Globe Magazine December 2021

CHARLES CONROY is the father of Judo and Jiu Jitsu on the Rock. Ever since the late fifties when he was based in the UK and was attacked by ‘teddy boys’ while on an escalator in Marble Arch London, he took up the sport purely for self defence and has since given his life to it. He has moved premises for his mats more times than he cares to count. Since 1981, the old TV studios at Wellington Front have been the home of Judo and where, on average, around four hundred children per year learn and practice this venerable form of martial arts. I sit there with him and his brother Peter (twenty years his junior) to trace some highlights of the years passed under their Black Belts.

“The first club was situated where the boxing club is now at Naval Hospital and after a second move to an old tunnel we had to move again to the old band room at South Barracks (a stone’s throw from his former home). From there to Dockyard South Gate and then to the Police dog compound, followed by a few more moves until finally we moved here in 1981.” Wellington Front was always notorious for flooding and there have been times when they might have given up but didn’t. Now the home of local Judo, the Federation has always hosted annual

international events as Charlie has kept up ties with the top names and UK clubs, who have come here to compete, to grade and to fraternise with our Judokas.

Charlie Conroy got his first Black belt in UK in 1967 and Peter, his younger brother, got his in 1982. “I had my brown belt for about eight years as my brother wouldn’t grade me until finally a UK instructor graded me.” Charlie had always dreamed big since he entered the sport, in an interview with my former colleague, the late John Sheppard, he spoke about his ambitions. “First I wanted a Black Belt, which I got, then I wanted my own club and centre, which I also realized and thirdly I wanted to make champions, which I have also achieved.” At the moment in the club, they have four black belts but they have graded more over the years. The belts are graded as Dan and up to fourth Dan they are competitive. Above that they are conferred by the World Judo Federation as recognition for excellence in the sport but they are also related to seniority.

The ratio of boys to girls in Judo has always been a problem and even in the old days when Charlie had a female section, which fizzled out after a while, girls have always been hard to attract. On average in a four hundred student intake each year, there can be around fifty girls. The club caters for any age and not only young children. Once the sport has taken a grip on an individual the commitment to it is long term in many cases. Indeed while I was there a sailor from a naval ship in port came in to say hello to the brothers, who had trained him some years ago. They embraced warmly and it is that special bond based on respect that the Judo tradition thrives on.

Peter takes up the story when we talk about the retention of juveniles “For every ten that start, we can normally hope to retain three, who will continue learning and become seniors, the problem is when they are 13 and begin to study at school they fall away and eventually we lose them to University like all the other sports in Gibraltar.” Another factor that affects retention is that when the juniors reach Black Belt standard in Ju Jitsu, they think that they have already achieved enough. “The fact is that once you are a junior Black Belt that is when you start to learn more”

“We train to the highest standards and do not tolerate breach of rules. If a member uses Judo in the street, he or she is suspended or even expelled. The moves and the throws are strictly for the Judo mats and we teach them first to break falls. There are very few injuries in the

sport compared to football for example”. When talking to Charlie and Peter I immediately get a sense of their passion for the sport, which has brought home medals to the Rock over the years. They both set a high benchmark for the club to achieve distinction here and abroad

and as Charlie gets older, the succession conversation seems inevitable.

Charlie is in his late seventies now and since the Pandemic has not been on the mats because of age vulnerability and he misses that terribly. Peter is the next obvious leader designated to take the reins of the club in the future (but not yet). Since there are eleven members of the Conroy family involved in the club; a stable transition and the future development of the sport is almost guaranteed. I for one cannot imagine the sport without Charlie as he is my contemporary but one looks at Peter and he is twenty years younger and has distinguished himself in the army Judo (over 23 years) and many other competitions abroad so the future looks secure.

As the father of the sport here, Charlie still holds on to the traditional values. “We teach discipline and respect. We also teach all the Japanese terminology of the throws and there is a mix of practical and theory. We start and end every session with a bow and a handshake and although the kids may take it as game but they are sponges and those values are imprinted in their minds for life”. The Judo programme ties in with the school calendar and like the schools, the club gives them annual grading and awards to distinguish top performers in all age groups and give them incentive to improve and compete. Life skills which complement full time education and can only help their development.

Looking to the future the local federation has now affiliated with an international group of twenty four nations, which hold events that may see competitions being hosted here just like the international darts and snooker televised events that we have seen over the last few years. The pandemic has temporarily slowed down those plans and it’s not clear how things will pick up again or even when that might be, but one thing is for sure, Judo will continue to grow here as indeed the sport is growing in popularity internationally.

Every Tuesday and Thursday is Judo day at Wellington Front and long may it continue to be so - led by the charismatic brothers Charles and Peter Conroy whose firm handshake as I leave confirms that it is their wish also.