A Successful 2025 National Kata Championships in St Albans
September 23, 2025
The British Judo Association Kata programme continues to go from strength to strength where the Kata Commission held the National Kata Championship at St Albans Judo Club on 6th September 2025.
There were 33 entries, drawn from all four Home Nations, full results are published on the events , a slight drop in entries as pairs were restricted to enter a maximum of 2 categories aligning with the approach of the EJU and IJF.
Click here for the full results.
A change in organisation was trialled, with the Shizentai Judo Club team led by Tori Cleevely managing all the pre-event administration leading up to the day and the Kata Commission taking responsibility for organising the Competition. Again, event organisation was run efficiently by Dave Horton-Jones, with Duncan Kinnear Head Judge and Tori organising the scoring system and pre-event scoring sheets etc. Such was the precision of the programme that nearly all kata performances started within 5 minutes of their scheduled programme time.
In the 2025 field where all entrants were of a high standard, notable performances included:
- A large contingent from the Welsh Judo Association following their own successful National Championships. Wales also provided 2 judges for the event.
- Shizentai Judo Club directly took 3 National Kata titles. And a 4th -Itsutsu No Kata was a paring between Shizentai and St.Albans
- Bob and Ricky Cleevely winning the Kime-no-kata title for the 12th year;
Dr. Llyr Jones BJA Kata Chair commented:
“Kata competitions have really been gaining momentum in the UK over the past few years. They’re a great way for judoka to focus their practice and test their kata skills. With more kata becoming part of the updated Dan Grade system, it’s likely we’ll see even more people getting involved – especially as more judoka start learning kata beyond just the two randori-no-kata.”
Dave Horton-Jones BJA Kata lead said:
“The move to a 2 mat venue was a great improvement to the proceedings, allowing categories to be run conjunctively, enabling a greater judges, competitors and spectator experience. We now have 8 judges with 2 more trainee judges being mentored and another 2 to start their training. The number of kata courses and competitions throughout the UK has continued to increase, stimulating interest in judoka.
“Thank you to the team at St Albans Judo Club for donating their fantastic dojo for the event free of charge.”
Comments from competitors “The event ran like clockwork” and “The change in venue was an inspirational move”
The National Kata Course returns to Aldershot on 22–23 November 2025, hosted by the Southern Area and led by official Kodokan Instructor Yoshihiko Iura (8th Dan).
This course is part of the National Kata Programme and supports the updated Dan Grading Scheme launching on 1st January 2026. Whether you’re new to kata, looking to refine your skills, or need certification for promotion, don’t miss this opportunity and book your place now!
