Cluarankwai’s History
The early days
Cluarankwai Judo Club was founded in 1949 by Ted Routley, a Massey Harris worker who had been transferred from Manchester to the new factory being opened in Kilmarnock. Ted had been a Marine-commando physical training and judo instructor during the war and had been taught his judo at the Budokwai Club in London and at Commando Kwai.
Ted became a black belt 1st Dan on the 15th of June 1949 by being graded by Budokwai founder Gunji Koizumi 8th Dan.
When Ted came to Kilmarnock he organised a judo demonstration in the Howard Park, using members of the Tora Scotia Club from Edinburgh, thus making local people aware of the presence in Kilmarnock of the Cluarankwai Club.
Kilmarnock Judo had several early makeshift Dojos namely, YMCA Howard street, Grange church, Kilmarnock academy school and the basement of Annanhill House.
Earliest records suggest that Cluarankwai Judo clubs inaugural meeting took place at Annanhill house with the following members present: - Mr E Routley, Mr J Kelly, Mr R Traynor, MR H Campbell, Mr J Dillon, Mr W Reid, and Mr W Shearer.
Cluarankwai was the fourth Judo club to be registered in Scotland.
Some of the originals in the Ossington Garden club.
Ted (rear), L to R. 4th Roger Trainer, 5th Alex MacIntosh, 8th Bert Houston.
The Name
The name of the club is attributed to Mr Bill Shearer, a Gaelic speaker. Cluaran is Gaelic for ‘Thistle’ and Kwai, Japanese for ‘The Way’. So, the club’s name translates as The Way of the Thistle. The Thistle, because of its thorns has an all-round defence. It yields with the wind thus scattering its seeds and multiplying. The plant will continue to multiply, even on hostile ground.
The club’s motto is Defence not Defiance.
A new home
By 1952 the club had settled at Ossington gardens, Glebe Road in an old scout hut.
The spirits were high and the club produced British and European medallist John Young of Ayr. Another of Cluarankwai’s successful competitors was Eddie Cassidy, 5 times Scottish champion 3 times British champion, European team championships gold medalist and Great Britain team member. The club went on to win the Kawamura trophy (5-man Scottish team championships), twice.
A fund-raising campaign by members and a grant from the Scottish sports council allowed the club to build new premises at Scott Ellis playing fields, New mill road, Kilmarnock. This Dojo was opened in 1973 and was a vast improvement on the Spartan conditions existing at the previous premises.
The committee in the early 1990’s was advised by Colin McIver that there was a possibility of obtaining a grant to extend the club from the Foundation for Sports and Arts based in Liverpool, which was funded from the Football Pools.
Plans were drawn up but due to planning issues an application was not made until 1999, but by that time it was the Lottery Fund who had the resources.
After a long drawn-out process and fund raising, the new Dojo was opened in 2007 by Kisaburu Watanabe 8th Dan. Jim Longmuir who was Chair of the club at the time project managed this achievement.
1960’s in the Ossington Gardens Dojo
Back, L to R:- Pat Hughes, Eddie Cassidy, Jimmy McGhee
Front, L to R:- ?, Tommy Gorman
The modern era
Our completed Dojo- Equipped with large main training area, gym for cardio and weights training & smaller mat area plus changing facilities.
The club hosted the Ghana team training sessions during the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
In December 2014 the river Irvine adjacent to the club flooded causing significant damage to the Dojo. The members had to decant to the Grange academy for almost a year until repairs had been completed.
Cluarankwai Judo club was the first Judo club in Scotland to be awarded a direct club investment grant to employ a part-time coach. Louise Renicks, one of Scotland’s Gold medallists from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games was awarded the post and worked in the schools and the club for two years.
To help with the financing of the current Dojo, other clubs have rented the facility including Gymnastics, Aikido, Yoga, Football, and BJJ.
Judo Scotland also makes use of the facility for gradings courses and seminars.
At the latest count the club has produced 65 black belts.
The club has been visited by some of the best coaches and players in the world: Anton Geesink (Olympic and World Heavy weight champion) ,Kisaburu Watanabe (8th Dan), Yoshihiko lura (8th Dan), Alexander Retuinskih (Russia Judo champion and president of ROSS), Kose Inoue (World and Olympic Champion), Neil Adams (World Champion), Neil Eckersley (Olympic bronze medallist), Dave Starbrook (Olympic silver medallist), Nigel Donohue (European Champion), George Kerr (10th Dan), Colin Mciver (9th Dan), Joyce Heron (World bronze medallist), Yoko Tanabe (World Champion) Seth Birch and Miklos Ungvary (Olympic Silver medallist) .
The club is run and has always been run by volunteers in the true spirit of the sport.
2024 - Senior section of the 75th Anniversary Masterclass led by Taka Kitahara (Judo Scotland Performance Pathway Coach)