The Original Judo Podcast

A look back on the Commonwealth Games, and my highlights from the Judo at Birmingham 2022.

Amidst holidays, work and collecting my thoughts about the amazing Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, I hope you enjoy this interview with Irelands incredible Lisa Kearney. In 2012 she became Irelands first female Olympic Judoka. Two years later, she won the first Northern Irish medal of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Around these she won medals on the IJF circuit all over the world. This i...

Here we are, a few days out from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The judo is going to be really exciting, and as a platform for Judo, for Brits (and presumably the wider Commonwealth group of nations) the media profile of the event is second only to the Olympics. I briefly look back on the Judo in the first few events that are a part of the Paris Olympic cycle, before running down the stor...

Absolutely wonderful to welcome Team GB Tokyo 2021 Olympic Bronze medalist Chelsie Giles to the show. Chelsie talks through Tokyo, nearly missing the Olympics and her next steps. Huge thank you for the interview! Follow Chelsie's journey towards Paris 2024 on instagram @ChelsieGiles Like, subscribe, etc etc wherever you get your podcasts...

Welcome back to the podcast! This week is running a little late. After butchering the recording of the intended episode on several occasions, I decided to bring the release of this one forward. In this episode I’m joined by Allan MacDonald, former Judoka, training with JudoScotland, Al went on to become the S+C coach with JudoScotland and then British Judo. Al has huge insight and knowledge that h...

This week world no.1 Lucy Renshall joins the show. We talk through her Tokyo Olympics, upcoming Commonwealth Games and why she's no longer fighting, and becoming world number 1. Find and follow her route toward Paris 2024 on Instagram @lucyrenshall

Delighted to get Mark on the show, he’s a great guy, a friend and I was lucky enough to train with him for a couple of years many many years ago! Mark reflects on his judo journey, leaving home in New Zealand at 17 to travel and train in Japan and then Europe. He discusses how he coped with injuries and finding work that he could train around, and finally culminating in the Glasgow Commonwealth Ga...

Rules and Olympic Qualification- I've got a bee in my bonnet that the rule changes mean that we're down to just one main counter. Fitz joins the show for this one, and we talk about the techniques we like to see return, and one more we'd like to see gone, as well as looking briefly at Olympic Qualification.

This week we welcome Connah Anders to the show. Connah is a VI judoka who competes at -73kg in the J1 classification. We talk abouthis recent performance in Kazakhstan, the new rules around classification and Connah's goals for the next Paralympic cycle. This is the first interview recorded in person for the show, which was exciting- i hope it doesnt tell- but I do think the sound gets a bit echoe...

Well we're back again, halfway through the year, with Olympic qualification about to start, and a Commonwealth Games on the horizon. This is just a short one, me briefly whittering on about what's coming up! If you want to catch up on any of the judo from the weekend (Georgian Grand Slam 2022) I'd suggest starting with this fight (the final of -60kg, Sardalashvili v Nozadze): https://live.ijf.org/...

This one is Ronseal. A much shorter episode, with some dubious quality sound- this was the first face-to-face episode, and it was fantastic to sit down with Fitz and go over our immediate reflections on Paris Grand Slam and, inevitably, we briefly touch on the rule changes!

Delighted to be joined on the show this week by Tokyo 2021 Paralympic Champion incredible Chris Skelley MBE. Chris has had an incredible career, and he talks through the highs and lows of his judo journey so far, and the opportunities he’s taken to support the community around him. Really enjoyed how open Chris was, and it was a real pleasure to speak with him. (And Chris- thank you for being so p...

This week we’re talking the role of performance analysis in Judo. We’re joined by former British Junior champion, and former owner of the best hair in Judo, Jamie Williams. We reminisce about 20 years of British Judo Championships, and competing together during that time, before Jamie talks about his studies and background in performance analysis and applying it to Judo.

2 weeks, 2 episodes, levels of professionalism are high. With Japan having such unprecedented success at the Tokyo Games I wanted to ask where they go from here- can the success be replicated? Is there dominance bad for Judo and has Suzuki inherited a poison chalice as he steps into the mens lead coaching role. I’m joined in my ramble by Matt Divall from the Drop In podcast, and he makes some big...

Return of the podcast- its a new Olympic cycle, and there’s a commonwealth games just over 6 months away, so it seems fitting to call this season 2. Absolutely delighted to start the season with this interview- with the incredible Kate Howey- she went to 4 Olympics, winning a silver and a Bronze, alongside 5 worlds medals. She then transitioned to coaching and was matside with Team GB at London 20...

2024 cycle, I look back at my highlights, things i want to see change, and the outstanding athletes who competed in Tokyo 2021

We join Fitz in Tokyo, inside the Olympic village to chat through the draw and where we see the medals going.

Today we welcome back to the show Ian Oliver and the Calders, Lee and Reece, to discuss Lee coaching in Tokyo, and then the real matters- where are the medals going for the heavyweight men and women at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. In the biggest of tragedies, we recorded this episode shortly before the Euros final and this weeks outro music, kindly provided by the Calders, hints at the direction...

I finally cracked and allowed my brother @stuartaustinmma on the show. We talk how he ended up in MMA, competing in MMA, fighting Ishii and where he wants to go next in his MMA career. Oh, and we firmly establish who the house champion currently is. Its me.

We are back discussing the Judo at Tashkent Grand Slam, and a couple of the refereeing decisions. Additionally, theres a bit of conjecture about the Japanese Team for Tokyo. Finally, huge thanks to Judoka Paul Grady for his help editing the show, his efforts are massively appreciated, and make a world of difference to sound you end up listening to!

Fitz is back and we look at the best Judo of the Tel Aviv Grand Slam.

Another look back at 2020, and looking forward to the year ahead- what we’re hoping for! And the first showing of Fitzroy Davies, a man with an unparrelled coaching record, and who I had the fortune to coach me for 10 years. With any luck 2021 will give us plenty of Judo, and Fitz will be back on the show!

New year, new lockdown, new episode. We chat through our highlights from 2020, and what we are hoping is going to come up in 2021

This week we welcome renowned researcher and former wrestler, Dr Les Podlog. We talk about the challenges of injury and how best to cope and return to the mat from longer challenges

Judo is back- we welcome Tom Reed (of the "More than a Fighter" podcast) back to the show to review the Budapest Grand Slam. Tried to keep it brief and to the point- let us know what your thought of the format, and the judo (and my Gary Lineker impression). Unless someone gives us a better idea, the review shows will be rechristened Fight of the Day in homage to MOTD. Also go check out the fantast...