Dear Friends,

We altered our logo again to represent were we stand for, and the way we want to reach our goals.

The sky is no longer the limit, we had to consider our situation and review our policy without denying our principles.           

Bamboo represents strength and reflecting a sense of perfect balance with upright integrity and tremendous flexibility.

Its tensile strength compares to that of steel.

It is the fastest growing grass.  You chop it down and it comes back quicker than any other plant. It can also grow very high; some types of bamboo plants can grow 60 feet high.

The center of the bamboo plant is hollow, suggesting humility.

The bamboo is always ready to be of service and is useful, its advantages are compelling.

The bamboo plant bears no flower or fruit which are considered temporary make-up.

The bamboo represents simplicity of life and a humble spirit.

  The bamboo which bends to the tempest,

          often escapes better than the oak which resists it

We thought the sky was the limit when the EJU appointed the Special Needs committee, but we were wrong. There will always be people who can’t bring up were judo ethics stand for. They are a shame for the heritage of Jigoro Kano's. His ideal of Judo and education consisted in "perfecting one's self and benefitting the world", and the foundation of his conviction was to coordinate the two principles, as expressed in his own words: "In order to perfect myself I do not for a moment forget to be of service to the world"

(Yukono- 1921).

In my view all the ideas suggestions and proposals Mr. Kullenberg and I made to the board were put aside.

I won’t border you with all the details but would mention one.

In order of the president of the EJU board we have made an European long-range concept plan to structure Special Needs judo so it could include within the structure of the EJU.

Within this the cooperation with sport federations of the disabled was one of the spearheads. We succeed to come to an agreement with INAS-FID see the news archive of Special needs judo.

The Board has never ratified the agreement or accepted the cooperation with the sport federations for the disabled.

Well we have to deal with the facts of life, you gain something and you lose something, no reason to give up our determination to support Special needs Judoka’s.

To reach our goal we have to start a new initiative for the time being, till we get new members in the board of direction of the EJU and eventually in the IJF.

We are sure that in the future new and younger board members are aware that people with a disability have a right to participate in the world of judo. They will understand that people with a disability have an own opinion in what to do with their live and must be free to accomplish this without restrictions or bounders. To reach this goal and to be sure that financial support does not fell into wrong hands we set up a new foundation:

Objective:

The mean problem for all special needs judo programs is founding. Therefore we set up a new foundation, under the name:

Special Needs Judo Foundation.

The target of our foundation is to improve the image of special needs judo by supporting projects, whether new or existing. The support aims at improvement of the social, educational and technical skills of the special needs judokas. By stimulating this projects, the foundation intents to create world wide a good teaching and training structure, which can be expand, in competition and grading.

Eventually, the final goal must be the total inclusion of Special Needs Judo within all judo organisations, like clubs, National federations, regional federations and even in the International judo federation.

The foundation aims that Special Needs Judokas are equally treated as main stream judokas.

They must have the same rights for training, grading and competition as all people. 

Procedure:

Projects can be individual or group focused. The requests for support must be well formulated in English in a document with an approach situation, a mid section on the treatment and the future goal, supported by a draw up of the estimate.

Financial support will only be given by way of the national Judo Federations if they include Special Needs Judo in their articles of association. In case a national judo federation does not include Special Needs Judokas in their articles of association, the support will be viewed on case-by-case.

Financial support will also only be given, if the applicant has found 1/3 minimum of the estimate of cost for the project.

The Board of direction of the foundation will decide which project will be honoured.

The priority of financial support will be focused on the annual European Judo Event, if this is organized confirm the BID book of the foundation and especially supported by a national judo federation.

Organizations which already made a donation to the foundation or a contribution to the goals of the foundation will get preferential treatment. 

After the project, the foundation requires an evaluation report from the applicant which contains the results of the project and the final financial statement of the project. In case an organization does not meet the requirements, the foundation has the right to withdraw their founding.

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 hai 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.

Visual Impaired were organized in Assen in the Nether-lands 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

Chair Special Needs Judo Foundation

Dutch SN Program

France SN Program

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