Stuart Travis 4th Dan
By our Solihull Judo Correspondent
Lena Strang
Stuart Travis is one of the enduring judo legends connected to Solihull Club. He has been an excellent ambassador for judo and his string of successes in competitions has been formidable. Stuart has recently made several appearances at Solihull and we expect him back on the mat soon!
How long have you been practising judo?
"I started judo at the age of eleven. A friend of mine persuaded me to go along. My first club was BP Chemicals Judo Club at Hull."
What are your connections with Solihull Club?
"When I was living in the Midlands I trained at Solihull. Pete Barnett was in charge of the Junior Olympic Squad with Geoff Gleeson and I used to train regularly at the club. I got on really well with people and considered it to be my club at the time."
How did your judo career take off?
"Well, I joined the army when I was young and spent 20 years of my life there. I was lucky to be able to do full time judo most of the time. But I was also posted to places where there was no judo at all. It is strange the way things work out. At 16 I was in Toulouse with the North West Team and was asked to join a top French club to train with them fulltime but unfortunately I couldn't get a work permit. Another option would have been to go down to London with people like Neil Adams, in which case my judo career would have taken a different turn."
Where do you train now?
"I am back in training again and go to Kingston Judo Club, Hull. I also visit the YIP (Young People's Institute) and Haltem Price on occasions."
What is your present training schedule?
"I do 3 to 4 physical sessions in the gym and do some judo as well."
What are your favourite techniques?
"I do taio-toshi and foot sweeps such as o-uchi-gari and ko-uchi-gari."
Who has influenced you most in judo?
"My father was very supportive and constantly encouraged me to do better. I was also influenced by the top players at the time such as Neil Adams and Brian Jacks."
What are your achievements in judo?
"I won the British Closed 5 times and got silver in the British Open. I won European bronze and gold in the Swedish Open. I won every area competition in the UK including the Midland Area nine times. I was very pleased to be in the British Squad for 12 years and was also a member of four different Olympic Teams. During my time in the army I won 32 Army titles and 30 Inter Services titles."
What would you class as the highlights of your judo career?
"I think it must be my first International at 16. I was thrilled to be chosen by Pete Barnett to represent Britain for the first time. I also gained a lot from being in the British squad and training with top players for so many years."
What are the secrets of your success?
"My father's support was important to me. I also think being motivated to do well and training hard was crucial."
What other interests or hobbies have you got?
"I like doing landscaping and doing jobs that have end results. I also enjoy the country side and visiting different parts of Britain. I have taken up fishing and of course, I like a bit of socialising!"
What are you aiming for next?
"The last 14 years of my life have been difficult for various reasons. I would like to have a better life in general and put things in perspective."
Any thoughts you would like to offer?
"Be clear about what you want to achieve. Although judo has meant a lot to me and I feel I have achieved a great deal, it is still important to have a balanced view of life."