Bognor Regis Zen Judo Dojo

03/09/2025

25/08/2025

The first part of the video shows different ways of moving across the tatami (mat) and then Kuzushi (balance breaking). Third part shows the Juno Kata, but was taken in lockdown so with social distancing.

24/08/2025

Please Note That ZJF Membership and Mat Insurance is Now Due.

The annual cost will remain at £15 for 2025/26. Please remember to bring both your blue ZJF membership card and red Kenshindoryu licence book for stamping. No insurance no training.

September Training Sessions / Fees:

If you normally pay by bank transfer, there will be five training sessions this month (September). If you pay by bank transfer, the total due will be £35 (please let me know when you have paid).

If you are unable to attend regularly during the month (and pay up front), please try to pay by cash (£7) for each session when you are able to attend. It makes it easier for us to keep track of session payments.

We have room to take on new and returning students, if you know anyone who might be interested in giving Judo a go please let them know.

Sensei John Robertson 6th Dan
(Chief Instructor)

24/08/2025

Great well attended session last monday.

Sensei Martin did a lesson on uchikomi on the move, technique two's and three's and safety when changing between, this was followed by some blindfold randori to finish.

There is no session this Bank Holiday monday, but we will be back to regular sessions until the Christmas break.

Sensei John Robertson 6thDan.
(Chief Instructor)

30/07/2025

After just over 20 years of use the Clubs Milom judo canvas had started to suffer. After looking around we were able to get the corners reinforced and the canvas anchor loops restiched.

Now back in use after a bit of juggling to find which way it had been folded up.

Thanks to:

Covercare Ltd
Thornham Marina
Thornham Lane
Emsworth
PO10 8DD

Sensei John

23/07/2025

I have been working on transferring the brzjc.co.uk website pages over to work under Wordpress and it has just gone live.

Let me know what you think.

John

(Site Admin)

18/07/2025

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑱𝒊𝒈𝒐𝒓𝒐 𝑲𝒂𝒏𝒐
𝐽𝑖𝑔𝑜𝑟𝑜̄ 𝐾𝑎𝑛𝑜̄’𝑠 𝐹𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑃𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐽𝑢𝑑𝑜:

1. Carefully observe oneself and one’s situation, carefully observe others, and carefully observe one’s environment,

2. Seize the initiative in whatever you undertake,

3. Consider fully, act decisively,

4. Know when to stop,

5. Keep to the middle.

• Judo is the way to the most effective use of both physical and spiritual strength.

• Judo in reality is not a mere sport or game. I regard it as a principle of life, art and science. In fact, it is a means for personal cultural attainment.

• Judo is the way of using one’s mental and physical strength in the most efficient manner.

• Through training and practicing techniques for offense and defense, one disciplines and cultivates body and spirit, and thereby masters the essence of this way. Thus the ultimate goal of Judo is to strive for personal perfection by means of this and to benefit the world.

• Before and after practicing Judo or engaging in a match, opponents bow to each other. Bowing is an expression of gratitude and respect. In effect, you are thanking your opponent for giving you the opportunity to improve your technique.

• Judo teaches us to look for the best possible course of action, whatever the individual circumstances, and helps us to understand that worry is a waste of energy.

• If there is effort, there is always accomplishment.

• There are people who are excitable by nature and allow themselves to become angry for the most trivial of reasons. Judo can help such people learn to control themselves. Through training, they quickly realize that anger is a waste of energy, that it has only negative effects on the self and others.

• In randori*, one must search out the opponent’s weaknesses and be ready to attack with all the resources at his disposal the moment the opportunity presents itself, without violating the rules of judo.

• Walk a single path, becoming neither arrogant with victory nor broken with defeat, without forgetting caution when all is quiet or becoming frightened when danger threatens.

• Another tenet of randori is to apply just the right amount of force — never too much, never too little. All of us know of people who have failed to accomplish what they set out to do because of not properly gauging the amount of effort required. At one extreme, they fall short of the mark; at the other, they do not know when to stop.

• Judo should be free as art and science from any external influences, political, national, racial, and financial or any other organized interest. And all things connected with it should be directed to its ultimate object, the Benefit of Humanity. Human sacrifice is a matter of ancient history.

