Hello Monaco #13 Winter 2021–2022 | Page 95

PRO SPORT
HISTORY OF JUDO IN MONACO

The philosophy of Olympic and International sports and particularly Judo are very aligned with the Principality ’ s approach to sports . Here are some guiding principles from the founder of Judo , Jigorō Kanō : ‘ The ultimate goal of Judo is to perfect the self , and to make a contribution to society ’.

‘ I am not negating the importance of wanting to become strong or skilled . However , it must be remembered that this is just part of the process for a greater objective ... The worth of all people is dependent on how they spend their life making contributions ’.
A little history about Judo in Monaco because it has taken a huge effort to climb the mountain of creating an international presence . If you want to compete internationally and in the Olympics you have to develop a first-class officially recognized organization . The Monaco Judo Club ( Judo club de Monaco , JCM ) was founded in 1949 under the leadership of Thérésus Imbert and Dr . Louis Orecchia . The club in 1949 was called the Jiu-Jitsu Club and allied with the French Federation . By the 1970s the club had 300 licensed judokas .
In the 1970 ’ s , while keeping close ties with the French Federation there was a great leap forward in organization with Monaco creating its own Federation in 1974 and rapidly joining the European Judo Union in 1975 and the International Judo Federation one year later . This meant by 1976 Monaco appeared on the international scene in its own right first with Eric Bessi in the World Junior Championships in Madrid : then with the seniors emerging in 1977 at the European Championships in Berlin and later at the 1979 World Championships in Paris .
Monaco has participated in Judo in several Olympic Games starting from 1984 . The Monegasque judoka Thierry Vatrican was twice a flag bearer of the national Olympic team — in 1996 and 2000 . In 2021 , it was Cédric Bessi from Monaco Judo Club who presented his country as well as his native club in Tokyo . Cédric is the son of Eric Bessi , President of the Monaco Judo Federation who participated himself in two summer Olympics — in Los Angeles and Seoul .
JCM : WHO ’ S WHO
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thusiastic following . Volunteers including Claude Torterollo and Eric Bessi carried the club forward and its vice-president Gérard Bertrand spawned the idea of the International Tournament . By the 1990s Monaco had become an international centre itself for Judo tournaments with the : International Judo Tournament of Monaco in 1991 ; European Junior Championships in 1996 ; and the Monte-Carlo Judo Grand Prix in 2002 which brought together the four best teams in the world . In 1993 another leap forward took place when all courses ( children , adults , and competitors ) were put under the charge of National Technical Director Marcel Pietri ,
Beyond the development of physical skill and strength , judo students learn much more .
himself a silver medalist at the European Judo Championships .
The President of the Monaco Judo Federation is Eric Bessi and the President of Monaco Judo Club is Jean-Pierre Siccardi . Every December , a traditional international competition ‘ Trophée Gérard Bertrand ’ takes place in Monaco . It was the Russian team who won in 2019 ( for the fifth time , by the way ).
Marcel Pietri still keeps the post of Technical Director . His son Loïc , Judo World Champion ( 2013 ) in the -81 kg category , often comes
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It all started under the inspiring leadership of Thérésus Imbert and Dr . Louis Orecchia and continued due to an ento Monaco to join some training sessions in JCM and to share his special sport techniques with young Monegasque judokas .

WHAT IS JUDO AFTER ALL

You might ask what is Judo . Is it jujitsu ? Judo was indeed derived from the ancient techniques of jiu-jitsu studied by its founder Kanō who also studied under several masters proficient in various martial arts techniques .

Jiu-jitsu was originally of course a famed combat technique of samurai warriors . Judo is a peaceful variant and the most widelypracticed martial art in the world . It has been claimed to be the second-most practiced sport worldwide behind soccer .
A judo match takes place on a mat with three referees officiating . The objective is to score an ippon , one full point , which can be achieved in four ways and immediately ends the match . One dramatic way to achieve an ippon is by throwing an opponent so that he lands on his back .
If no ippon occurs , athletes can win by penalties or showing control over the opponent . Athletes can show control by remaining on the offensive . Points are earned for waza-aris or yukos . A waza-ari , or half-point , is earned by a near-perfect throw or by holding an opponent down for 20 seconds .
Judo produces tremendous gains in overall physical and athletic ability and
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