Judo is above all an educational tool very suitable for children, who can learn skills for life and values which will serve them throughout their lives. Later, adolescents and young adults will find in competition the perfect illustration of their desire to exert themselves and to measure themselves against others, but above all against themselves.
Later, judoka can look at kata, veteran events and focus more on the technical dimension of the sport. A person can become a coach or a teacher, a referee, a sports leader, and even if this is not the case, they can enjoy getting together on the tatami regularly to sweat and interact with their friends.
We see through this list of possibilities, which is far from exhaustive, that judo is aimed at all generations. There is a moment among many others when all age groups come together in unison to celebrate their love of judo, this is during ceremonies organised in honour of the champions of the past. Paris has made it a specialty for years, before the final block of each day of competition, in front of a packed stadium, the glories of French judo find themselves one more time in the spotlight in a moment of communion with their public. In 2024, the IJF also organised a mind-blowing animation with children and former Olympic and world champions that was one of the highlights of the Paris Grand Slam.
A week ago, the Georgian Judo Federation rolled out the red carpet in front of their legends and heroes, Varlam Liparteliani and Avtandili Tchrikishvili. During the second day of competition, here in Antalya, seven champions were honoured.
These moments of sharing are absolutely necessary because they allow us to remember where we come from in order to know where we are going. Judo is constantly built around our champions. By devoting their lives to competition and their passion for sport, they awake vocations. Their contribution to the development of our sport does not stop when their career ends, quite the contrary.
This respect for champions and for elders more generally speaking is one of the hallmarks of the judo family. This trans-generational acceptance is part of the DNA of our discipline. Like the bow, which we spoke about recently, respect for champions and their careers, but also respect for elders and their passion put to the service of others, constitutes the cement of a judo resolutely turned towards the future and deeply anchored in its history and its values. The youngest have a lot to learn from all those who preceded them on the tatami, the oldest also have to know how society is evolving and how young people perceive sport today. It is this mix of generations that makes judo successful on a global scale.