British Judo Association

Judo originated in Japan in 1883 and became an Olympic sport in 1964. It is a competitive sport but also considered an art form, a method of self-defence and a discipline for life. It is an exciting sport to watch, with spectacular throws and incredible strength and athleticism on display in every match.

The British Judo Association was formed in 1948. As the National Governing Body for the sport of judo in the UK we provide quality sporting opportunities for young people in the UK and are looking to secure Olympic medals in Beijing 2008 and beyond.<br /><br />We have over 800 Clubs and over 35,000 individual members affiliated in our active database. 25% of our members are female, and 75% are aged under 16.

After a period of major modernisation, our Head Office is now based at Loughborough University and we have sub-offices in Bath, Bisham Abbey, Sheffield and Wolverhampton. We have a staff of 35 full-time employees and 2 part-time employees.

Judo has been one of the strongest World and Olympic sports in the UK for the past 35 years – with 20 World Championship titles, 16 Olympic medals and 7 Paralympic medals won in total. This success looks set to continue as we have a number of World Class players all looking to increase this medal tally in Beijing 2008, London 2012 and beyond. British Judo is in a strong position to deliver Olympic medals for the UK because of the total number of medals available in the judo competition. With seven weight categories for men and seven weight categories for women, and 2 bronze medallists in each weight category, there are a total of 56 judo medals up for grabs.