Giving others a taste for sports is essentially the philosophy of life that has animated the Limouxin for more than half a century.
Develop the body to properly develop the mind, André Bouchareu has made this maxim his own for many decades. Although he may be in his eighties, this former sports teacher rediscovers with a thousand pleasures the smell of tatami mats and martial arts halls. It must be said that lately, the occasion of certain reunions was moving. Indeed, it was at the city’s karate dojo that André recently put on the kimono under the knowing eyes of Luc, his son, 7th dan in aikido, Jean-François Tisseyre, Philippe Gaucher, 8th and 7th respectively. in karate. A strong symbol brought by the tutor of his distinguished athletes who, now in their sixties, wanted to thank this gentleman for the teaching given.
The first Limouxin dojo
“ It took some ingenuity “, explains André Bouchareu. In fact, if at the beginning of the 1960s, indoor sport in the Limoux region was sorely lacking in resources and equipment, resourcefulness and determination would make up for this lack. “ In the vault of the hall of the weightlifting and bodybuilding club (near the presbytery) which was then free, we wanted a few enthusiasts and me, to set up a dojo without a budget, but with many ideas. With the scraps of leather recovered from the Myrys factories, the sawdust given to us by the Barguès company, here are the first tatamis installed in this way. For some students, buying a kimono was difficult, so all sports outfits were allowed. The first beginnings of Limouxin judo took place in this room slightly heated by an oil stove in a Spartan semi-confinement “.
Some time later, door-to-door shopping and a municipal subsidy made it possible to provide judo lessons in a more academic and comfortable way.
A little later, Jean-François, Luc and Philippe followed André in his sports practice. Being a physical education teacher for the residents of the psychiatric hospital, he taught various activities. Swimming, among other things, where on some summer evenings the municipal swimming pool (then only outdoor) was crowded with swimmers during competitions.
Oui ! André was a true prophet in this matter. In its wake, it generated great sporting vocations, particularly in the martial arts. He also launched a generation of formators and educators who continued on his path.
Altruistic to the core, André Bouchareu’s passion and teachings have far from been forgotten.
