Thanks to judo, Karl-Heinz Meyer (right) got to know a lot of people. Among others also Peter Frese, the former president of the German Judo Association. They met in 2017 in Magdeburg. (FR)
Corona and contact sports – they don’t go together. “2020 was a difficult year for judo,” says Karl-Heinz Meyer. There is currently no improvement in sight. The work will hardly be less for the 66-year-old from Jeebel. Because he is involved in judo in a variety of ways, also outside the gym and the mat on which martial arts is practiced. Meyer has been volunteering for more than 47 years – in various functions in various clubs, but also for the Bremen Judo Association.
Meyer, a jack of all trades in judo, first came into contact with judo more than half a century ago. At Boxring 46 Kirchweyhe he got to know and appreciate the sport in 1967. “Maybe I wasn’t the super talent, but the spark jumped over quickly,” he liked the martial art straight away. He had found a sport for life. In the truest sense of the word: “Judo offers opportunities for all ages to be active. Senior competitions, for example, have become very popular in recent years, “judoka have no expiration date. It is not uncommon for athletes over the age of 70 to be found at German championships. “This is anything but grandpa sport. It takes a lot of effort to prepare for this, ”says Meyer. He himself is still on the mat as an exercise instructor – even though he got a donor lung a few years ago after a serious illness. “I fought my way back. It was an arduous journey. But if you have been doing judo for so long, you don’t just stop, ”he said, staying true to his sport.
Without a mat, without a hall
The beginnings were down to earth. “Back then, sport was something new, really great. But it was still in its infancy. For example, we didn’t have any judo mats or judo suits, not even a gym. It all had to develop first, ”says Meyer looking back. However, this development was quite rapid. The judo club was founded in Weyhe in 1974 and is still an independent association today. Meanwhile, Meyer moved to TSV Bassum at the beginning of the 1970s. As a trainer from 1973, he always looked after the judo offspring on Fridays. He was also a competitor and manager of the league team in Lindenstadt. So began his career as a volunteer, which continues to this day. His engagement also led him to the Bremen Judo Club and TV Bruchhausen-Vilsen. Meyer was active for several clubs. In 1987, he also joined the executive board of the Bremen Judo Association as deputy chairman.
As if all of that weren’t enough, the Jeebeler was also active as a referee and fought one or two duels on the mat himself. He made it into the regional league in Hanover. In 1981 he was runner-up in Bremen in the class up to 80 kilograms. Meyer does not want to speak of great successes. “There were certainly others who were better than me.” That may be. However, few have been as committed as he is. “Maybe you’ve overdone it one time or another,” he muses. There is definitely potential for conflict when, like him, you have to bring family, work and sport under one roof. “But we managed everything very well,” says the Jeebeler.
He is now the holder of the 6th Dan, the red and white belt. It was awarded to him in 2019, among other things, for having worked for the BJV board for more than 30 years. After Meyer was deputy chairman, he rose to head of the association in 2001. He has been the treasurer since 2013 – and the contact person for all administrative questions, even if there is no official office for this. Meyer, however, has a wealth of experience and knowledge. He invests one to two hours a day in judo. He noticed that there is a big difference between working for an association and working for a club. “There is always a social bond in a club. You know the people. There is a lot to do in the association, but no thanks are usually given. “
Barrien’s cry for help
Meyer has been active for TSV Barrien since the beginning of the 21st century. The club sought his help to maintain the judo division. “In fact, she had already collapsed. We tried to rebuild it. That was tedious, but the division still exists today, ”the effort paid off. Among other things, the proximity to Jeebel spoke for Barrien. “TSV is almost my home club”, explains Meyer, who gave up his post in Bassum when he rose to division manager in Barrien in 2004.
The interest in judo is definitely there in Barrien, the small hall on site also provides the spatial capacities. However, Meyer does not have any ideas about expansion. There is a lack of trainers. “This is a problem that is common in judo. Little is growing in this area, ”says Meyer, knowing that this is a core problem in sport. Few judoka remained, especially when stepping out of puberty. “It crumbles at the age of 16, 17, 18,” says Meyer. But those who do not take off the suit “stay forever,” he adds. He himself is an example of this. Sport has never let go of him. Meyer thinks a lot about how one can offer the young people who are moving into the adult sector a perspective. On site, a fighting community between Barrien and TuS Sulingen is an idea. “It’s different whether you compete alone or in a team,” says Meyer hopes that the team spirit increases the bond with the sport. “We want to keep trying,” he announced for the time after the pandemic. The idea is not new. The Bremen judo team is based on the same idea: a national team as a pool for judoka from Bremen interested in competitions.
The overall situation in judo has become more difficult, says Meyer. In Barrien the division has 30 members. “We used to have groups of 40 children in Bassum,” says the division manager, comparing the past. Judo in general has lost many members, and the number of participants in competitions has also shrunk. “The competition used to be much greater. Today there are not many reports even for North German championships. “
Where values count
On the one hand, Meyer attributes the decline to the fact that some sports have split off from judo, such as Jiu Jitsu. But maybe it is also because the sport is very exercise-intensive, he suspects. It takes a certain amount of effort to learn the technical elements. “But judo has so much more to offer,” says Meyer, pointing out that values such as self-control, honesty, respect, courage and helpfulness are conveyed. Judo strengthens self-confidence. Many parents let their children try the sport so they can learn to defend themselves.
For Meyer, the attraction of judo lies in the fact that the sport is very contact and movement intensive. He describes the struggles as “situational action with maximum disability”. One cannot always perceive what the opponent is up to, rather one has to feel it in advance. “This complexity is fun,” says Meyer. He himself was best in the ground fight. Judo fulfills the need to fight, build up adrenaline and reduce frustration. The judoka appreciates this diversity. If you want, you can even get stuck in the sport: rehearsing a choreography for a kata competition can take months. “So there is actually something for everyone,” says Meyer.
The judoka should communicate that more offensively again, he believes. “We can’t fight the media presence of football,” he knows, “but if Corona is history, we have to present our sport proactively. I do believe that there is still great interest in judo. ”At the moment, for example, Taiso is on the rise, a kind of judo gymnastics. This can also be operated during the pandemic – and could play an important role in recruiting members. “For many, it’s no longer about the fights themselves, but about the fitness aspect,” said Meyer, perceiving the changed demands of many judoka. The combative aspect will come back into focus as soon as the pandemic is over. Even Meyer cannot judge when that will be the case. On the other hand, one thing is clear: he won’t run out of work until then.
Down to business
A volunteer through and through
Karl-Heinz Meyer controls towards half a century as a volunteer. He has been active continuously for 47 years. An overview:
Working in associations
1973 to about 2000: Trainer TSV Bassum
1980 to about 2004: Division manager TSV Bassum
About 1984 bis 1994: Chairman of the Bremen Judo Club
Between 1990 and 2002: Trainer at TV Bruchhausen-Vilsen and at the Bremen Judo Club
Since 2001: trainer TSV Barrien interrupted due to illness
Since 2004: Division manager TSV Barrien
Seit circa 2008: Chairman of the Bremen judo team
Work in the Bremen Judo Association
1980 to 2005: Referee for the Bremen Judo Association
1987 to 2001: Deputy Chairman
2001 to 2013: Chairman
Since 2013: Treasurer
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