Looking for judo classes in Aberdeen? Ultimate Judo provides expert coaching for children, adults, and complete beginners. Whether you want to build confidence, improve fitness, or compete, our classes are designed for all levels.
Friends Gordon McCathie and Mark Mateer agreed they wanted to create a club to break the status quo in the sport. A club based around the community and a community based around the club which gives unique opportunities and experiences for its members to develop as good characters who can offer something of real worth to society. We opened Ultimate Judo, a family, not just a club.
Head Coach and Partner
Gordon has been doing judo for over 35 years.
BJA Grade: 5th Dan
Age started: 4
Favourite technique: Seoi-Nage
Favourite judokas: Toshihiko Koga, Jeon Ki Young
Hobbies: Judo
Favourite food: Chateaubriand, medium rare
Favourite country to visit: Indonesia
Gordon McCathie is the founder and Head Coach of Ultimate Judo and a British Judo Association 5th Dan, with nearly 40 years of experience in judo.
Gordon started judo at the age of seven and has spent most of his life involved in the sport as a player, coach and volunteer. He co-founded Ultimate Judo in Aberdeen in 2010 with the aim of creating a club that combines high-quality technical judo with a welcoming environment where people of all ages and abilities can enjoy the sport and develop.
Over the years, Gordon has coached thousands of children and adults, from complete beginners taking their first steps onto the mat through to competitive judoka and black belts. His work has been recognised with a number of awards, including JudoScotland Participation Coach of the Year and the Scottish Samurai Award for his contribution to judo.
Gordon's involvement in sport extends beyond Ultimate Judo. He is Chair of ClubSport Aberdeen, supporting and representing sports clubs across Aberdeen, and a Trustee of Chat on the Mat, a Scottish mental health charity that uses judo and the values of the sport to help change lives.
He previously served as a Director and Vice-Chair of JudoScotland, the governing body for judo in Scotland.
Gordon has also developed strong international relationships through judo, particularly in Japan, and has helped create opportunities for Ultimate Judo members to train, travel and learn from some of the world's most respected judoka and coaches.
Despite those wider roles and experiences, Gordon's main focus remains the same as when Ultimate Judo began: helping people discover judo, enjoy being part of the club and become the best version of themselves both on and off the mat.
Partner and Admin Lead
Yati has a love for travel and food.
Although not a Judoka herself, Yati was thrown into the Judo world when she met and married Gordon in 2007. Bringing her experience and skills in management and IT, Yati runs the day-to-day operations of Ultimate Judo and helps with the strategic planning within the club. Born in Indonesia, Yati is no stranger to martial arts, a former practitioner of Pincak Silat, her father and grandfather were masters of the art.
Honorary President
George is one of only two living tenth dans world wide
IJF Grade: 10th Dan
Favourite throw: Uchimata
George is our Club President and needs no introduction. He is one of only 2 people in the world to hold the rank of 10th Dan and he is known as Mr. Judo. George studied judo in Japan for nearly 4 and a half years in the early 1950s which at the time was unheard of. He is a multiple British and European medalist, a double Olympic winning coach, double Olympic referee, member of the British Olympic Association as well as President Emeritus of both the British Judo Association and JudoScotland. We appreciate his vast experience of judo both as a player and a coach but above all we are immensely proud that he is our President.
Technical Director
Ian was part of the 1972 Olympic squad
BJA Grade: 7th Dan
Favourite technique: Harai goshi
Favourite judoka: Kisaburo Watanabe
Hobbies: Travel, reading, judo.
Favourite food: Steak
Favourite country to visit: Japan
Ian is our Technical Director and he also mentors the coaching team. Ian started judo in Glasgow in 1961 under John Adams and then John Fraser before finding home at the Osaka Club in Glasgow. He moved to London and trained initially at the Renshuden and then the Budokwai and was part of the 1972 British Olympic team at the Munich Games. He returned to Scotland in the late 1970s, opening up a club in Invergordon before relocating to Aberdeen and opening up Stonehaven Judo Club in 1981. He has produced nearly 200 Scottish and British medallists and 44 Dan grades in his coaching career.
Welfare and safeguarding Lead
Alison is a serving police officer
Alison Cameron came to judo as an adult newbie and loves not only the exercise aspect but also the ethos and environment of learning and training judo. She's literally part of a judo family as her stepson and husband also train. A Police Officer with almost 24 years having served in Inverness, Shetland and Aberdeen, she brings a wealth of experience to her role as Child Welfare Officer. Out with judo, family and work, Alison's other loves are her 2 dogs Bracken and Honey and running (canicrossing) with them.
If you have any safeguarding questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Alison or with one of your coaches. As Alison is still a serving police officer, she may not be able to answer the phone straight away so please leave a message and she will get back to you.
0775 1777 447
Coach
Stuart is a judo coach and primary school teacher
BJA Grade: 3rd Dan
Age started: 9
Favourite technique: Harai goshi/osoto-gari
Favourite judoka: Yasuhiro Yamashita
Hobbies: Travel, reading, going to the gym, rugby, football and skiing.
Favourite food: Steak
Favourite country to visit: Japan and Germany
Stuart started judo aged 9 in Stonehaven under the guidance of Ian Guthrie, eventually obtaining his black belt in 2011 and his 2nd Dan in 2021. He also coached Stonehaven for many years and has been a regular at Ultimate Judo since 2012. Stuart has spent time training at the Edinburgh Club as well as in Japan on several occasions. He is also a qualified Primary Teacher and champions the benefits of judo as part of the wider primary curriculum.
Coach
Abigail won the Commonwealth tournament in South Africa
Occupation: Occupational Therapist
BJA Grade: 2nd Dan
Favourite technique:
Favourite judoka:
Hobbies:
Favourite food: Steak
Favourite country to visit:
Abigael also known as Princess started judo under her dad James and sister Kirstie at Aboyne Judo Club. She became involved with Ultimate Judo in 2015 when she was part of the inaugural Japan trip that year. Abigael has been coaching with us since 2017 and pops in from time to time when she is back from London. She has competed regularly and won a gold and silver medal at the Commonwealth Judo Championships in 2018. Abigael is a role model to the female members in particular.
"Gordon, Yati and the team are a huge support to all the kids. Its not just amazing judo, fitness, discipline and health that they learn here - its life skills!"
Parent
Our early-stage judo is all about fun. Teaching the basics of movement, falling safely, and gripping, everything is taught in fun game form. Students are encouraged to regularly change partners and forge new friendships through Judo.
Parents are regularly commenting that their child is showing better listening skills, sharper focus and a good attitude to trying new things after studying with us.
In order to build confidence in a group of peers, we regularly ask the children to share jokes/facts and demonstrate in front of the class.
A crucial age for all judoka's development. focusiing on technical excellence, getting it right, self analysing and giving feedback to others, this age group combines a mixture of fun and serious training. Some studnebts in this age will start to attend 2 or more classes per week and many will start down our performance development squad pathway into competitions.
Here we are looking at the students doing Judo 2-3 times per week. Students are introduced to more senior techniques such as armlocks and strangles and encouraged to take a leading role in their personal development. As well as the physical skills and fitness drills int his age group we talk regularly about coping with stressful situations, visualisation, serious goal setting and coaching good leadership.
This age is crucial to develop good strong, sound character.
Our adult classes are suitable for all ages and abilities from complete beginners to experienced black belts. Focussing on trying to achieve technical excellence, our classes are a mix of technical tuition, judo fitness drills and randori (sparring). The class atmosphere is fun and friendly. We train hard, but safe with emphasis on constant progression.
