The Vernon Judo Club meets at the Vernon Japanese Cultural Centre, 4895 Bella Vista Road.
Regular Classes run from September until the end of April (often into May for Nationals).
Contact us for summer or special programs.
Nationals / Competition Results
Congratulations to all the zone 2 competitors at the 2020 BC Winter Games. Ava, Abby and Kiyoshi were all on the team that took home a bronze in the team competition.
Great work Kiyoshi in the 2019-20 season: Gold at the 2020 BC Winter Games and in both U16 and U18 divisions at the 2020 BC Youth Provincials—plus a bronze finish at Edmonton International (U16-50).
Congratulations to Avery, Brendan and Sydney on their 2017 national competitions in Calgary, where Brendan took home his third Canadian Nationals silver medal.
About
The VJC is located in the Western Canadian province of British Columbia, in the city of Vernon at the north end of Okanagan Lake.
The club was formed in 1944 by Mr. Y. Mori, in a time when martial arts were banned in many places and Japanese Canadians even required a special police permit to meet in groups. We’ve been practising at the same location ever since, making the VJC the longest continuously running club in Canada.
The club is run entirely by volunteers. Our parents’ group is a non-profit society dedicated to support our judoka.
We practice Monday and Thursday nights at the Vernon Japanese Cultural Centre, 4895 Bella Vista Road. Class times vary with registration levels (scheduled for 2024/25 season):
- 6:30-7:30 PM Junior/beginners/intermediate (6-12)
- 7:30-9:00 PM Senior (13+)
Our normal season runs from early September to late April (running into may for national competitors). We make up some holiday Mondays on the Tuesday.
Kata sessions are on typically Wednesdays but can run at different times during the summer. Some of the advanced kids have been staying an additional half hour for additional instruction/conditioning.
Normally spectators are welcome at any time but, during the covid pandemic, the stage/viewing area had to be booked/confirmed open.
We offer 2-week free trials if you have not tried judo before in Canada, but you will be required to sign waiver and need to contact us to arrange the timing.
Events
2024-25 Registration, plus Fall Camp info
We are also hosting the Judo BC Fall Camp here in Vernon September 27-29 with Olympian Naohisa Takato! We’ve also received word that—at the camp awards Ceremony—Judo BC will be recognizing some VJC members as the JBC 2024 Volunteers of the Year. Registration for the Vernon Judo Club 2024-25 season is underway. The first night …
Continue reading “2024-25 Registration, plus Fall Camp info”
2023 BC Open
The VJC hosted the 2023 BC Open judo tournament at the curling rink April 21-22. If was the first time back since 2019 and we had about 150 competitors! We ran kodomo no kata for the first time, introducing each set with the taiko drum gifted to the club by Kamloops head sensei Henry Uyeda …
BC Winter Games
The VJC hosted the Judo venue at Fulton Senior Secondary during the 2023 spring break. Lachin managed a silver medal in the U17-50kg division (quite an accomplishment for a 1st year U16 competitor). The zone 2 team just missed their chance for a bronze medal in the team competitions. Thanks to all the volunteers, athletes, …
Contact
Before you register online with Judo BC, contact us; Your VJC membership will not be approved until all club dues are received and JBC waivers are complete.
Contact us for registration, more information including rates, or to arrange a free 2-week trial.