Huddersfield Judo Club are proudly celebrating their 60th anniversary.
Times have changed since a group of engineers answered an advert in the Examiner to “have a go” at the “new mystical martial art of Judo”.
Two engineers from David Brown Gears turned up, Len Penistone (an engineering inspector, pictured inset) and John Stanton.
John ripped Len’s shirt in that first night in a room the size of a bedroom with a hard wooden floor at Lockwood Mechanics Institute on Meltham Road.
But the two stuck at it and formed Huddersfield Judo Club – the first of its kind in Yorkshire.
It is amazing to think that all they had were a couple of books and a desire to learn the sport, which was devised originally as a physical education system.
In the 1960s, when they learned the great Japanese champion Matsushita was visiting the Budokwai Judo Club in London (the first ever club in the United Kingdom), they had no hesitation in inviting him to Huddersfield for a week.
They paid for him to stay in the George Hotel and trained twice a day, in the morning and evening, even visiting other clubs.
“We made sure we got our monies’ worth,” said Len.
Huddersfield currently have a great number of players sporting the highly-coveted black belt, but it was a different story when the sport was in its infancy in the UK.
It was extremely difficult to progress through the grades in those days due to the fact that qualified examiners had to be flown in from Japan to conduct gradings which were, more often than not, held in London.
In fact, it is fair to say that it was almost impossible to attain a black belt in those days and so it was very unusual to see anyone sporting one.
One of the club’s earliest competitive judoka (judo player) Len Booth travelled to London to compete in a Dan (black belt) grading.
Len fought well and won all his fights by ippon (the maximum score in judo), only to find that the examiner left for Japan without returning Len’s judo licence and record book, which meant he had to do it all again six months later.
Len went on to gain a silver medal in the British Championships in 1966.
After initially starting at the Mechanics Institute, Lockwood the club had numerous homes such as Paddock, Rook Street in the town centre, Galloway House on Leeds Road, and the RAFA Club, before settling at Huddersfield Sports Centre, where they have been since it was opened in 1972.
It is a testimony to the dedication and resolve of members and coaches at Huddersfield Judo Club that they have enjoyed so many years of success, especially when so many other minority sports struggle to survive.
And it is important to point out that all the coaches are volunteers and don’t take payment or any kind of expenses. Len Penistone is now 92 years old and, and talking to him about his years as a practising judo player is an education in itself.
To hear the stories he has to tell is to have an insight into the way people’s perceptions have changed.
How many of us in 2013 would put up with the conditions that early club members used to?
Len recalls that the mat was a wagon canvas pulled taught across the floor, with a layer of sawdust underneath to absorb the impact of a fall – but after a while the sawdust would harden into clumps.
Being thrown onto the canvas could be a painful experience depending on where you landed.
He also has vivid memories of scraping ice off the canvas in the depths of winter before training could begin. John also recalls snow blowing over the mat if someone opened the door during training!
These were the days before warm heated sports centres with soft purpose-made mats.
Since the early days, the Huddersfield club have become well established as one of the premier clubs in the UK, producing national and international champions and even a world silver medalist in Dawn Netherwood, who will be a guest of honour at the anniversary dinner.
Judo has changed greatly since its introduction into this country and is now recognised as an Olympic sport in which Great Britain has attained the highest honours.
Judo is a sport which is practised by young and old alike. It has the obvious physical benefits but has never lost its connection with the past and instils virtues such as self-discipline and respect for others, something all of society can benefit from.
Huddersfield Judo Club celebrate their 60th anniversary on August 31 at the John Smith’s Stadium, when a gathering of past and present members will toast the club’s successes and look forward to another 60 years of judo in the town.
The club are trying to contact as many past members as possible to help celebrate this milestone in the club’s history, and would like any to contact club chairman Gordon Lambert on 07909 691542 or 01924 467976.
If anyone is interested in joining, the club train on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8.00 to 9.30pm (seniors) and for juniors, Tuesdays from 7.00 to 8.00pm and Saturdays (12.30).