• There is nothing greater under the heavens than education. The virtue of one spreads to many; real education goes on for hundreds of years.

*Randori : literally meaning “chaos taking”, “chasing chaos” or “grasping freedom” randori 乱取り is the free practice of Judo.

Article by: EdinburghJudo,com ©

Judoka? this is worth a visit: 👇
👉 https://www.judomerch.com 👈 🎁

.

13/07/2025

🥋 A judoka is not defined by grade, title, or position.

A judoka is defined by how they behave, especially when no one is watching.

A judoka acts with respect, shows courage, and speaks with sincerity.

A judoka values honour over ego, modesty over pride, and mutual benefit over personal gain.

A judoka does not step on others to rise.

They lift others as they grow.

They create space on the mat and in the world for everyone to belong.

This is who we are. This is what we stand for.

This is judo.

27/06/2025

As the weather looks like it could be very hot Monday evening (30th June), can all judoka please remember to bring a t-shirt with them, so we can practice some no gi judo.

Sensei John Robertson
(Chief Instructor)

12/06/2025

(Approx 2 minute 50 second read)

I was asked recently if I could help a new mother learn some self-defense.
She has a six-month-old child and she has no prior martial arts experience. On top of that, she’s working as well - so her days are full, her sleep is broken, and time for anything extra is in very short supply. From a reality-based perspective - how could I help her?
The answer has little to do with punching or kicking.
When someone has zero experience, the worst thing you can do is throw them into complicated movements or drills that don’t reflect the reality of their life.
The best place to begin is with mindset, awareness, and the sort of practical habits that don’t require years of training.
For a new mother, it’s not about learning how to fight. It’s about avoiding the need to fight in the first place. The most effective self-defense is to not be there when trouble happens. It’s a cliché, I know - but it’s the truth.
That begins with understanding how violence unfolds and how to reduce the chances of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both the ‘wrong place’ and the ‘wrong time’ are hugely important. Do you really need to be in the mall car park at 2 a.m.? That’s why it’s so important to plan ahead.
It also means staying off the phone when walking, looking up, noticing people and exits, and not ignoring that gut feeling when something feels off. If a situation doesn’t feel right, it usually isn’t. ‘What if?’ is a question I often ask my students. It’s a useful way to stay switched on without becoming paranoid.
Even simple things make a big difference: parking in well-lit areas, having keys ready before reaching the car, checking the area before placing your child inside, walking with purpose, and avoiding isolated spaces.
Keeping a child close when in public. Being wary of anyone who tries to get too close. Confidence and awareness can do far more to deter an attacker than any technique learned in a rush.
At home, it means making sure doors and windows are secure, the outside is well lit, and that the home itself doesn’t offer an easy target.
These are things that don’t take years to learn, but they make all the difference.
There’s also the matter of how predators operate. Many ‘interview’ their targets first. They test boundaries, look for hesitation, or signs that someone is distracted or unsure. Someone who is alert, who notices them, who doesn’t seem easy - that alone can interrupt the process. This isn’t about being aggressive or confrontational. It’s about not looking like the easy option.
Verbal skills matter too. A clear, firm voice saying “No”, “Back off”, or “Get away from me” can stop someone in their tracks. It sends a message - not just to the aggressor, but to anyone else who might hear it.
Standing tall, using direct eye contact - not as a challenge, but with confidence - can shift the balance of a situation before it ever turns physical. And if needed, shouting something like “Get away from my baby!” can snap people to attention much faster than a general cry for help.
That’s where I’d start. No stances. No drills. No kata. Not yet. First, understand the problem. Then build the habits that help avoid it altogether. If she’s open to it, physical training can come later - but it should only build on a solid foundation of awareness and understanding.
For those who teach fighting techniques as the starting point for self-defense - how exactly does that help this young woman? She has no experience, barely any time, and a child depending on her.
What she needs isn’t impractical drills, or tradition, or a false sense of power from a few moves repeated up and down the dojo. She needs habits she can apply immediately, in real life, under real pressure.
Real self-defense isn’t about fighting first. It’s about context, planning, and keeping yourself - and your child - safe.
Written by Adam Carter

25/02/2025

A variation on a theme.

25/02/2025

A bit of fun at the end of Monday nights session.