About us

 

The Pinewood Judo Club was started in the year 1952 and operated in the canteens of various companies in the Bracknell area. It was then known as The Bracknell Judo Club and it moved to The Scout Hut where Roy Robertson was the guiding coach. Leslie Scovell taught the juniors and in 1958 Don Werner started to help her.

 

Gradually Don increased his time on the twelve by twenty four foot Tatami and began teaching the seniors beginners. Greatly Influenced by Geoff Gleeson and others he gradually developed the system of coaching that he uses to this day, with minor changes to keep up with the modern trends of fighting.  He moved the club to the Bracknell Sports Centre in the early sixties; the first club to move in. The new thirty by thirty foot Tatami felt like practicing on a football pitch.

 

In 1977 an opportunity arose to buy an ex army sergeants mess building. The members and parents took it down and in 1978 erected it at the present site.  The Pinewood site is a unique centre run by the Wokingham Without Parish Council. Every club is totally self-contained; on land they lease from the Parish. The scouts used the site for camping etc. However the Judo Club was again the first club to open. After much heart searching and consideration the Bracknell Judo Club became “The Pinewood Judo Club”.

 

The aim of the club is to teach children from four years of age upward competitive judo. They will progress from beginners to the intermediate level and on to the Advanced Class where they will be coached to the highest level they are capable of attaining.

 

The club is competition based and has produced many National and International Champions to World, Olympic and European level. 

 

 

Information about the club

 

Coach Don Werner Sensei 7th Dan