Coaching and instruction

Our Coaches

chris1Head Coach | Chris Doherty
  • BJA 6th Dan
  • World Masters Bronze Medallist  2003
  • British Masters Champion: 2007, 2012, 2013
  • European Judo Union Level 5 coach

Chris has been with the club since 2000, and much of our success over this time can be put down to his expertise, effort, and dedication to coaching judo at all levels.

jordan and chris oxfordWomen’s and Beginner’s Coach | Jordan Doherty
  • BJA 2nd Dan
  • Former National Squad Member; National Silver medalist 2010, 2011
  • BJA Level 2 Coach
  • Competition organiser
Carol Doherty
  • 5th Dan
  • BJA Level 3 coach
  • World Masters Silver Medalist
  • Level 2 Gym Instructor
Ben Clifton
  • 2nd Dan
  • Beginner’s coach
  • Level 2 coach
Greg Gay
  • 1st Dan
  • Level 2 coach
Emma Burnett
  • 1st Dan
  • Level 1 coach
  • Social media, website and email communicator extraordinaire

Oxford Judo supports members who want to qualify as coaches. This has enabled a number of members to qualify as new coaches in recent years. If you are interested in becoming a coach, please contact us.

All coaches are first aid qualified  and CRB checked.


We have been fortunate, over many years, to have had, as our Honorary Chief Instructor, Tony Sweeney 9th Dan, who represented Great Britain in the 1964 (Tokyo) Olympics and who has been associated with the club since the mid-1960s. He no longer instructs us on a regular basis but, in March 2005, he became our Honorary Life President in celebration of the 40th anniversary of his association with us. Tony has been extremely influential in promoting university judo nationally. He is a former chairman of the BJA Technical Committee and is the current BJA representative to the British Universities Sports Association.

From time to time we welcome extremely distinguished judo teachers to run world class coaching events. In recent years we have welcomed:

  • Hiro Okada – Twice World Champion and coach of the Japanese national team.
  • Professor Sei Kawakubo 7th Dan – Former coach of the US national team.
  • Isao Okano – World, Olympic and All-Japan Champion.
  • Kisaburo Watanabe – Asian Games Champion.
  • Ray Stevens – Olympic Silver Medallist.
  • Yasushi Kataoka – Former coach of the Italian national team, also a former Captain and a current Vice-President both of Waseda University Judo Club and of Oxford and Cambridge Judo.

We aim to welcome world class instructors with increasing frequency over the next few years as part of our Development Status.