About - Sensei’s Judo History
Hi, my name is Stewart Hogg Sensei of Meiji Judokwai Judo in the Midlands, England.
I started Judo whilst I was still at school in Shrewsbury at the age of 13 and have been doing Judo for 22 years. I got up to junior blue belt and whilst I was a junior grade I won:
- The Dorset Judo championships.
- The Plymouth open Judo championships.
- I was also the middleweight Army Judo Champion.
I was running my own judo club called the Mercury Judo Club in Blandford (Dorset). I had 87 members in total, both children and adults.
In July 1972 I got my masters degree in Judo 1st Dan Black belt in Poole (Dorset). I was posted to Germany with the Army in 1973 and ran a small club just for 12 adults. I was then posted to Ireland in 1977 there was already a Judo club there so I just helped out keeping in touch with the sport.
In 1980 I was posted to Nuneaton, again, there was already a judo club there so I joined to train and to keep my hand in.
In 1984 I entered the Army & Land Forces Judo Championships and took the gold. I then went onto enter the Combined Air - Sea - Land Forces European Judo championships. To which I took the gold and won the mounted Wilkinson sword.
I then left the forces the following year and took time out away from Judo (10years). In 1996 I opened my second judo club called the Shenstone Judo Club, Shenstone. The club was doing really well when I was approached by Oak Park leisure centre and the Friary Leisure centre, asking me if I would run a club / lessons for them. I took Oak Park up on their offer.
Eventually I decided to close Oak Park judo club down as they refused to buy any mats and would not allow me to bring any of mine due to storage limitation. I therefore, due to safety, closed the judo club and decided to move the Shenstone and Oak Park members to a new venue, Burntwood. From then the club changed its name to The Meiji Judokwai. The club and its members have just gone from strength to strength both in numbers and standards.
I am proud to be the Sensei of the most disciplined club that I know of.
My qualifications are as follows:
- Black belt 2nd Dan (Amateur Judo Association)
- Black belt 1st Dan (British Judo Association)
- Grading Officer (Amateur Judo Association)
- Midlands Area referee (Amateur Judo Association)
- Club Judo Instructor (Amateur Judo Association)
- Club Judo Coach (Amateur Judo Association)