For information about joining the club and beginners course for the new academic year see the
Getting Started page
We welcome new members of all levels at any time of year although beginners are encouraged to start at the beginning of the year if possible to make the most of our structured beginners course. Potential members are encouraged to attend 2 sessions for free to get a taster before joining.
Southampton University sports clubs exist primarily for the benefit of university students, staff and alumni. Although we can accept external members everyone must adhere to the same membership requirements as outlined below.
Please note that because the club is intended primarily for students of the university our classes are for adults only. See our links page for details of other local clubs who all run childrens classes
Joining the Judo club is simple, although it can appear complicated! Because we are an Athletic Union club and use facilities managed by the Department of Sport and Recreation, there are 3 elements to club membership as shown in the table.
| SportRec card | The Martial Arts Suite is a Department of Sport and Recreation facility and this means that club members must hold a SportRec card. See the DSR website for details if you do not already have one |
| Athletic Union membership | The club is part of the Athletic Union and all club members must also hold Athletic Union membership. This cost is added to your club membership fee and varies according to status (e.g. student/staff/alumni/other) |
| Club membership | The club strives to keep costs at a minimum with a simple annual fee and no per
session cost. Coaches give their time freely to the club and membership funds are
used to support club activities and to provide equipment. Standard membership is £30 per year, beginners to judo can purchase a package including club membership, introductory license and judo suit for £80 (students) / £90 (non students) |
To simplify the process of joining the club as much as possible we have decided to provide an inclusive package for beginners. This will include your annual club membership fee, a basic but good quality judo suit from Blitz, and a 3 month introductory BJA license. The cost of the beginners package is £80 for students but we have a limited number of promotional packs from British Judo that will bring the cost down to £20.
For beginners the main training session is Thursday evenings and then when you have your judo suit, the Sunday evening session. The beginners course on Thursdays will take you through some key safety elements such as falling safely and build the knowledge required for your first grading examination which will typically be held at the end of the autumn term for those starting at the beginning of the academic year.
The club is affiliated to the British Judo Association and all club members should hold a valid British Judo Assocation license (or a license from an affiliated organisation). The BJA license provides insurance cover for when you are training and gives you access to the grading system and competitions. New members attending the beginners course will get an introductory 3 month license as part of the beginners package described above.
You can either apply for BJA membership online at the BJA website or download an application form using the links below. The club name is Southampton University Judo Club and the club number is 16022.