Opened in January by Squadron Leader Samantha Smithson, the Camp Bastion Judo Club is very much a beginner's class to judo which looks to provide servicemen and women an opportunity to practice the art.

"Judo gives service personnel something to keep their minds active while away from their friends and families," said Smithson.

"We have over 4,000 British service personnel in Afghanistan at the moment and the idea was to give some of those serving the opportunity to try a new sport, one that could be linked to core military skills and also to maintain fighting fitness.

"The challenges will be getting people time away from their busy schedules to attend the club."

A dozen servicemen and women took part in the first class of the newly opened Camp Bastion Judo Club ©Sgt Dan Bardsley


This is not the first time judo has been practised at Camp Bastion, with a member of the Welsh Deeside Judo Club, Tony Higgins, coaching a groundwork class at the base during his tour in 2012.

Smithson is a former British international, winning bronze medals in both the US and Canadian Opens in 2002 before securing silver at the European Team Championships in 2003, alongside her GB team-mates.

She is the current chairman of RAF Judo for the British Judo Association (BJA) and has led the RAF ladies to nine inter-service titles during her 14 years of service.

"In my role as combined services team manager and chair of RAF Judo for the association, I have been trying to encourage more grass-roots participation in judo and in particular running BJA sponsored beginners courses," added Smithson.

"My intent is to run the club here in Camp Bastion along a similar track, encouraging everyone to grade before I leave.

"I am also keen to establish how they can continue with their new sport when they return to their normal duties away from Afghanistan."

Lance Corporal Man Yiu Wong was one of the 12 participants in the first Camp Bastion Judo Club class ©Sgt Dan Bardsley


Her experience in the sport encouraged 12 servicemen and women to attend the first class in mid-January including three RAF personnel, six from the British Army, two from the Estonian Army and a UK Ministry of Defence civilian media adviser.

One eager participant was Lance Corporal Man Yiu Wong, who works as an Air Transport Liaison Officer at Camp Bastion.

"I always look for opportunities to try out new sports and luckily judo is not totally alien to me as I met and practised with other judokas through the style of Jiu-Jitsu that I practise in," he said.

"It was always in my mind to hone my judo techniques and when the opportunity to do that in Camp Bastion presented itself it was a no-brainer.

"I am really enjoying the training and gaining a lot from it.

"Having been told there are opportunities to represent the Army in Tri-Service competitions and even the possibility to travel to foreign countries and competing with other nations has certainly given me a lot of incentives to carry on with judo when I finish my operational tour!"

While Smithson will return to the UK in May, it is her intention to hand the mantle over to another qualified coach, Charles Chapman, a corporal in the Army who runs the Larkhill Judo Club back in the UK.

Under Chapman's watch the club will continue until at least June.

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