Judo is inclusion, La Malfa: “On the mat we grow together”

Telling sport through special stories of equally special kids. This is the mission of Fabio La Malfa, passionate judoka, technical teacher and careful observer of the soul of those who, together with him, live the experience of judo on the mat. And among these there is also Simone, the first judo teacher with down syndrome, a story told in the pages of “The Adventure of Simone”, Fabio La Malfa’s second work after “Judo, overcoming one’s limits” (2018) .

How did you discover this story and why did you want to tell it?

“Since I was a child I have been in close contact with disability. About half of my friends had a physical or cognitive disability and so, 20 years ago, when Simone knocked on the door of our judo school it seemed natural to welcome him. Unfortunately, it does not happen in all gyms and this is certainly due to a lack of knowledge and a training that, to date, has neglected this issue. The hope is that this story can be an accelerator of transformation of the training courses of the federation that believed in this project and act as a stimulus for all teachers to make it clear that sport is everyone’s right “.

You brought these stories to the schools of Rome, managing to transform them into didactic activities for the elementary and middle classes. What was the effect it had on the pupils?

“In this difficult year we were able to bring this project, written together with Professor Nicole Maussier, to schools thanks to the courage of the school leaders and the passion of the teachers who have worked on inclusion. Starting from Simone’s limits, the children and young people were able to face their own and learn about realities that were unknown to many. The results were surprising, Simone’s tenacity and determination encouraged everyone to give something more, in sport and in school “.

This project is ending with practical demonstrations with the presence of sample-testimonials and, among these, there was also Pino Maddaloni. What was the approach of the boys with them?

“The final meeting was attended by Olympic Judo champions, such as Pino Maddaloni and Rosalba Forciniti, and Paralympic wheelchair basketball champions, such as Ali Mohamed Sanna of Santa Lucia Basket. The most requested question was: ‘Who gave you the strength never give up? ‘. And the common thread that bound everyone was the trust that the teachers, teachers and reference figures gave to all of them. A little girl, for example, told us that she was told that she did not she would never have achieved her goals, but that by reading the book she had finally found self-confidence, thus resuming the path towards her dream “.

For her, Judo means above all inclusion. When he gets on the mat to teach his students what does he choose to convey and how?

“With Maestro Alessandro Possagno with whom I founded our judo school (Tomita, ed) we try to convey the idea that judo and sport in general is everyone’s right and we are convinced that, with proper teaching, all people, albeit with totally different abilities, can live together on the same tatami and grow together through the acceptance of the limits of others, discovering and facing their own as the master Aldo Piatti who has been working with disabilities for over 40 years taught us ” .

What is the judo story that, more than others, would you like to be able to tell?

“I would like to be able to tell many stories. From that of autistic children who benefit a lot from judo to that of a group of elderly people, the eldest Mrs. Licia is 82 years old: they have known judo in old age, thanks to a research University of Foro Italico, proposed in our gym by Professor Simone Ciaccioni and now, after so much dedication, they are preparing the black belt exam, a goal that seemed only a dream a few years ago. Judo is full of fascinating stories and I believe that none of these are in contrast with the others, from the boy who dreams of the Olympics, to those who, like Simone, use judo as a “piece” of his, albeit limited, autonomy. The realization of the project was very demanding and the result of a team effort, but the fruits that are reaped constitute the great strength necessary to continue to fight and spread the culture of inclusion. We are ready to walk together towards others. gno “.