The Sobell Judo Club was founded by A.W. Fromm, who was a 3rd dan black belt and a member of the British Judo Council.
The club was set up in 1973 when the Michael Sobell Sports Centre was first built.
Alan Fromm, introduced judo to the North London area schools sports programme as part of the sports curriculum,and judo prooved to be so popular that all the schools registerd to attend.
Following with the sacces of the schools judo, Alan introduced judo as an evning session, on a more private note, and this gave all participants a chance to practice in the evenings.
One of the very first private students to walk through the judo room was a young boy named Simon Mazzoullo who is now part of the BJC structure and the holder of grade of 6 dan (red and white belt).
The Sobell Judo Club's turning point was when another young man walked into the world of Alan's judo by the name of Sampson Sampson. At the time, Sampson was 14 years old, and had stumbled across judo by accident, after breaking illegally into the sports centre, forcing one of the security doors open and setting the alarms off. Sampson soon found himself in the judo room trying desperately to avoid the on coming security guards. Sam was caught by Alan by the scruff of his neck for kicking the judo room door open. After a good telling off, Alan continued to explain to Sampson as to what judo had to offer. Sampson didn't really take much notice but was more concerned about keeping Alan talking while the security guards disappeared along the corridor. That day Sampson left the Sobell with a great sense of relief for not being caught but, at the same time remembered some of the details that Alan Fromm, the Judo instructor had told him. He found some of the information sounded very interesting. On that very same evening Sampson went back to the centre, this time he paid an entrance fee and went straight up to the judo room where Alan this time met him with a smile, on that same evening Sampson had his first Judo lesson, and what a lesson it was. Sam took to judo like fish take to water.
Sampson soon met and teamed up with another boy in the club his name was Simon, together they began to train and assist Allan Fromm, in all matters in judo. It wasn't long, that with the help of Sampson and Simon and with Alan's enthusiasm that the club grew from strength to strength, to a point that it held five sessions a week, not including the five days schools program. The Sobell Judo Club was teaching judo to hundreds of judoka on a full time basis.
As well as judo, Allan was proficient in Kendo, and Jujitsu, and it wasn't long before those two classes were introduced.
The Sobell dojo was in full use, and Sampson and Simon took full advantage of this. Under the watchful eyes and the wise teachings of Alan From, Sampson and Simon were excelling at such a rapid rate that Sampson became a senior black belt in only a year and at only 15 years old. Simon soon followed to become a black belt at 17.
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