KL Judo 3.0 taking shape

KL Judo Centre is undergoing a transformation, becoming more and more like the club we all would like it to be.

Currently, our dojo has a decent-sized mat area but there are pillars in the middle of the mat area. We're looking at solving that problem really soon. If all goes well, we'll soon have a mat area that's at least 10m x 10m and pillar-free.

Typically, judo clubs share their mat with other martial arts classes so there's always a bit of a tussle over who gets which slot. Everybody wants to have the prime time slot of between 7pm and 9pm. Which means that each martial arts class would at most have one or two days in which they can have such a slot. We are in the same situation right now but all that's gonna change come September when we will have more control over our schedule.



Good infrastructure is important but all the best equipment in the world means nothing if you don't have players populating the club. Judo is a niche sport in Malaysia. There are not many enthusiasts but fortunately we have some players who are very dedicated. These people are our core players, the ones who come for training regularly and consistently. But players can't improve if they train with the same people day-in and day-out. They need variety when it comes to training partners. This is a challenge most judo clubs face.

One solution may be to invite players from other clubs to come together and train with us, perhaps once a week. That's easier said than done of course. Firstly, there are not many judo clubs in Klang Valley to begin with. And judo clubs in Malaysia tend to be very insular, sticking to themselves and not collaborating to cooperating with other clubs. We aim to change that mindset by working with those who would like to work with us for mutual benefit.

Being that judo is so small in Malaysia, it is important for us to reach out regionally and foster strong relationships with clubs in nearby countries. Some clubs from different countries are friendly with each other but there a few actual joint activities being done. Why aren't there joint randori sessions involving several clubs in the region? Surely everybody involved would benefit from this. Perhaps nobody has taken the effort to organize this. We will try.

Ultimately, the aim is to create a judo centre providing practical, modern instruction and plenty of capable and suitable training partners for players to do randori with. It's nothing short of creating an entre of excellence for judo in the country's capital.