Dreams born between classrooms. Teaching at its best. From academic training to sports training. In the Ciudad Jardín neighborhood of Cordoba, the Kodokan Judo Club was born more than 30 years ago, an emblem of this discipline in the city and which, over time, has become an institution of said sport. An absolute reference, not only at the provincial level, but also Andalusian and state. An entity born in the image and likeness of its people, its neighborhood, its streets. Building champions from the illusion and humility of those who enjoy what they do to the fullest. And it is the one that the club from the capital, founded back in 1989 by a group that loves this sport, has been overcoming all the possible vicissitudes that dealing with a minority sport implies and, despite everything, the mark it has left in the city continues having very latent echoes.
As one of its own founders explains, the entity was born, as has been said before, as an extracurricular activity in a school in said Cordovan enclave. However, the difficulty encountered in continuing with this work within the center led to the creation, shortly after, of a sports club. One that, already leaving behind that academic link, from 1996 found a new refuge at number 44 of Infanta Doña María street, where it has settled throughout these last decades.
There is no doubt that the Kodokan, as is often the case with this type of club, would not be what it is today if it were not for the people who have shaped the project over the years. One of the voices of this entity falls on the name of Francisco José Prados. Under the tutelage of the current president and teacher of the school, a multitude of talents have sprouted. Indeed, his teachings have been fundamental for the progression of the club, being one of the main architects of this cradle of talents, and of the entity’s own development, which has been growing, to a large extent, in his image and likeness, after leaving behind, as has been said, that first adventure in a school key at the Eduardo Lucena School.
Prados himself emphasizes that the club arose “as a result of being in a school in Ciudad Jardín”, and after not letting them “continue with the activities” in the center, “Juan Orcera welcomed us 30 years ago and here we continue with the Club Kodokan”. Likewise, he recalls that, coinciding with those dates at the end of the 80s, that judo had “quite a tradition” in Córdoba and “was implanted in almost all schools, in gyms, with the policy that children, after finishing their school stage, they became part of the club of said gym”. Therefore, “let’s say that the schools have been the quarry of judo in Córdoba,” he qualifies.
As has been said before, the capital entity has been adding years with very deep roots in the neighborhood where it was born, although the technical director himself acknowledges that “children come from towns, from Almodóvar, from Posadas, Alcolea, other neighborhoods” , although “the majority come from Ciudad Jardín”. Thus, its growth has been “unimaginable” compared to what was planned at the time of its foundation.
A club that has seen competitors of the level of Francisco José Prados Barbero, son of the aforementioned teacher, or the Olympic Julia Figueroa take their first steps, both of whom are currently at the Valencia High Performance Center, where they have been carving out their professional careers. . What’s more, the Cordovan judoka continues to be the great emblem of the Kodokan Club. Despite the time that he has been practicing his profession far from his land, and that he is on his way to fighting to be in his third Olympic Games, Figueroa still maintains a very strong bond with his club of origin, with which he maintains constant contact and with the who trains every time he returns to Córdoba.
Despite everything, the pandemic has significantly affected the team, which has suffered at the licensing level. In fact, prior to the arrival of Covid, they had more than a hundred, which were later reduced to around 80 and, today, there are around 60, which has meant “a considerable drop”. However, the illusion is not lost at all for a Kodokan that continues to aspire to the maximum in the next Andalusian and national tournaments, and Prados himself highlights that “the secret is the passion we put into it. This is our life. It is not there to earn money, but we like it”, emphasizing that “in addition to judo, we also always want to teach other values to children”.
