24 April 2026
If you’re looking for a new activity for your child, or you’re an adult who has always fancied trying a martial art, judo might be exactly what you’re looking for.
At Ultimate Judo in Aberdeen, we welcome complete beginners from young children through to adults. You don’t need any previous martial arts experience, you don’t need to be particularly fit and you don’t need to buy a judo suit before giving it a try.
In fact, we’d much rather you simply came along and experienced judo for yourself.
Your first trial session is free, giving you or your child the chance to get on the mat, meet us and see whether Ultimate Judo feels right for you.
There are plenty of activities available for children in Aberdeen, so why choose judo?
For us, one of the great things about judo is that children are developing physical and personal skills at the same time.
They learn balance, coordination, movement, fitness and body awareness while also learning to listen, work with a partner, follow instructions and keep trying when something doesn't work first time.
And in judo, things definitely don't always work first time!
You learn a technique, try it, get it wrong, try it again and gradually improve. You learn how to fall safely, get back up and carry on.
That process can be incredibly valuable for children.
We want them to become better at judo, of course, but confidence, resilience, respect and learning how to deal with challenges are every bit as important to us.
Most importantly, particularly with our younger members, judo should be something they enjoy.
Absolutely not.
We have children who arrive full of confidence and throw themselves straight into everything. We also have children who are shy, nervous or haven't found a sport they've particularly enjoyed before.
Both are completely normal.
Children don't need to arrive at Ultimate Judo already fit, strong, coordinated or confident. Those are things that can develop through training.
Our youngest members start from four years old, with classes organised by age and experience.
For younger children, there is plenty of movement, games and fun alongside the fundamentals of judo. As children get older and gain experience, their training gradually becomes more technical and challenging.
Nobody is expected to walk through the door already knowing how to do judo.
That's our job.
We’re often asked about confidence, particularly by parents whose child is naturally quiet or reluctant to try new things.
There isn't a magic sport that suddenly makes every child confident, and we wouldn't claim there is.
What judo can provide is an environment where children get lots of small opportunities to succeed.
Walking onto the mat without Mum or Dad might be the first achievement. Learning how to fall might be the next. Then it's remembering a technique, earning a new belt, helping another player or perhaps entering their first competition.
Over time, those little successes can add up.
As coaches, some of the moments we're proudest of aren't necessarily medals or competition results. Sometimes it's seeing a child doing something confidently that they simply wouldn't have attempted when they first joined us.
No.
Competition is an important part of judo and Ultimate Judo has a pathway for members who want to develop as competitive players.
But competition isn't compulsory.
Some children absolutely love competing. Others prefer coming to class, learning new techniques, progressing through their belts and enjoying being part of the club.
Both can have a great experience in judo.
If your child eventually decides they'd like to try competition, we'll help them take that step when we think they're ready.
One of the nicest developments at Ultimate Judo has been seeing more adults deciding to try judo for the first time.
And adults tend to arrive with far more reasons why they can't do judo than children do!
I'm too old.
I'm not fit enough.
I've never done a martial art.
I'm too stiff.
Everyone else will know what they're doing.
We've heard them all.
The reality is that you don't need any previous experience to start adult judo.
We have a dedicated adult beginner session at Ultimate Judo where people can learn the fundamentals and develop at their own pace.
People start for all sorts of reasons. Some want to get fitter, some are looking for something more interesting than going to the gym, some have always wanted to learn a martial art and others simply fancy doing something completely new.
Whatever your reason, being a beginner is nothing to worry about.
Everybody wearing a black belt once walked into a dojo knowing absolutely nothing.
You don't need to get fit before starting judo.
Your fitness develops by doing judo.
It can be a demanding full-body activity, but beginners aren't expected to train at the same intensity as experienced competitive players from their first night.
You'll learn progressively and develop your fitness, movement and confidence as you go.
Age doesn't automatically rule you out either. Adults take up judo at many different stages of life.
You might eventually decide you'd like to progress through the grades, earn a black belt or even try competition.
Or you might simply enjoy coming to the dojo every week, getting a good workout and learning something new.
That's absolutely fine too.
Whether we're welcoming a nervous child or an adult wondering what they've got themselves into, we know it's your first session.
There's no test and nobody expects you to understand judo terminology or know what you're doing.
One of the first things you'll learn is how to fall safely. In judo this is called ukemi and it's one of the fundamental skills of the sport.
From there, you'll gradually start learning how to move, grip, throw and work on the ground.
Judo is learnt with a partner, so you'll also learn how to practise safely and work with different people.
For children, particularly our younger age groups, we'll use games and activities alongside the technical judo to keep sessions active and enjoyable.
For adults, we'll introduce the techniques progressively and give you plenty of opportunity to practise.
Nobody is going to throw you in at the deep end.
You don't need a judo suit for your trial session.
Just come in comfortable sports clothing that allows you to move freely. A T-shirt with tracksuit bottoms, leggings or sports shorts is fine.
Judo is practised barefoot on the mat, and jewellery, watches and other hard objects need to be removed before training.
If you or your child decides to continue, you'll eventually need a judo suit, known as a judogi.
You can buy one yourself online or purchase a good-quality club judogi from us.
We generally recommend trying judo first before spending money on kit.
Judo is a contact sport, so bumps can happen and, like any physical sport, there is a risk of injury.
We think it's important to be honest about that rather than pretend otherwise.
What matters is how judo is taught.
Learning how to fall safely is one of the first skills we teach. Techniques are introduced progressively and players learn how to practise safely with their training partners.
Children also train in appropriate age groups, with the type and intensity of training developing as their age, ability and experience increase.
Respect for your training partner isn't just something we talk about in judo — it's fundamental to being able to train properly.
Ultimate Judo was established in Aberdeen in 2010 and has grown into one of the city's largest judo clubs, with our own full-time dojo in Garthdee and classes running throughout the week.
We coach everyone from children experiencing judo for the first time through to experienced judoka and black belts.
Over the years we've competed, travelled and trained internationally, built strong relationships with judo clubs and coaches around the world and welcomed some exceptional international judoka onto our mat.
We're proud of those opportunities and of the standard of judo we try to provide.
But you don't need aspirations of becoming a high-level competitor to belong at Ultimate Judo.
A four-year-old enjoying their first class and an adult stepping onto a judo mat for the first time are just as much a part of our club.
We want Ultimate Judo to be somewhere people enjoy coming, make friends, challenge themselves and continue learning.
Our main full-time dojo is in Garthdee:
Ultimate Judo
Scout Hut
Ruthrie Terrace
Garthdee
Aberdeen
AB10 7JY
We run classes throughout the week for different ages and levels, including children's judo classes and dedicated adult beginner judo.
We also run judo sessions in Bridge of Don.
Because our timetable varies by age, the best way to find the right class is to have a look at our current class timetable.
View Class options and book a trial session
If you're unsure which session is suitable, just get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.
We've deliberately made this part easy.
Book a free trial and come along.
You don't need to become a member before you've tried it. You don't need to buy a judogi and you don't need to decide whether judo is going to be something you do for the next ten years.
The trial is simply an opportunity for you or your child to experience a real Ultimate Judo class.
If you enjoy it and would like to continue, we'll send you the information you need to join the club and explain what happens next.
If you're looking for children's judo classes in Aberdeen, or you're an adult beginner thinking about trying judo for the first time, we'd love to welcome you onto the mat.
Don't worry about whether you're fit enough, experienced enough or know anything about judo.
Come as a beginner. That's exactly what we'll be expecting.
