Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently asked questions about the Centre

What is an Induction?

As judo is a high contact martial art, it is vital that every person who practises it has a solid foundation to prevent themselves, or others getting injured. Our induction teaches each newcomer to judo fundamental skills that will ensure they can engage in judo in the safest possible way.



What will I learn?

At our beginners judo lessons you will learn a handful of basic skills to give you the best possible start in judo. You will learn:

  • How to break-fall (Ukemi)
  • How to take hold (Kumi Kata)
  • Principles of breaking the balance (Kuzushi)
  • A basic throw (Tachi Waza)
  • A basic hold down (Ne Waza)
  • The etiquette of judo (Do)
  • The rules & regulations of the club
After a warm up with the main class, our instructor will take you to one side to start the beginners judo sessions. To begin, you will learn how to judo what is known as a 'breakfall'. A breakfall is a controlled form of falling whereby the impact of the fall is absorbed by the arms and legs - literally breaking the fall - to prevent injury to the body. As judo involves throwing one another, a breakfall is an essential skill to learn as it ensures that once thrown, a student will not get injured and can get up and continue practising. ​ Next, you will learn how to take hold of your opponent. As judo is a grappling martial art, it is essential you know how to hold on to your opponent before you learn how to throw them. Following this, you will learn the basic principles of breaking the balance. Judo is not a martial art of brute force, literally translated to 'The Gentle Way', judo is founded on the principle of 'Seiryoku Zenyo' - Maximum Efficiency with Minimum Effort. In simple terms, this means learning how to use skill and technique to defeat an opponent rather than strength alone. Our instructor will show you how to move your opponents body in such a way that they are weak, laying the foundation of every judo technique. Finally, you will put all of this into practice as you learn a basic judo throw, and a basic judo hold down technique. ​ Before you finish, our instructor will teach you the etiquette of judo, such as bowing to one another, before explaining the rules of the Sobell Judo Club. ​ In your following sessions you will re-cap what you have learnt to ensure that all principles are fully understood. ​ Below, you can get a head start and watch our head instructors tutorials on how to breakfall and how to break somebody's balance.



What shall I wear?

Please come in a long sleeve tracksuit top and long tracksuit bottoms. Ensure there are no zips on your clothing as these may damage the mats we practice on (tatami). Please wear clothes that you do not mind getting stretched or damaged as there is a small possibility that this may happen during the session. Please do not wear any piercings, please wear minimal makeup and we encourage all women to wear sports bras.



What happens afterwards?

After you have completed your beginners induction sessions you will be required to obtain a judo licence for insurance purposes (a legal requirement). This is available at our club under our national governing body, JFAUK. This also allows all students to participate in gradings, courses and competitions. The licence costs £45 for the first year and includes a judo record book and Judo theory book to assist your learning. Renewals cost £35 per year. ​ After joining the main class you will still be looked after throughout the start of your journey, helping to ease your induction into judo. After the induction you will be required to pay per session. For prices please see our timetable. ​



How do I book an induction?

To book an induction, please select a date below and follow the instructions. You will be required to pay a non-refundable fee in order to secure your place.



Are there any age restrictions on joining?

We take on new students from the age of 10 years old. For adults the age cap depends on the individual:

  • If a person does not have any experience in combat martial arts, or has not trained in combat martial arts since their childhood then we advise that after the age of 55 judo at the Sobell is not for them. This is because of the extremely high impact nature of judo which is very hard on the body. We have found that untrained older students often have an extremely hard time keeping up with the training and often withdraw from the class after a short period due to the stress it causes on the body. This is heightened by the fact that we have a very young and competitive senior class. In these cases, we advise that martial arts such as Karate or BJJ might be better suited as they require less impact on the body, or finding a judo club with a higher age demographic where things can be taken more slowly.
  • If an older student has previous experience in Judo, Wrestling, Sambo or something similar and has trained this martial art throughout their adult life then we are happy to bring them in to the class.