Sixty years in Judo honoured and remembered
By Ben Underwood, Preston-Eltham Judo Club
From mid-January to mid-December, every Wednesday and Thursday evening, Peter Alway opened his garage doors to the street, turning his garage into a dojo.
Peter would be wearing his white judogi with his black belt. Even though he has the red-and-white belt of a 6th dan, he rarely wore it.
To start the class, everyone would line up in front of Peter; left to right, low-grades to high-grades, and we’d all bow in unison. Formalities done, Peter would get us to warm up with some light jogging, followed by more intensive exercises, then gymnastics and breakfalls.
If you weren’t getting through the exercises fast enough, Peter would let you know. And if you didn’t do nice, elongated judo breakfalls, Peter would let you know!
Peter was good at demonstrating technique. He’d would draw your attention, a little bit at a time, to the different aspects of the technique. Grip, foot placement, posture and so on.
And then he would observe us practicing, either through drills, or more intensive sparring. If Peter observed you attempting technique in a manner other than he’d just demonstrated, he would let you know!
Peter could be brief, he could be blunt, even harsh, but in my experience he was always fair.
Students that were attentive, students that persisted and put in the effort, would earn his respect.
Every so often, Peter would pull out one student and give them personalised instruction to help them improve.
When you received that personalised instruction, when you started to make real improvements because of it, it felt amazing. And it would make Peter happy too.
You could tell when Peter was happy. He had numerous one-liners that he’d yell out in the middle of class, some of them not exactly appropriate. Sometimes he’d just whistle, and he’d always whistle the same thing.
At the end of class, we would line up once more. Peter would give each of us a brief assessment of our performance, and then we would bow to finish.
I’ve been coming to Peter’s garage, official dojo of the Preston-Eltham Judo Club, for nearly 18 years. I started when I was 24.
The harshness that I remembered from the early years diminished over time. Peter’s attention to detail, and his personalised instruction to help individuals improve, did not diminish at all.
I’ve watched young students grow into adults in this time. It’s a strange but also beautiful thing to observe, when an adult student, towering over Peter in height today, still looks up to him, the same way they did when they were a kid.
Earlier this year, I refereed at my first international open competition. Referees I’d never met before, would approach me and ask after Peter, conspicuous by his absence. Many of those referees confessed that he was mentor to them too.
I cherish the time that I had with Peter. Learning from his instruction, training with him for his 6th dan exam, or just listening to his stories and terrible jokes. He became a very significant person in my life, and I think I can say the same for many of his other students.
We will miss you dearly Peter.
Ben Underwood studied with Peter Alway of Preston-Eltham Judo Club for some 18 years, and now, following Peter’s passing, will take up the reins as head coach of Peter’s Preston-Eltham Judo Club. The club will continue to train out of Peter’s garage in Eltham, under the mural that depicts Peter’s 60 years dedicated to Australian Judo. Preston-Eltham Judo Club can be found online at www.facebook.com/PJCELTHAM/ and contacted via email: bunderwo83@gmail.com
Deepali Mistry pays tribute to Peter on behalf of Judo Australia’s National Referee Committee
Peter was a mentor, guide, leader, coach, and a very good friend to many of us. He dedicated many years to Australian Judo, particularly in the area of refereeing, and made an outstanding contribution through his knowledge, commitment, and passion.
Throughout the many changes in our sport, Peter always adapted and continued to make a positive impact on generations of referees. His humorous yet highly effective communication style and his unique approach to mentoring helped shape and develop many referees, including those who were just beginning their journey.
With many of the older generation of referees retiring, Peter was always there to help fill the gap, becoming a valuable source of knowledge, guidance, and support. He was a steady and reassuring presence behind the scenes, helping ensure the continued growth and strength of refereeing in Australia.
Personally, I have been fortunate to work with Peter for the past 26 years — through refereeing, and later as part of the committee. Peter was someone we could always rely on, especially in the most challenging situations. He had a story for every occasion, and his stories, humour, and warmth made every experience more enjoyable.
Peter had a wonderful ability to ease tension, bring people together, and provide honest advice when it was needed. He knew how to encourage people, offer constructive feedback, and deliver difficult messages in a way that helped others improve and grow.
I, along with many members of our team, will deeply miss his mentorship, leadership, friendship, humour, and the countless stories he shared.
Peter’s passing has created a great void in our community. His contribution and influence will continue to be remembered by all those he guided and inspired.
Rest in peace, Peter. You will be greatly missed.
