Westcroft Judo Club is a family run judo club that was founded in January 1996 and is based in the London Borough of Sutton. Since 1996 the club has continued to grow and now numbers around 300 members. Over the years we have been very successful in training players from novice to black belt, as well as from novice to British champion.

We offer classes from age five upwards, all of which are suitably grouped by age and ability. For more information about the times and venues go to our classes page. The club provides everything you need for judo from what to wear (judogi, badges and t-shirts) to grading, competitions and national governing body membership.

Westcroft Judo Club is affiliated to the British Judo Association (BJA), the only Judo Association in Britain recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the British Olympic Association (BOA). Each individual participating in Judo at Westcroft Judo Club must have individual membership to the BJA within four weeks of starting.

All our coaches and instructors are fully BJA qualified, which involves studying training techniques, safeguarding children, good practice and first aid. Additionally, all are DBS checked, first aid trained and insured through the British Judo Association National Governing Body.

Club Motto: Seiryoku Zen’yō 精力善用

We have taken words from the founder of judo, Jigoro Kano, as our motto. Kano said that judo is the way of using the energy of body and spirit most effectively. The Japanese phrase Seiryoku Zen’yō [pron.], translates into English as maximum efficient use of energy, to fully utilise one’s spiritual and physical energies to realise an intended purpose, something we at Westcroft Judo Club strive to teach and learn.

This first principle of Seiryoku Zen’yō makes certain that your training is efficient. What you learn must work. The difference between what works and what does not, could mean the difference between life and death. If a certain technique works only when your partner cooperates, its efficacy is in question. Or, if it works only when applied by someone with considerably superior strength, it probably is not efficient. This principle along with Sojo-Sojo, which translates into English as help one another; yield to one another, and Jita-Kyoei, which in English means mutual benefit, form the fundamental wisdom of judo.

We leave you with words of Jigoro Kano.

The ultimate object of studying judo is to train and cultivate body and mind through practice in attack and defence, and by thus mastering the essentials of the art, to attain perfection of oneself and bring benefits to the world.