Cumbria and the Borders: An area of the BJC
A Brief History of the BJC in Cumbria
Late 1990's |
John Barton and Derek Gove are becoming increasingly disillusioned with the purely competitive aspect of judo dominating the martial art Cumbria. |
1998 |
John Barton makes contact with the BJC, which has retained traditional attitudes, including a balance between different aspects of judo training, including kata. Watanabe kwai becomes affiliated to the BJC in July. |
2000 |
Alan Findlay's Brampton judo club is persuaded to join Watanabe kwai in forming the Cumbria Area of the BJC. As an area, the judo clubs in Cumbria were responsible for organising their own area events, such as championships, gradings and coaching sessions.
The area holds a kata course and dan grading with the BJC vice-president as senior examiner, assisted by Mrs Newton. These kata courses become an annual event, and in future years attract Angela Brown, Dave Reveley, Dale Fenwick and Norman Revely - all kata experts and world champions. |
2001 |
John Barton opens Burneside judo club. Cumbria holds an FPJ Level 2 coaching course with Akinori Hosaka, kodokan hachidan. This attracts judoka from Scotland and the north of England. |
2003 |
Stronger links are forged with St. Ronan's judo club in Innerleithen, run by Dave Hammond. As the clubs regularly support each others events, St. Ronan's joins the area which becomes known as Cumbria and the Borders.
Alan Findlay dies on August 19th. Brampton judo club, which Alan had founded 40 years earlier, continues for a few months before announcing in January 2004 that it has closed permanently.
In November George Temperton, yodan, was invited across to hold a kyushindo judo course. George Temperton was one of Kenshiro Abe's students and still practises and teaches Abe's style of judo. |
2004 |
The area badge is introduced. Designed by Derek Gove, it features kanji that read henkyo, which means borderland, or frontier. |
2005 |
Seishin Judokwai joins Cumbria and the Borders.
Dave Hammond moves to Dundee and establishes the Ippon Judo Club. For organisational reasons he remains part of Cumbria and the Borders. The club quickly establishes itself in the University city and although the long-term aim is for a Scottish Area to be set up, Ippon remains an active part of the area. |
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