In Episode 90 of The Grapple Of Your Eye Show, we sit down with Fiona Chan — Judo black belt, veteran competitor, coach and Head Coach of Kinsa Judo — for an inspiring conversation about competitive judo, female grappling, returning to martial arts later in life, coaching and refusing to let age dictate what you can achieve.
Fiona first stepped onto the judo mat at just seven or eight years old, training during an incredible era of British women’s judo and sharing the mats with elite judoka including Karen Briggs and Diane Bell. But at 18, Fiona walked away from judo as a brown belt.
She wouldn’t return for 22 YEARS. Inspired after watching the London 2012 Olympic Games, Fiona decided it was time to face the fear and get back on the tatami. What followed was an extraordinary second chapter: earning her black belt, progressing to 3rd Dan, competing nationally and internationally, becoming a veteran competitor, coaching the next generation and even testing her grappling skills outside judo.
This conversation is especially relevant for women in judo, BJJ, wrestling, Sambo, MMA and submission grappling who want to keep training, competing and progressing throughout different stages of life. Fiona also speaks openly about an issue that deserves far more discussion in grappling: how female athletes manage weight, recovery, nutrition, stress, sleep and the physical changes that can occur through different stages of life — while still trying to perform on the mat.
Whether you’re a lifelong judoka, BJJ practitioner, wrestler, grappler, martial arts coach, female combat-sports athlete, veteran competitor or somebody who’s been telling themselves “I’ll go back one day”, Fiona’s journey proves that your time on the mats doesn’t have to be over. You might just be starting your next chapter.
If you love Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, submission grappling, MMA, Sambo, Sumo, Catch Wrestling and combat sports, subscribe to The Grapple Of Your Eye Show as we explore the entire Grappling Multiverse through conversations with athletes, coaches, champions, historians and pioneers from around the world.
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