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About us


Ultimate Judo

Ultimate Judo established itself in Aberdeen, April 2010. Since then we have grown year on year to become one of the biggest Judo clubs in the north of Scotland.

Our founders

Friends Gordon McCathie and Mark Mateer agreed they wanted to create a club to break the status quo in the sport. A club based around the community and a community based around the club which gives unique opportunities and experiences for its members to develop as good characters who can offer something of real worth to society. We opened Ultimate Judo, a family, not just a club.

Meet the team

Head Coach and Partner

Gordon McCathie

Gordon has been doing judo for over 35 years.

Gordon McCathie

Head Coach and Partner

BJA Grade: 5th Dan

Age started: 4

Favourite technique: Seoi-Nage

Favourite judoka: Toshihiko Koga

Hobbies: Judo

Favourite food: Chateaubriand, medium rare

Favourite country to visit: Indonesia

Gordon started judo at the famous Edinburgh Club aged 4 following in the footsteps of his father and sisters. He trained under Dr. George Kerr (10th Dan) for many years before setting up Ultimate Judo in 2010 with his friend, Mark Mateer. Gordon met and married Yati in 2007 and they have 2 sons, Tristan and Raphael.

Gordon, now a 5th Dan through the British Judo Association, has won multiple awards for his approach to coaching including:

Yong persons Coach of the Year – Judo Scotland

Participation Coach of the Year – Judo Scotland

Scotland Award – British Judo Association

Service to Sport Award – Aberdeen Sports Council

Service to Sport Award – ClubSport Aberdeen

Shogun grade and Budo Hall of Fame member – Order of the Scottish Samurai

Gordon is currently Vice-Chair of Judo Scotland and chair of ClubSport Aberdeen.

Partner and Admin Lead

Yati McCathie

Yati has a love for travel and food.

Yati McCathie

Partner and Admin Lead

Although not a Judoka herself, Yati was thrown into the Judo world when she met and married Gordon in 2007. Bringing her experience and skills in management and IT, Yati runs the day-to-day operations of Ultimate Judo and helps with the strategic planning within the club. Born in Indonesia, Yati is no stranger to martial arts, a former practitioner of Pincak Silat, her father and grandfather were masters of the art.

Honorary President

Dr George Kerr

George is one of only two living tenth dans world wide

Dr George Kerr

Honorary President

IJF Grade: 10th Dan

Favourite throw: Uchimata

George is our Club President and needs no introduction. He is one of only 2 people in the world to hold the rank of 10th Dan and he is known as Mr. Judo. George studied judo in Japan for nearly 4 and a half years in the early 1950s which at the time was unheard of. He is a multiple British and European medalist, a double Olympic winning coach, double Olympic referee, member of the British Olympic Association as well as President Emeritus of both the British Judo Association and JudoScotland. We appreciate his vast experience of judo both as a player and a coach but above all we are immensely proud that he is our President.

Technical Director

Ian Guthrie 7th Dan

Ian was part of the 1972 Olympic squad

Ian Guthrie 7th Dan

Technical Director

BJA Grade: 7th Dan

Favourite technique: Harai goshi

Favourite judoka: Kisaburo Watanabe

Hobbies: Travel, reading, judo.

Favourite food: Steak

Favourite country to visit: Japan

Ian is our Technical Director and he also mentors the coaching team. Ian started judo in Glasgow in 1961 under John Adams and then John Fraser before finding home at the Osaka Club in Glasgow. He moved to London and trained initially at the Renshuden and then the Budokwai and was part of the 1972 British Olympic team at the Munich Games. He returned to Scotland in the late 1970s, opening up a club in Invergordon before relocating to Aberdeen and opening up Stonehaven Judo Club in 1981. He has produced nearly 200 Scottish and British medallists and 44 Dan grades in his coaching career.  

Welfare and safeguarding Lead

Alison Cameron (Ali)

Alison is a serving police officer

Alison Cameron (Ali)

Welfare and safeguarding Lead

Alison Cameron came to judo as an adult newbie and loves not only the exercise aspect but also the ethos and environment of learning and training judo. She's literally part of a judo family as her stepson and husband also train. A Police Officer with almost 24 years having served in Inverness, Shetland and Aberdeen, she brings a wealth of experience to her role as Child Welfare Officer. Out with judo, family and work, Alison's other loves are her 2 dogs Bracken and Honey and running (canicrossing) with them.

