A West African judoka who travelled the world teaching and learning judo has kickstarted his new life in Australia by opening a new club in the heart of the country.
Judo coach Ezekiel DoDoo has studied Judo in Korea, Hungary, and Japan, where he is a member of the Kodokan Institute, as well as participating in the IOC's Solidarity courses. On coming to Australia as a political refugee from Ghana, he was offered a job in Alice Springs – and was confronted by the fact the outback city didn’t have a judo club.
Having trained judo his entire life, he refused give up on the sport that had contributed so much to his own life - and had so much potential to transform the lives of others.
Many young people, he observed, needed the opportunity to channel their aggression into something beneficial for society.
“As Prof Kano always said, the ultimate aim of Judo is to strive for personal perfection and to benefit the world," he explains.
His new mission became to establish a Judo Club in Alice Springs, from initial enquiries with local authorities, Judo NT and Judo Australia.
He found the challenge to find premises, attract players, and meeting local regulations and requirements such as Club insurance was by no means an easy one, but after working closely with the volunteer executive at Judo NT, and Judo Australia staff was able to start classes at a local Youth and Community Centre.
Training Mondays and Fridays from 5pm, club numbers vary but all members are registered with Judo NT to ensure they are covered by Judo Australia’s insurance, which protects coaches and students alike.
Ezekiel explains he tries hard to ensure everyone participates in judogi where possible, but sometimes understanding and goodwill for student's individual circumstances is more important.
Both Judo NT and Judo Australia plan to visit the Alice Springs Judo Club during 2025 to participate in Ezekiel’s sessions and offer any help he needs to further develop the club.
Like many remote and regional judo clubs, Ezekiel and his members are keen to welcome visiting members, and invite any judoka within the Judo Australia family to visit. If you are passing through Alice Springs to visit Uluru or the MacDonnell ranges, be sure to spend a day or night in the town and drop in for some judo.
The dojo operates at as part of the Alice Springs Youth and Community Centre, 4 Wills Terrace, Alice Springs, with enquiries to manager@asyc.com.au, tel: 08 8952 1649.
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