FAQ ------

How much does it all cost?
1) The weekly fees at our club are: £3.00 per lesson OR £2.50 per lesson along with an annual membership of £6.00. The first lesson is always free.

2) The club is a member of the British Judo Association (BJA) and we recommend that all club members join the BJA which then gives access to grading events, competitions, and personal insurance.

3) Gradings - where members compete for the next grade of belt. These events are held frequently through the year and each member can progress through the grades (typically 1 grading every 3-4 months). The grading costs are around £8 - £10 per grading (as mentioned above a current BJA membership is required to grade).

4) Judo suits can be supplied by the club at a reduced rate. The costs depend upon the size and quality of the suit chosen. For juniors you could expect to pay from £15.00 and a beginner adult suit at around £25.00. A top of the range competition judo suit however, would cost in excess of £100.

What do I need to wear?
For the first few lessons, it is possible to use one of the several club jackets we have available. This and a pair of lose track suit bottoms, should be adequate to try out the sport before investing in your own suit. The costs of suits are mentioned above.

Can I come along to any class?
We need to ensure that we have the right ratio of coaches to students and also adequate mat area. Usually there is not a problem taking new members, as we run 4 classes each Sunday morning to suit most age groups. However, there is sometimes a waiting list so we would appreciate you either coming down on Sunday morning to watch and discuss with one of the coaches or give one of us a call to check.

My son/daughter is 5 years old, can he come along?
We found that from the age of 6 years, the children have a better attention span and are prepared to listen and follow instructions. So at the present time 6 years is the minimum age to join our Kano class.

What is Judo?
"Gentle way." A Japanese art of self-defense and a sport with Olympic recognition. Judo is a method of turning an opponent's strength against him and overcoming by skill rather than sheer strength.

Will judo help me keep fit?
Like all sports it very much depends upon your own motivations and reasons. “Do you do judo to keep fit or keep fit to do judo?” What ever your motivations each Judo lesson contains instructional elements, practice elements and competitive elements. So in each session you do use a lot of energy and come away having had a good workout.

Will Judo help me defend myself?
Yes! Judo is an excellent self-defence art. It teaches how to use an opponent's momentum against them. This principle can give a small person the ability to defend themselves against a much larger person. Judo also emphasizes techniques from the ground, which is an area that is sometimes neglected in other martial arts.

Do girls do judo?
Absolutely. Cheddar judo club have many female members at all age ranges (and at time of writing our Junior 2 class – young teenager – has as many girls as boys. Carole is one of our Adult members who began Judo a couple years ago and is now an assistant coach and a member of the committee.

Are the coaches qualified?
All our coaches and assistant coaches are certified by the BJA and have undergone extensive training and testing. The coaches also have to attend certain events and ongoing coaching revalidation courses each year to maintain their coaching accreditation.

Who are the BJA?
The British Judo Association (BJA) is the National Governing Body for the Olympic Sport of Judo in Great Britain. The Association represents Great Britain internationally and is a member of The International Judo Federation, The European Judo Union, The Judo Confederation of the European Union, The British Olympic Association, The Central Council of Physical Recreation, Commonwealth Judo Association, and the Commonwealth Games Council. 

Judo sounds dangerous, will I get hurt?
Because of the nature of the sport, strict discipline is essential and great importance is placed on safety, hygiene and etiquette. Safety is controlled by the contest rules, which are constantly updated to exclude harmful actions - this allows Judo to be practiced in a spirited manner without undue risk of harm or injury. Hygiene is essential due to the close physical contact between players and Judo etiquette instills respect, modesty, politeness and general social skills on all participants.