Judo for Everyone

The Judo Federation welcomed very favourably the introduction of judo in the school curriculum to the point that Catherine Arnaud proposed to teach it in our school. Judo is for students beginning at age 4 and a half and all Montessorian judokas, who are certified by the judo federation, pass the grades at the end of the year.

Judo is a sport that allows the child to develop many skills: respect for the rules, respect for others and respect for oneself.

It builds self-confidence and an ability to communicate. The structured character of judo (dress, rules, greeting, respect of the teacher) allows children to flourish.

This contact sport participates in better appropriating the body diagram which remains an essential step to develop a better knowledge of oneself and helps to promote self-confidence. Through this activity, children evacuate excess physical energy and release their emotional charge which can be a source of aggression.

Judo is therefore a wonderful opportunity of self-learning and brings forth an extraordinary development of the personality (taste of the effort, surpassing oneself, spirit of sharing, respect, development of motor skills). Including judo in the school curriculum is a unique chance to practice a high-caliber sport in a peaceful and caring environment.

Catherine Arnaud

After an exemplary sports career: two world titles, Olympic medalist in Seoul, four European titles, three victories in the Paris tournament and many other titles, she retired her "Team France" outfit in the spring of 1994 to become a federal technical advisor for the Aquitaine region.

She is happy to train and share her passion with children. She carries out actions of detection of young talents and initiatives to promote Judo among children, in particular in school environments and visits as many clubs as possible to support their leaders.

She participates in the initial and ongoing training of judo lessons in her region.

In 2007, Catherine Arnaud became 7th DAN: the highest ranked female in the Aquitaine league, a region with 33400 licensed judokas.

Complimentary to all of these qualities of a champion, Arnaud is an exceptional woman, an outstanding human with a sense of humour and above all a very big heart.