Peter Barnett 5thDan 1929 - 1998

Roy Muller 5^th Dan

Birmingham

In those days I was very cocky and self assured. However within � an hour of meeting and listening to Peter I realised I knew nothing about judo other than grabbing someone and trying to throw them.

That evening opened a whole new world for me. I sat in the dojo fascinated by what he had to say and looked around the room at many current and future judo stars.

Peter used a blackboard and drew match-stick men to demonstrate direction of throws and define weaknesses that we could exploit in our opponents. He showed us how to use combination techniques, to link attacks to follow through onto the ground. He also taught us tactics, how to use the edge of the mat and trap an opponent in a corner allowing him only to exit onto our strong throwing side.

As I drove home my head was spinning. How could one man know so much about judo. I had to know more. From that evening `till now, some thirty years later, Solihull became my club and I was proud to represent it on many occasions.

Peter worked us hard after a short coaching session. We would burst into randori using music to speed us up. Whenever we threw an opponent we would look to Peter for approval. A nod of recognition from him made you feel you had conquered Everest. When judo was completed he then introduced our fitness circuit, a series of exercises designed to build muscle and make you sweat.

Peter has the ability to make you do what no other person could. Climbing a rope and pausing to rest because your arms were weak he would shout encouragement and suddenly you found the strength to continue, always looking for that nod of approval. No one no matter how tired or weak ever refused to do the impossible when asked by Peter. If he said jump and touch the ceiling you tried even if it was twenty feet high.

Should you ever miss a couple of weeks from the club you would receive a phone call from Peter enquiring was everything OK. That phone call ensured that you turned up for judo next week.

In my 30 years at Solihull I have met many people from all over the country who just could not resist visiting the club whenever they were in the area. Others used to do a 60 mile round trip to train with us on a regular basis.

Peter created a second family at Solihull Judo Club and we were all proud to be part of it. It is a great tribute to Peter that we still have many members with 30 years plus at Solihull.

Including: Dave Walker; Keith Cannaby; Les Hudspith; Tony Weaver; Roy Manuel; Ron Knight; Bill Troman, et al. No other person could have kept so many individuals together for so long.

Peter is our coach, our mentor and most of all our friend. We are all proud to be members of Solihull the club that he formed from nothing but a judo mat and an empty room.