„Zusammengefasst haben wir viele neue Möglichkeiten kennengelernt, bestimmte Techniken wie beispielsweise die Judo-Vorwärtsrolle, auf eine neue und einfachere Weise zu lehren als einfach nur stumpfes Technik-Training,“ participant Alma said of a new coaching initiative for young martial artists.”
The initiative, titled „Judo spielend lernen-Trainerausbildung“, addresses a gap for young athletes under 16 who are not yet old enough to take official German Judo Federation (Deutscher Judo-Bund) Trainer C certification courses.”
Origins in a Young Coach’s Ambition
The project began with a question from an eleven-year-old named Juli to her father Stefan, a licensed coach. Having assisted in her club’s beginner classes since she was nine years old, Juli wanted to know when she could officially become a trainer. When told she had to wait until age 16 for the standard Trainer C qualification, she sought an alternative. Together, they designed a specialized training framework for children starting at age ten.
High Demand Across Brandenburg Clubs
The project focuses on teaching fundamentals through play, boosting both physical and mental development without relying on rigid drills. A regional survey revealed that one-quarter of all judo clubs in Brandenburg expressed a strong need for the program. The first official training day took place in late 2024, drawing 30 young judoka from 11 different clubs.
German Judo Federation Publishes Official Manuals for Children
During the inaugural session, Juli instructed alongside her father and then-training director Jan Schröder, demonstrating exercises designed to build core tension and body awareness. Beyond youth peer-to-peer instruction, the German Judo Federation publishes official instructional literature for coaching children aged five to seven, compiled by an expert working group including Ralf Pöhler, Wolfgang Dax-Romswinkel, Wolfgang Ehnes, Andreas Kleegräfe, Ralf Lippmann, Nicole Saam, and Henning Schäfer, as detailed by vp-masberg.de.
Structured Framework for Early Childhood Judo
Further sections detail introductory grappling games, safe falling techniques, fundamental ground and standing combat applications for the 8th Kyu, and progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) techniques to help young athletes cool down.
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