To say that Daniel Kelly has an impressive fighting CV is an understatement. 4 Olympic Games as a judoka, 1 Olympic Games as a national coach, 1 Commonwealth Games for wrestling, appearances on The Ultimate Fighter, and live-streamed on pay-per-view television fighting in the UFC. So  how did he reach the heights of the sport of judo - and beyond?  He’ll tell you: Consistency, hard work and structure.  And here are the stories behind those principles.  Of competing at his first Olympics in front of a home crowd, to the programming structures which allowed him to self-coach ..read more

Tinka Easton and Aoife Coughlan from the Australian Judo Team jump on the show to chat about their first competition back since the COVID lockdowns. In quarantine after competing at the Doha Masters, we talk about their competition results, Olympic qualifications and potential plans to become D-list celebrities.  Here’s their quarantine workout, “Death by Burpees”. Start a stopwatch, and in the first minute do 1 burpee. In minute 2, 2 burpees. Continue to increase the number of burpees within each subsequent minute until you a) keel over in exhaustion b) run out of time to do the allocate ..read more

James Austin is known as the voice behind The Original Judo Podcast, and the next in line to the judo commentary throne after Neil Adams. But before that, James earned his place on the world judo scene by becoming British champion across 3 weight categories, winning a world cup in Minsk in 2012, and representing Great Britain at the London Olympic Games.  In this wide ranging interview, James shares the story of how a boy who watched Michael Johnson win gold accomplish his own dream by walking out to fight in 2012.  He reflects on the role sports psychology plays in performance, and ..read more

Who would have thought that Travis Stevens would be the one to share some of the most hard-hitting philosophical insights on life? And yet - here he is to talk you through some of his most challenging life experiences; and how he used the hardest of times to his advantage, to ultimately set the stage for his biggest victories.  In the second half (32:32), Travis shares the behind-the-scenes tactics, mental learning and journaling processes of the elite 1%.  Specifically, how to train your mind to analyse fights, and how to plan your victory based on your opponent's subconscious habit ..read more

In the first 10-15 seconds, he threw a closed fisted grip, and it hit me right in the eye and split it. That kind of set the tempo for the match. And from then on out, it was less of a judo match than an “I’m going to break your will”... It was the Olympic games so neither of us was going to give an inch. With an Olympic silver medal at 81kgs, there’s a lot more to Travis Stevens’ story than just being the angry American. Starting judo as an overweight kid, Travis shares the relentless mindset that pushed him to the top ranks of the world’s judoka and the mental transformation which allowed hi ..read more

Sabrina’s first shot at qualifying for the Olympics was Sydney, 2000. She is now aiming to qualify for the Tokyo 2020(one) games. It’s fair to say that less than 0.0001% of the world’s population has invested 21+ years chasing an Olympic medal.  Listen in to hear about how Sabrina learned to deal with winning and losing; what goes through her mind on 10 hour hikes; and how judo can open a world of opportunity to impoverished children in Nepal.  *** Everest Judo Fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/everest-judo?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-she ..read more

While judo is on pause, Hannah Martin is back to share the light hearted, strange and downright absurd moments of being a judoka.    If you've ever wanted to know about trophies (does size matter?), being stuck in a Russian Airport, or the experience of meeting your husband across the stands of a sports stadium, then you are in the right place. Just press play.   *** Judo NSW new club free resources: https://www.judonsw.com.au/?utm_source=JudoEdit&utm_medium=Podcast   Acta Wear 15% discount: code judo15 at https://actawear.com/   Follow the podcast: instagram.com/t ..read more

What does it take to be ranked World Number One? In collaboration with UNSW Judo Club, you will get the chance to listen to the mindset and training methods of Rok Draksic. Rok is a triple Olympian, European Champion and the first male from Slovenia to reach the world number 1 ranking.  For one year straight, Rok brought home a medal from every single international judo competition he entered. He was renowned for being one of the fastest and most dynamic fighters on the tour, often using his kata guruma to secure success in the under 60, 66 and 73 kg categories. Press Play to hear what it ..read more

When we sat down to record this interview, gyms in Australia had just been closed down and David had just lost his main income stream. Having spent over a decade developing his mental toughness in international judo competitions, David was faced with the challenge: Could he transfer everything he had curated on the tatami and apply it during an international pandemic?  In this episode, the self-described “soft kid” shares his story from quitting and then re-starting judo, to living as a full-time athlete in the very dojo where training was conducted. Included are his methods to meditate w ..read more

"Failure itself is not important. It`s what happens immediately after that counts – the inner feelings, the turmoil and selfdoubt – and how you deal with it. Whether it`s in Judo, on a mountain or in life..." We're on a video call with Sabrina Filzmoser, three time Olympian on her way to a fourth. She’s nearing forty but has more energy than those half her age as she spins the camera around, showing off Austria’s Olympic training centre dojo, complete with a picture of Jigoro Kano and a rock climbing wall.  In addition to her 21 Grand Prix and Grand Slam medals, 2 World Championships meda ..read more