Claude Thouvenel originates from Perpignan, southern France.
He spent his childhood in the Lorraine region in the eastern
part of the country. After finishing senior high school, he
studied athletics in Strasbourg, where he also learnt to be
a judo teacher, finishing his studies in 1980. Claude now
owns and manages the Dojo Aora judo school in Seminyak.
When did you take up the study of judo?
I was always attracted by martial arts. I started practicing
judo when I was seven. At that time, Bruce Lee was very popular
on TV and there was a dojo near my house. I started to participate
in competitions when I was 8 and I continued to win titles
until I was 20 (among others, number 3 and number 5 at the
French Championships). I got my black belt at the age of 17.
What is judo?
The original Japanese judo was created in 1882 by Shigoro
Kano. It came from jiu jitsu, a way of fighting physically
which was in vogue in the 16th century. The fighting style
was at the heart of Japanese feudalism and was practiced in
the dojo, a room with Japanese tatamis mats or carpets.
Do the Balinese have a long martial arts tradition?
The Balinese don’t have a tradition of practicing judo,
but they do practice silat, an Indonesian martial art. Until
now, judo has only been known and practised by the police
in Bali. I have met Mr. Nengah, the head of judo in Bali and
Mr. Izzuddin from the National Committee of Indonesian Sports
who helped me to register my club and who will also help in
future sport exchange activities. A week ago, I had a pleasant
visit from Mr. Sadik Algadri, the director of National Judo
of Indonesia with whom I discussed my ideas about the evolution
of the present day practice of judo in France and Indonesia.
He invited me to spend one week in Jakarta to participate
in judo training with national athletes.
Has the martial art changed much over the years?
Since the 20th century, modern judo has had a fantastically
rapid growth. More than 10 million men and women practice
this demanding but fascinating discipline every day. Like
any other sport, judo can be practiced by people of any age,
sex, shape or form. In France there are more than 560,000
participants between the ages of 4 and 90 and 24% of them
are female.
Do kids like judo?
Judo is fun and friendly. It is an activity which will enliven
the lives of children. It works for all children from the
age of four. Judo will help your children develop physically
and mentally, to gain confidence and to make good relationships
with other children. Judo will also help your children be
aware of their own abilities and give balance to their lives.
In our club, we use a progressive pedagogy which is individually
adapted to everyone, whatever their age.
What is the philosophy behind judo?
As an old judoka, who earned his black belt some years ago,
I maintain that judo is above all a martial art following
a moral code which is very important for good development
in judo and in life.
Besides the skill of defending themselves, what other skills
or abilities do you teach your students at the school?
- Sincerity - the way to express yourself without hiding your
thoughts.
- Respect - without respect, no confidence can exist.
- Friendship - the purest of human emotions.
- Modesty - talking about oneself without any pride.
- Politeness - respect towards others.
- Honor - being loyal to the spoken word.
- Courage - doing what is right.
- Self control - knowing how to behave and when to be silent
when you feel anger rising.
Was it difficult establishing your dojo on Bali?
I built my dojo to European standards with 150 square meters
of carpeting. I had a lot of trouble getting the carpets made
here and had to go to Java to have them made.
Are young students easier and more gratifying to teach than
adults?
It takes much more patience to teach judo to children than
to adults. The method for children from 4 to 6 is based on
games. Starting from age 7, I teach the notions of imbalance,
the fall movement and the learning of judo. For adults, I
teach warming up, techniques, perseverance, counter taking,
and randori (for competition). It is more a school about life.
Learning judo is done progressively, according to your aptitude
and it takes a lot of work and perseverance. It is also a
school where you learn patience.
Are there any particular body types more adaptable to study
of judo?
There is not any particular body type best suited to be a
judoka (judo student) - fat, thin, short, tall - anybody has
a chance to be a judoka.
Do you have any female students?
I have 25% girls in my club and they are very motivated.
How long does it take to become proficient in judo?
To become a black belt judoka takes 5 or 6 years, depending
on the individual. Just for self defense, it takes several
years of perseverance.
Do you have any plans for the future?
I plan to add jiu jitsu lessons, in addition to judo, and
I’m planning special lesson for adults too. In the near
future, to make my dojo more interesting, there will be some
lessons of jiu jitsu, yoga and gymnastics. In collaboration
with Mr. Nyoman Sarjana, the director of the Yayasan Siswa
Indah Prima School, I also have plans to teach judo to underprivileged
children. During my years of teaching judo, I hope to continue
to contribute in my spare time to helping physically handicapped
children and adults with their rehabilitation.
For more information, contact Claude Thouvenel, tel. 081-338-43
05-59 or 081-174-76-33-70. Dojo Aora is in Seminyak. When
you enter Jalan Oberoi from Jalan Seminyak, Dojo Aora is down
the first gang on the left, after Jalan Drupadi. It is opposite
the Lazumba Café.
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Copyright@2006 Al Hickey
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