Over the weekend of 21–23 November, young judoka from across Western Australia came together for the 2025 WA Futures Camp, proudly supported by Healthway through the Fuel to Go & Play initiative. The camp brought together some of our most dedicated and promising junior athletes for a three-day experience blending technical development, physical conditioning, and fun off-the-mat activities.
Day 1 – Arrival, Seoi-nage Fundamentals & Team Bonding
The camp kicked off on Friday evening with participants arriving and settling into their dorms. There was no time wasted—within the hour, the athletes were on the tatami for their first judo session, led by guest coach Jeroen Casse. Jeroen opened the weekend with a focus on building the foundational elements of seoi-nage, one of his signature techniques, setting the tone for a technically rich camp.
After the session, the group enjoyed dinner, some downtime, and a movie night to wind down before a full Day 2.
Day 2 – Outdoor Conditioning, Ne-waza, Kata & Randori
Saturday started bright and early with outdoor conditioning drills, again led by Jeroen, helping wake the kids up and get them moving before breakfast.
The morning judo session was a special one, held jointly with participants from the Judo WA Vets Weekend, bringing together generations of judo experience on the mat. The session focused on ne-waza (groundwork), and was delivered by Jeroen alongside Senseis Luc Tournier and Korgan Hucent—a fantastic opportunity for the Futures athletes to learn from a broader group of experienced practitioners.
After lunch, the group shifted gears with a short introductory session on katame-no-kata—the groundwork kata—delivered by Ernie Wakamatsu, Judo Australia and Oceania Judo Union Kata Commissioner and IJF Kata Judge. Having just returned from judging at the 2025 Kata World Championships in Paris, Ernie brought great insight and presented kata in a way that was both fun and accessible for younger judoka.
The final judo session for the day was again led by Jeroen, following on from Friday’s work on seoi-nage, now progressing into applications and finishing with rounds of randori. The athletes finished off the night with another relaxed movie session ahead of Sunday’s final push.
Day 3 – Final Training & Closing
Sunday began with a final early morning fitness session with Jeroen before breakfast. The last judo session of the camp consolidated the techniques learned throughout the weekend, concluding with high-intensity randori as the athletes gave their all one last time.
Judo WA extends its sincere thanks to all the coaches involved in the delivery of the camp. Their time, knowledge, and enthusiasm were key to making the weekend a valuable learning experience for all involved.
Well done to all the young judoka who took part in this year’s WA Futures Camp. Your energy, focus, and willingness to learn stood out all weekend. We look forward to seeing many of you again next year.
📸 View the full photo gallery here: https://judowa.smugmug.com/2025/2025-WA-Futures-Camp
