sport Trust, said: “With the national launch of Combat Sports Hub we hope to achieve participation across four different sports. The ultimate aim is to increase participation and to show how combat sports can engage young people and inspire them to try sports within and beyond school. The programme also offers opportunities for young people to gain vital leadership and employability skills. Each of the schools are here today to understand the challenges and to see how they engage with the clubs of non-traditional sports.”

Pupils from Our Lady at St Chads School in Wolverhampton attended the sessions. The school is an example of best practice in judo, having already established a Judo Academy run by Jason Allan.

Andy Deeming, attended the day on behalf of the school. He said: “It has been great to speak to the NGB’s of each sport and see what is on offer. We have a fantastic judo programme with about 40 members at the academy. I was fortunate enough to go to Japan with the team and now we are looking at introducing other combat sports into the school.”

His daughter Lucy and son Joshua are both judo players, who attend the school and they medalled at the Kent International.

Lucy said: “I have really enjoyed today. It is good to see judo in practice and I am particularly interested in finding out more about wrestling, as it is a grappling sport like judo.”

Rhian Mason, also from Our Lady at St Chads, who is a blackbelt kickboxer said: “I tried taekwondo and I really like it as it is similar to kickboxing and I like boxing. It was great to try judo too.”

Danni-Lee Baker, who attends Bishops Barrington school in County Durham also has some experience of judo and added: “I found today really interesting. I enjoyed taekwondo and judo the most.

“It was a really enjoyable day and a chance to do something different.“

The school receives support in terms of a support grant, instructor and leader training, additional support (including Lead School, NGB staff and YST staff support), bespoke resources developed in partnership with hub schools and other activities.

Contact Liz Burdis on liz.burdis@britishjudo.org.uk for more information.

Words by Donna Richardson.