If you have any safeguarding questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Alison or with one of your coaches. As Alison is still a serving police officer, she may not be able to answer the phone straight away so please leave a message and she will get back to you.

0775 1777 447

cameron.alison.e@gmail.com

Coach

Stuart Sim

Stuart is a judo coach and primary school teacher

Stuart Sim

Coach

BJA Grade: 3rd Dan

Age started: 9

Favourite technique: Harai goshi/osoto-gari

Favourite judoka: Yasuhiro Yamashita

Hobbies: Travel, reading, going to the gym, rugby, football and skiing.

Favourite food: Steak

Favourite country to visit: Japan and Germany

Stuart started judo aged 9 in Stonehaven under the guidance of Ian Guthrie, eventually obtaining his black belt in 2011 and his 2nd Dan in 2021. He also coached Stonehaven for many years and has been a regular at Ultimate Judo since 2012. Stuart has spent time training at the Edinburgh Club as well as in Japan on several occasions. He is also a qualified Primary Teacher and champions the benefits of judo as part of the wider primary curriculum.

Coach

Keith Henson

Keith has over 50 years experience in Judo

Keith Henson

Coach

BJA Grade: 1st Dan

Age started: 16

Favourite technique: Soto-makikomi

Favourite judoka: David Starbrook

Keith started judo aged 16 in 1972, progressing into coaching in the early 1980s in Nottinghamshire and subsequently refereeing with the British Judo Council, a different affiliation to the British Judo Association. Keith opened his own dojo in 2004 near Bristol before relocating to Aberdeen to be closer to family in the area. Keith enjoys coaching because of the satisfaction of seeing his “students making progress in judo”.

Coach

Abigael McBeath

Abigail won the Commonwealth tournament in South Africa

Abigael McBeath

Coach

Occupation: Occupational Therapist

BJA Grade: 2nd Dan

Favourite technique:

Favourite judoka:

Hobbies:

Favourite food: Steak

Favourite country to visit:

Abigael also known as Princess started judo under her dad James and sister Kirstie at Aboyne Judo Club. She became involved with Ultimate Judo in 2015 when she was part of the inaugural Japan trip that year. Abigael has been coaching with us since 2017 and pops in from time to time when she is back from London. She has competed regularly and won a gold and silver medal at the Commonwealth Judo Championships in 2018. Abigael is a role model to the female members in particular.

"Gordon, Yati and the team are a huge support to all the kids. Its not just amazing judo, fitness, discipline and health that they learn here - its life skills!"

Parent

What to expect at Ultimate Judo

  • Classes for 4 to 8 year olds

    Our early-stage judo is all about fun. Teaching the basics of movement, falling safely, and gripping, everything is taught in fun game form. Students are encouraged to regularly change partners and forge new friendships through Judo. 

    Parents are regularly commenting that their child is showing better listening skills, sharper focus and a good attitude to trying new things after studying with us.

    In order to build confidence in a group of peers, we regularly ask the children to share jokes/facts and demonstrate in front of the class.

    Classes for 4 to 8 year olds image
  • Classes for 9 to 13 year olds

    A crucial age for all judoka's development. focusiing on technical excellence, getting it right, self analysing and giving feedback to others, this age group combines a mixture of fun and serious training. Some studnebts in this age will start to attend 2 or more classes per week and many will start down our performance development squad pathway into competitions.

    Classes for 9 to 13 year olds image
  • Classes for 14 years plus

    Here we are looking at the students doing Judo 2-3 times per week. Students are introduced to more senior techniques such as armlocks and strangles and encouraged to take a leading role in their personal development. As well as the physical skills and fitness drills int his age group we talk regularly about coping with stressful situations, visualisation, serious goal setting and coaching good leadership. 

    This age is crucial to develop good strong, sound character.

  • Adult classes

    Our adult classes are suitable for all ages and abilities from complete beginners to experienced black belts. Focussing on trying to achieve technical excellence, our classes are a mix of technical tuition, judo fitness drills and randori (sparring). The class atmosphere is fun and friendly. We train hard, but safe with emphasis on constant progression. 

    Adult classes image