Destination
Judo

making judo fun

giving children confidence

Latest Techniques

Passion

Innovation

Why we are different

Marc Preston, who founded Destination Judo was one of Scotland’s most successful male judo players of his generation – a medallist at World Cup and Commonwealth level, and with a long list of judo achievements. He was GB’s Number 1 before moving on to coaching, and finally to establishing his own club, Destination Judo, now one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

We do things slightly differently here. We have taken the foundations and the framework of a great and traditional sport. We recognise that being good at sport is not the same as being a good teacher, and we have gone to great lengths to make sure we embrace modern methods to engage children and to let us communicate our skills, our enthusiasm and passion for this sport to all our members while staying true to all the traditional elements of the Gentle Way (Judo).

Judo is one of the very few martial arts embraced by the Olympics.  We at Destination Judo are making sure that as many people as possible reach their full potential in our sport.

What we do

At Destination Judo we like teaching children. We believe we’re good at it.

Coaching

We know that being good at sport is not the same as being a good teacher, one who’s able to communicate skills, enthusiasm and passion to children.

Moral Code

Judo teaches you respect, and gives you self confidence and fun.  It teaches and instills in its students: Courtesy, Courage, Honesty, Honour, Modesty, Respect, Self Control and Friendship.

Exercise

Most obviously Judo provides children with structured physical exercise and the opportunity to learn a new sporting skill.  The core strength that comes through Judo training improves balance and stability.

Movement

Judo has complex movement patterns that develop control, strength and grace.  These core skills are applicable and critical for all sports.  

Inclusion

Judo is a highly inclusive sport.  It caters for all shapes, sizes and abilities.  Girls, Boys, able bodied or managing a disability Judo is a sport you can do and be good at doing it.

The individual

Judo is a sport designed to encourage, recognise and reward progress in a consistent and supportive way.  It is uniquely tailored to bring out the very best in each and every judo athlete.

We are proud of our success

We celebrate our collective successes and recognise achievements of our staff and our member atheletes.  Below you can see some statistics around class and location coverage and our Judokas pathway progression.

Dojos

Recent British National Medals

Taster Classes Anually

Black Belts

What to expect

The first session will always be free to give your child a taste of what is involved and to make sure they enjoy it. Parents are invited to stay and watch the trial sessions. Please let us know of any concerns you may have. We have supported thousands of children into our Judo family over the years and feel confident we can support yours.

Children should wear jogging bottoms/track-suit bottoms (no zips please) and a t-shirt or sweatshirt. Judo is done in bare feet and you child will be given the use of a judo jacket for the initial session.

Our COACHES

Our coaches are full-time professionals who are specialists both in judo and in teaching children. Our class retention levels are excellent which shows we are doing a lot right in terms of promoting self-confidence and having fun while learning important skills.

Success takes many forms

We have been recognised in many ways for being successful.  We have produced athletes who have represented their school, club and country at home and abroad. We have been praised by Active Schools for our success in building up grass roots sport.  Our real success stories, however, are the judo players themselves.

The three young Judoka in the picture are still active members of the club after many years.

Friendship

Trust

From Our Members

We pride ourselves on helping young people develop into confident, successful adults. The discipline and structure that Judo provides for all of us both physically and mentally plays a major role in our character development.
“The coaches at Destination Judo have always believed in me and encouraged me to give my best efforts always. I learned how to be disciplined, prepared and perform under pressure. These skills were invaluable when I first sat school exams. With Destination Judo I have made friends for life, have been able to travel and found a sport that I love.”
Fiona Todman

Chemistry, Herriot Watt

“If you’re considering starting, or continuing judo, then Destination Judo really is the place to do it. It’s the perfect mix of challenge, discipline, and most importantly fun, and I can honestly say that once you go ‘Destination Judo’, you don’t go anywhere else.”

Claire Kumesu-Egri

Lawyer, Beijing Jing Shi Law

“Judo has undoubtedly helped me in my everyday life. It started off by keeping me active and engaged but, within the Destination Judo environment, it has also aided in my personal growth around the values of self-confidence and self-discipline. I also believe that the mindset of toughness, grit, and perseverance that I have developed partly through judo definitely aids me when facing other challenges and problems…”
Chris Kumesu-Egri

Mechanical Engineering with Management, Edinburgh University

“my experience with Destination Judo … helped shape my personality for the better. Judo is a sport with a strong moral code, one that will help you greatly in life.”
Kirsty Marsh

Law, Edinburgh University

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