Covid Keeps

'COVID KEEPS' WITH VITALY MAKAROV

The final in the ‘Covid Keeps’ series looks at 2001 World Champion and 2004 Olympic finalist, Vitaly Makarov and his world title winning uchi mata technique. At what age did you start judo and where? I started to practise judo at the age of 10 in a port city named…

1 June 2021

World Championship Seniors - Budapest, Hungary

CHALLENGERS GATHERING FOR BATTLE WITH WORLD NUMBER ONE HASHIMOTO

There are some events that bring out the best in athletes. They manage to get the timing right and perform at the very peak of their abilities. But of the top eight seeds in the -73kg category only one athlete can boast a world championship medal, and that is the…

31 May 2021

World Championship Seniors - Budapest, Hungary

TOP THREE ALL LOOKING TO SHAKE OFF DIFFERENT SHADOWS

The -66kg category sees the top three seeds battling similar demons. For world number one, Manuel LOMBARDO (ITA), it is trying to escape the larger than life persona spread by 2016 Olympic champion Fabio BASILE (ITA). Lombardo however will have been bolstered by his defeat of world number two Vazha…

30 May 2021

EJU Partners

NEXT TOP BRAND SIGNED THE CONTRACT

The EJU Marketing team is proud to announce the third PREMIUM PARNER – Double D. President Cédric Dermée has signed the new sponsor contract as PREMIUM PARTNER for Team Wear and OFFICIAL SUPPLIER for Judogi. The French company was founded by double Olympic Champion David Douillet and judo team mate…

29 May 2021

World Championship Seniors - Budapest, Hungary

CHKHVIMIANI PUTS WORLD TITLE ON THE LINE

Current world champion Lukhumi CHKHVIMIANI (GEO) is set to defend his -60kg category world title on the opening day. Like several other athletes, Budapest marks the last opportunity to collect points to secure a place as one of the top eight seeds at the Tokyo Olympics. This aspect of the…

29 May 2021

KATA COMMISSION TAKE SEMINARS DIGITAL

This week on the 29th of May, we will see the first online seminar event organised by the Kata Commission. It will in fact be the first of five seminars with the following session on the 12th of June with Katame-no-Kata. Nage-no-Kata will initiate the series and this seminar oriented…

27 May 2021

Covid Keeps

'COVID KEEPS' WITH CARMEN SOLANA

This week we introduce Carmen Solana in our Covid Keeps series who will take you through a series of lockdown drills. So let’s get to know Carmen. What is your judo background?  I grew up in Santoña, a fisherman village in the north of Spain. I started practising judo when…

25 May 2021

Women in Judo

WOMEN IN JUDO: YVONNE BÖNISCH

Before 2021, hearing the name Yvonne Bönisch, you’d instantly think Olympic Champion. Now, we think Olympic Champion and the first female national coach in Europe for the pioneering Austrian team. With both athlete and coaching credentials to boast, it is no surprise that the Austrian side were ecstatic to welcome…

24 May 2021

European Championships senior Lisbon - Lisbon, Portugal

COVID MEASURES PROVE SUCCESSFUL AT EJU EVENTS

Following the original blueprint of the IJF protocol, the measures taken during recent events including the senior European Judo Championships in Lisbon and the Zagreb European Open have proven that it works. Carrying out 1600 PCR tests in Lisbon, only one test came back positive in the EJU team (before…

22 May 2021

EJU Partners

GREEN HILL WILL CONTINUE THE SPONSORSHIP

The next long-standing partner of the EJU has extended their sponsorship. The company Green Hill has signed the contract as an OFFICIAL SUPPLIER.  Green Hill was founded in 1964 by the current president, Jahangir Riaz. He had established Green Hill as a world-class brand of boxing, martial arts and other…

18 May 2021

Covid Keeps

'COVID KEEPS' WITH TATSUTO SHIMA

This week we are introducing Tatsuto Shima, who spent time coaching in Hungary and was club director of MVSC (2014-2017) as well as putting his talents to use while contributing to the coaching staff of Hungary’s youth team. Tatsuto also competed and in 2018 placed 7th in the Kodokan Cup. …

18 May 2021

FINNISH KARI NEUVONEN ENDS HIS INTERNATIONAL REFEREEING CAREER

Kari Neuvonen started judo in 1969 in his hometown Joensuu, Finland. He competed on a national level at juniors and seniors winning three medals at Finnish Championships. In 1976, he received his 1 dan and in 1977 began his national refereeing career. After the military service and studies, he moved…

13 May 2021

EJU Partners

EJU WELCOMES ESSIMO TO THE FAMILY AS NEW SPONSOR

The EJU is proud to announce the new partnership with ESSIMO. Today the CEO, Patrick van Kalken, signed the new PREMIUM PARTNER contract. The former Dutch athlete took a bronze medal in the 1999 World Championships and retired from competitive judo following the Olympic Games in Sydney, 2000. However he…

12 May 2021

Covid Keeps

'COVID KEEPS' WITH MATTHEW GLOSSOP AND PAUL AJALA

The world pandemic has seen a change in training, how and where we can continue to train. For many, there isn’t always equipment available but coaches have found new and innovative ways to keep in contact with their students and allow for the continuation of movement.  The second edition of…

11 May 2021

Women in Judo

WOMEN IN JUDO: SÉVERINE VANDENHENDE

The French certainly have a trend, some of the most successful athletes transition in to a position to produce more successful athletes, passing on their wisdom. This is certainly the case for Olympic and World Champion, Séverine Vandenhende.  Séverine started judo at the age of eight in a judo club…

9 May 2021

Grand Slam - Kazan, Russia

CATHARINA TAKES ANOTHER STEP ON HIS WAY TO THE TOP

In the -100kg category making his first appearance in a Grand Slam final was Simeon CATHARINA (NED) who on his way to the final had defeated number one seed Peter PALTCHIK (ISR). The Dutchman was up against home favourite Arman ADAMIAN (RUS) who was looking to bounce back from an…

7 May 2021

RETURN TO COMPETITION FOR CADETS AND JUNIORS FOLLOWING SENIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

There is finally light at the end of a long tunnel for our cadet and junior athletes with the plan in place to restart European Cups for cadets, juniors and seniors. As we are still enduring the pandemic, events will still require the full application of the IJF Covid protocol…

7 May 2021

Grand Slam - Kazan, Russia

SURPRISE, SURPRISE AS RUSSIAN NEWCOMERS SHINE IN KAZAN

Russia’s hopes in the -73kg category could reasonably have been expected to rest with Denis IARTCEV (RUS). But Iartcev bowed out early and as the top seeds tumbled, we were eventually left with what must surely rate as the most surprising of Grand Slam finals ever when Ayub KHAZAHLIEV (RUS)…

6 May 2021