The 2025 WA Veterans Weekend brought together judoka from across the state for three days of technical instruction, shared experiences, and community connection from 21–23 November. Hosted alongside the 2025 WA Futures Camp at Ern Halliday Recreation Camp, the weekend provided veterans with the opportunity to step onto the tatami through a series of well-paced and inclusive judo sessions and activities.
The first session of the weekend was held on Friday night and led by Sensei Peter Middleton. His wealth of knowledge and welcoming approach set the tone for the weekend, bringing the group together with a technical focus and positive energy. While the event featured a variety of instructors throughout the weekend, Judo WA would like to extend a special thank you to Sensei Luc Tournier for coordinating the weekend and helping bring the vision to life.
Saturday kicked off with a joint morning judo session shared with the youth participants of the 2025 WA Futures Camp, fostering intergenerational learning and connection. The session, focusing on ne-waza, was delivered by an experienced group of coaches including Jeroen Casse, Luc Tournier, and Korgan Hucent. The integration of the veterans and youth communities added a unique dimension to the experience and was greatly appreciated by all involved.
After the session, the veterans headed down to the beach for a relaxing recovery session in the sun, before returning in the evening for their second technical session of the weekend. This session was led by Sensei John Commerford, who offered detailed instruction followed by an engaging randori segment. The group then capped off the night with a dinner at Hillarys, sharing stories and laughs with fellow judoka.
Sunday morning saw the veterans enjoy a breakfast together in Hillarys before returning for the final judo session of the weekend. Across the three days, sessions were led by a fantastic team of coaches including Peter Middleton, Korgan Hucent, John Commerford, Martin O’Dea, Jeroen Casse, and Luc Tournier. Judo WA extends its sincere thanks to all of these coaches for their time and commitment to supporting our veteran members.
The weekend was a great success and has laid the groundwork for ongoing veterans-focused programs in WA. We will soon be circulating a short feedback form to those who participated to help shape future events and better understand how we can continue to support and grow the veterans community within judo.
Photos from the 2025 WA Veterans Weekend are available to view here:
https://judowa.smugmug.com/2025/2025-WA-Veterans-Weekend
