HomeRegionWetteraukreis
Split
Waldemar Graßhoff shows his judo suit including a pretty worn belt. © Martin Ritter
Waldemar Graßhoff is »Mr. Judo.” For almost 55 years, since 1969, the man who is celebrating his 79th birthday this Friday has been the face of the judo department at the 1859 Nidda gymnastics club.
Waldemar Graßhoff had thought about the step well and prepared it systematically: During the annual general meeting of the judo department at the 1859 Nidda gymnastics club, he handed over the management of the department. This is now in the younger hands of Julian Jungermann. Graßhoff knows that his life’s work will continue in this way, entirely in his spirit. And that it will be further developed and adapted to modern requirements. That too is entirely in his spirit.
For almost 55 years, since 1969, Waldemar Graßhoff, who is 79 years old today, has been the face of the judo department. He is “Mr. Judo” – and still active as a trainer. Graßhoff, who was born in Gelnhaar, discovered his love for sports at an early age, initially for athletics and gymnastics. This led him to study sports and English, two subjects which he taught at what was then the secondary school until his retirement.
It wasn’t until he was 20 years old, in 1964, that he came across the sport of judo, which he still hasn’t let go of today. After five years, he acquired his first instructor’s license and, in addition to his competitive activities, worked as a trainer at TVN. Graßhoff quickly made it his mission to establish judo as a competitive sport in Nidda and to cultivate it as a permanent fixture in clubs and schools.
Encourage and challenge young people
The gymnastics club served as a grateful roof under which Graßhoff was able to realize his ideas. He still sees the connection between school and club as an opportunity to inspire, support and challenge young people.
In Nidda he had and still has ideal conditions. On the one hand, there is a school sports center at the Nidda high school that is open to all kinds of sports, and on the other hand, there are sufficient sports facilities that can also be used by judoka. Graßhoff’s offer was therefore cross-school, he offered the subject of judo both as a working group and as an elective subject at both schools, so that the students had the opportunity not only to get a taste of the sport, but also to do something for their grade point average. This resulted in successful judoka who achieved great success not only regionally, but also at national and international levels.
For these reasons, Waldemar Graßhoff also became involved at the administrative level. He fulfilled the duties of school sports officer in the German Judo Association (DJB) until 2012, was a member of the DJB school sports commission and placed a particular focus on curriculum work, which, among other things, led to judo being included in the school curriculum.
He also trained teachers through the “Yellow Belt Plus” project. A highlight for Graßhoff is the successful merger of the judo associations of the former GDR and the Federal Republic after 1989.
0
also read
What was bad for him was the phase of standstill during the corona pandemic, when duels were forbidden and you could only go on the mat with a permanent partner and after previous whole-body disinfection, as Graßhoff says with a smile. But even during this time there were opportunities for individual training via the Internet.
Many trainers trained
Despite all his competitive thinking, it was always important to Waldemar Graßhoff to give less able young people access to his sport. To do this, he developed an evaluation system that could also certify that students without belts performed adequately.
When Graßhoff now hands over “his” department to Julian Jungermann, he does so with both a crying and a laughing eye. He is sad that his time as a manager in the judo department is over. But he is happy that his life’s work is not over. Graßhoff has trained many trainers who can continue his work and he knows that the department is in good hands.
Graßhoff will monitor developments and hopes that the department will last and that it will not go the same way as other sports on TVN. He wants the judoka to continue to stick together and is convinced that interest will remain through popular and competitive sports and that the continued existence of judo sport in Nidda will be secured. BY MARTIN RITTER
2023-09-15 11:01:01
#Waldemar #Graßhoff #Niddas #Judo
