René Bouchaud in maintenance, it’s like on a tatami, it’s hard to move! But his modesty ends up cracking after a few questions and his passion overwhelms him.
At 76, his life is still punctuated by judo, which he started at 17. “From 1970 to 1974, I was a top athlete and I competed until the age of 60. I was twice world champion in the veteran category and twice second. President of the Judo Departmental Committee for a dozen years, this former policeman has just been promoted to 7 e dan of the black belt, which is no small feat when you know that only 48% of the candidates were received and that many files were not even retained by the commission.
A rare honor
The 7 e dan consists of the preparation and presentation of a memoir (René’s is 52 pages and talks about his life in the service of judo) for thirty minutes, then there is another half hour of questions and answers in front of three judges . No need to think for a single second that this distinction is offered for services rendered, it is absolutely not the case! “I took about a year to prepare everything,” says René Bouchaud. “There were other ways to get this 7 e dan, but, in relation to my age and my past, I did not choose the technical service. »
Without braggadocio, he admits all the same that this distinction represents “a personal satisfaction, but also for my family who “supported me, for my friends, my students and the department” since he becomes the highest ranking officer and that there are only two to have obtained this distinction in the former Limousin.
The official presentation will take place on January 14 in Paris where he will be accompanied by a coach of supporters in which there will of course be members of his family and friends. Without all this support, René Bouchaud would probably not have embarked on this adventure. “It’s a very nice gift, there will be atmosphere and probably some handkerchiefs out! Obviously, afterwards, there will be a ceremony in our department.
