About Us.
University of London Judo Club is an established and welcoming club, catering to all from beginners to black belts (male and female). We have a spacious and easy to reach in Central London, and a former Olympic squad member as our coach.
Free Trial Session!
We offer one free trial Judo session to any student interested in giving the Club a try. If you are not a student, just pop along anyway and you can come train with us.
What We Do
A typical session begins with a solid warm up followed by some ne-waza (ground work). We then do some standing uchi komi (technique repetition and throw practice) and then work through specific techniques, followed by 15/20 minutes of randori (free practice).
If you are a beginner, our coach will look out for you and ease you into the sessions, at times dividing the class in two to cover different levels, so our Club is the perfect place to start if you have never done Judo!
If attending your first session don’t worry about having a Judo-Gi (the white suits): standard long-sleeved gym clothes are fine, and make sure to trim nails, remove jewellery and tie back any hair. Don’t forget your water bottle and a pair of flip-flops to get from the changing rooms to the mats!
Our coaches
Joe Doherty – Former GB Olympic Squad member, World Master Gold and Silver medalist, Joe has been coaching our club for over 15 years. A certified Level 2 BJA Instructor and 5th-Dan black belt besides, Joe is an excellent and supportive instructor, always on hand to coach at competitions as well as our regular sessions.
Besides Joe there are a plethora of top judoka who are kind enough to demonstrate their favourite techniques or fill in when necessary, including (but not limited to): Niccolò Salvatori, 4th-Dan and BJA Level 2 Coach or Oliver Tang 2nd-Dan and BJA Level 2 Coach.
Costs and Memberships (2021/2022)
| Student | Non-Student | Guest | |
| Membership* | £40 | £60 | |
| Mat fee single session | £5 | £7 | |
| Visitor participation fee | n/a | n/a | £10 |
*All memberships expire on August 31st and must be renewed in September 1st. If you join after January or during the summer, please contact us by email before purchasing your membership.
Judo start-up Costs (Gi and BJA Licence)
Our Judo Club is a member of the British Judo Association, and as such you can benefit from insurance, the chance to grade up, and the ability to enter competitions when you purchase your BJA licence. If you are a student, the BJA has a Student Voucher Scheme for the heavily discounted price of £30 which provides you with the BJA licence (otherwise £29), your first grading fee (£12), and a Judogi (worth £35).
If attending your first session don’t worry about having a Judo-Gi (the white suits): standard long-sleeved gym clothes ar
Donate to the Club
If you would like to support the UL Judo Club by sponsoring a student to start or keep doing Judo, who wouldn’t be able to do so otherwise, or to help cover their competition expenses, you can now contribute with a donation. A donation of £100 would cover a student’s training costs for a year, whereas a donation of £25 would allow a student to enter and attend a competition in the London area.
If you wish to donate get in touch at ulujc@yahoo.co.uk.
Your donations will ensure that everyone that wishes to practice Judo can do so, will support those that wish to represent the Club in competitions, and will help the Club train new coaches to ensure we continue to have the best possible environment to learn and improve as a group. Thank you!