Last weekend, motivated young judoka from all over Germany traveled to Erfurt to train kata together, develop themselves further and gain new ideas.
The main focus of the event was the Nage-no-Kata. The young people in the U13, U15 and U18 age groups were highly motivated and enthusiastic about their work. With a lot of creativity and joy in their own development, the participants even worked on a freestyle kata. They impressively demonstrated their innovative spirit, ability to work in a team and the courage to come up with new ideas.
Particularly noteworthy is the particularly high level of commitment of the members of the DJB youth kata squad. Despite a very tight schedule, they took responsibility and actively contributed to the success of the event. Together with Heike Betz from the DJB Kata Commission – Young Talent Development Department, they developed a new format, took on role models and created an inspiring atmosphere – while they continued to develop themselves both athletically and personally. “We are proud to have such committed young athletes in our ranks who take responsibility and actively help shape the future of judo,” says Heike Betz.
The training was also supported by Jochen Müller from the DJB Kata Commission (coach of the Kata national team), who accompanied and supported the squad and spotted new talent. The board of the Thuringian Judo Association, Thomas Sens, also took the opportunity to stop by in person – a strong sign of appreciation for this event.
The Berlin kata speaker Astrid Machulik and Anthony Menger from Thuringia were also guests. The great interest confirms the desire to continue this format at various locations throughout Germany in the future. The next date has already been set: 30/31. May 2026 in Hamburg.
“A special thank you goes to the Erfurt Judo Club, which contributed to optimal training conditions with its hall, great organization and warm hospitality. It was an all-round successful event that impressively showed how much potential, motivation, sense of responsibility and passion there is in our judo youth. We look back on this successful event and look forward to the next steps together,” says Heike Betz.
