JUDO4CO – Systematic and Targeted Judo Training System for Children with Obesity in Italy
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The DLF Judo Yama Arashi Udine (JCYA) is proud to be part of the JUDO4CO project. The project aims to raise awareness about the risks of childhood obesity and the importance of practicing sports regularly.
Judo is particularly suitable for this purpose because it promotes physical activity and overall fitness while being inclusive of all body types. At beginner levels, judo relies more on coordination, balance, and body control than on pure athletic performance.
Our club adopted a direct approach by contacting the main hospitals in Udine (Santa Maria della Misericordia and the Gervasutta Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) through the departments of Neurology, Rehabilitation of Childhood-Onset Pathologies, Pediatrics, Endocrinology, and Clinical Nutrition. Contacts were established through personal networks, emails, and phone calls. The same approach was also applied to private clinics in Udine.
1.1 DLF Yama Arashi Judo Udine
The DLF Yama Arashi Judo Club, based in the city of Udine, is a partner of the JUDO4CO project. It is the city’s most historic judo club and, over the past 70 years, has trained numerous Italian and international champions.
Today, the club continues to maintain a strong focus on youth development, with a solid base of young judokas starting from the age of three, and a total membership of more than 300 athletes.
The coaching staff is highly qualified, combining university-level education with many years of teaching and coaching experience. Their expertise ensures a professional, inclusive, and supportive environment for athletes of all ages and levels.
1.2 ASD Judo Club Ken Otani Trieste
The Judo Club Ken Otani is one of the historic judo clubs in the city of Trieste, the regional capital of Friuli Venezia Giulia. Over the years, the club has played an important role in promoting judo and sports education within the local community.
The head coach, Mara, is a highly qualified and experienced instructor who has actively participated as an assistant in several Erasmus+ Sport projects. She is also a member of the Media Team of the regional committee of the Italian Judo Federation, contributing to the promotion and dissemination of judo activities and events throughout the region.
1.3 ASD Dojo Sacile
The ASD Dojo Sacile is a sports club based in the province of Pordenone. Originally founded with judo, aikido, and kickboxing sections, the club has grown significantly over the years, expanding its activities to include fitness, climbing, and several dance disciplines. The club’s philosophy goes beyond sports training alone, promoting values such as sharing, respect, personal growth, and enjoyment through physical activity. Today, ASD Dojo Sacile offers a wide range of judo courses for different age groups, from children (who represent a large part of the club’s members) to veteran athletes. Within the JUDO4CO project, the training activities are led by Giulia, a young yet highly experienced judo instructor specialized in teaching children and adolescents.
Her approach combines technical expertise with particular attention to inclusion, motivation, and the well-being of young participants.
2. Contribution of the judo clubs
The contribution of these three clubs to the JUDO4CO project mainly consists of implementing the Training and Monitoring Program developed by the project partners.
Thanks to the involvement of clubs located in different areas of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, the project is able to achieve wider visibility and dissemination throughout the territory, reaching a larger number of families, children, healthcare professionals, and local communities.
This network-based approach also strengthens cooperation between sports organizations and local stakeholders, contributing to the promotion of healthy lifestyles and inclusive physical activity opportunities across the entire region.
3. How were participants identified?
PEDIATRICIANS
We were able to establish a strong collaboration with several general practitioner pediatricians from the city of Udine and the surrounding areas. The response from the pediatric community has been very positive, with many doctors showing great enthusiasm for supporting the project and helping us identify young patients and their families who could benefit from participating in JUDO4CO. Some pediatricians made themselves available to carry out the initial measurements and monitor the children throughout the duration of the project. Others preferred to support the initiative by directing families toward our judo club, where the required measurements and monitoring activities are carried out by the club’s medical doctor.
This collaboration between healthcare professionals and sports organizations represents an important step toward creating a supportive network for children and families, combining medical guidance with inclusive physical activity opportunities.
For the Trieste area, we are planning to organize an introductory online meeting with local pediatricians in order to better present and promote the JUDO4CO project. The initiative is being coordinated with the support of a family friend who works within the local healthcare sector and is helping us establish connections with medical professionals in the area.
For the Pordenone area, we established contact with the Head of the Pediatrics Department of Pordenone, who showed great enthusiasm for the project. He will support the initiative by informing and involving families who may be interested in participating in JUDO4CO.
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS
The Sports Councillor of the Municipality of Udine suggested several local associations that are closely connected with the community. Since childhood obesity is often linked to social and economic difficulties, we decided to collaborate particularly with organizations working in the more economically disadvantaged areas of the city. The associations responded very positively to the initiative and showed great willingness to support and involve children in the JUDO4CO project.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Our club has a strong presence on the most widely used social media platforms, particularly Instagram and Facebook. For this reason, we decided to promote the JUDO4CO project, together with all related activities and articles, through our social networks in order to reach a broader audience and raise awareness about the initiative. At the end of this section, links to the project-related activities and publications are provided. To further increase visibility, we launched a sponsored Facebook post featuring the flyer for the activities starting in May at our dojo, allowing us to reach a larger number of families and potential participants within the local community. In addition, we contacted a journalist from Messaggero Veneto, a well-known local newspaper, with the aim of publishing an article about the project. This collaboration helps expand the project’s visibility and supports the dissemination of its objectives and activities throughout the region.
Photo with the Sports Councillor of the Municipality of Udine Chiara Dazzan and our two representatives Sandro and Sofia, April 2026.
4. The patronage of the Municipality of Udine
The Municipality of Udine officially granted its patronage to support the JUDO4CO project, recognizing the social and educational value of the initiative for the local community.
This endorsement represents an important acknowledgment of the project’s objectives, particularly in promoting healthy lifestyles, physical activity, and social inclusion among children and adolescents.
The support of the Municipality also contributes to increasing the visibility and credibility of
the initiative within the territory, helping us strengthen connections with families, schools,
healthcare professionals, and local associations.
LINKS:
https://www.instagram.com/judoyamaarashiudine/p/DYO5chMIQBP/ – post of the 12th May 2026, presentation of the project’s flyer
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cy9cSg8bA/ – post of the 4th May 2026, presentation of the project’s flyer
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17svnvH6tY/ – post of the 24th February 2026, repost of the judo4co page of the slovenian video
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CuaxjjW1W/ – post of the 20th February 2026, repost the judo4co page of the presentation of our club as a partner to the project
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1LwDbkd9V4/ – post of the 13th November 2025, link to the article on our website for the first meeting of the project between partners
https://www.alpeadriajudo.it/progetti-erasmus/ – link to the section of our website dedicated to the Erasmus+ Sport activity of our club and the project judo4co
https://www.alpeadriajudo.it/2025/11/13/kick-off-meeting-report-erasmussport-project-judo4co/ – link to the article about the first meeting of the project between partners