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Dear judo friends from all over the world,

I think you noticed the name Judo4all is changed in:

“Special Needs Judo Europe”

I’ve been asked to accept the function of coordinator by the board of the EJU. The board asked me to review the name Judo4all.

They made their point by the fact that there were several versions of this name. The name Judo4all was already established.

It was associated with judo for children and the name did not compare with the respect to the content.   

To avoid confusion the responsible Sport Director made the decision that from now on we work under the name of “Special Needs Judo Europe”. This is recognised the board of the European Judo Union.

Please look at    European Judo Union

Donn F. Draeger state in his article

“An Analysis of Competition”

published for the first time in 1986:

“As is intended by its founder, proper Judo, to be meaningful, must take into consideration and permit a "Judo-for-all" attitude which gives full recognition to the needs of the chronological ages of the judoists training.”

In this article he connect young judoists to the sport of judo. Later on the expression is common used for children who play judo mainly in the culture of the British Judo Association. Finally it has been associated with disabled judokas by Special Needs coaches in Great Britain.

Now a days it is more and more common to learn judo to all people, young, old, small, big, male, female it does not matter what religion, political or social background one got, or which country one is born or lives in.

Just go to the nearest dojo with your judogi under your arm and they welcome you to join the training. All people should practice judo, it brings balance to one personality, makes people more aware of there body and increase their social skills.

The founder of judo proclaimed:

“Jita kyoei” “well being for all people”.

Most teachers are not aware that even disabled or handicaped people can practice judo. Their appearance on the tatami is not usual.

In the early sixties this group started in a sheltered environment like institutes and the benefits of judo were used as therapy.

Judo for the disabled was born as therapy in a white suit.

Never and beyond their dreams could the first judo teachers for the disabled imagine that they were liberating this group from prejudice of society. 

In the early seventies the care of disabled people changed enormously, the thought of integrate handicapped people in the society becomes the target to aim also in sport. 

Sports and physical exercise contribute to the well being of people. Everyone, including those with a physical, mental and/or sensory disability or chronic disease should get the opportunity to take part in sports and exercise.

The results of this integration philosophy is that sport has to be played on a equal basis.

Judo competition for the disabled started in the early eighties.

First only for the visual impaired, but later also for the other target groups and judo grows from a regional to a National level sport for all disabilities.

The first contacts in Europe are made and enchain programs carefully started.

the first World championships Visual Impaired were organized in Assen in the Netherlands and many main stream trainers watched the VI-judokas from all over the world in admiration.

This was judo without any false tactics or strategies; Ippon was the one and only goal.

In the early nineties, the mutual international network grows, especially the networks of what we call now Special Needs judo clubs. Teachers, trainers and coaches strongly seek ''know how'' and expertise in this area.

The need for competition emerges, at first just for fun, but soon the competition level of the SN-judokas enhances. Uniform regulations seem to follow naturally what is common practice. Different national organisations have been established rules and there is a classification system to make sure the competition will be fair.

The purpose is that every athlete will have a chance on success.

Special needs judo is in all different rules more or less divided in several divisions, adjusted like sitting, kneeling, standing, classified levels and disability, as well regular in age, gender, weight- and grade.

Important regulation adaptations are made in order to avoid injuries.

During grappeling no joint-locks (katsetsu-waza), choking (shime-waza) are allowed, nor standing any sacrificing throws (sutemi-waza) are permitted, also the Ne-waza (the sitting or kneeling judo competition) has been officially mentioned and dealt with.

like IPC and S.O. Inc. or denying of National Judo Unions, the process of emancipation was unstoppable. Physical, intellectual, sensorial and even plural disabled judoka’s trained, competed, graduated and explored their way into the world of judo.

Even the opponents can’t ignore the fact that this group judoka’s emancipation and progression is still enormous.

The year 2000, again in the Netherlands, the first European Special Olympics that does include judo for intellectual disabled, is organized. It was a long way to convince the S.O. movement that judo was not a combat game were people with a disability were encourage fighting against other athletes. Still the Special Olympics movement was sceptical about the sport of judo.

Contrary to expectations the athletes proved them all to be wrong by showing the observers that they know the difference between sport enthusiasm and aggression. They showed skills, perseverance, joy and a high extend of fair play during the judo competition on the European Special Olympic Groningen games in 2000.

seems a sport many people misunderstand. Even classified judo instructors who been confronted with the disabled who want to practice judo, has to depend on three things.

Their own skills, competency and knowledge about the target group.

To encourage the ones who have the potential and the will, but not the knowledge to support  judo for the disabled, we have built this website, so information is easily available all over the world.

We hope that in the near future Special Needs Judo will not only be a sport done in Europe but in the whole world and accepted by the International Judo Federations.

Otagai ni rei 

Ben van der Eng

Coordinator Special Needs Judo EJU

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