Parajudo: A Sport of Excellence and Inclusion
Parajudo is an adapted form of judo, specifically designed for people with visual impairments. It is based on the same fundamental principles as traditional judo, namely throwing the opponent onto their back or controlling them on the ground through immobilization, armlocks, or strangles. It also shares the core values of able-bodied judo, such as courage, respect, and perseverance.
The history of parajudo dates back to the 1980s, when adaptations were introduced to allow visually impaired and blind judokas to practice the sport under optimal conditions. The discipline quickly gained popularity and was included in the Paralympic Games for the first time in Seoul in 1988, exclusively for visually impaired athletes. Since then, it has continued to evolve and open up to a wider audience.
Today, parajudo is practiced in many countries and stands among the major disciplines of the Paralympic program. No fewer than 254 athletes representing 58 countries participate in international circuit competitions.
Parajudo in Luxembourg
Parajudo was introduced in Luxembourg in 2019, just before the Covid-19 pandemic. It resulted from a collaboration between FLAM Judo, led by Serge Schaul, and the Centre for the Development of Visual Skills (CDV), represented by Thierry Mertz. However, due to the health crisis, the project had to be interrupted after only a few sessions.
It resumed in 2021 thanks to the support of the Luxembourg Paralympic Committee (LPC) and the Œuvre Nationale de Secours de la Grande-Duchesse Charlotte, under the project titled “Judo Your Best.” Thanks to this initiative, a group of about ten practitioners was able to benefit from weekly judo sessions.
In September 2023, the program was extended to children with visual impairments, allowing new judokas to join the discipline.
The growing interest in competition led to the creation and recognition of the Luxembourg national parajudo team in July 2023. This recognition was made official at the Small Country Challenge in Pajulahti (Finland), where Luxembourgish fighters earned their first official rankings. Among them, Roberto De Almeida Lomba distinguished himself by finishing 7th in the -73 kg J2 category.
Since then, the parajudo group has continued to grow, and one of the main objectives—facilitating the inclusion of practitioners within clubs affiliated with FLJudo—is on its way to becoming a real success.
In addition, FLJudo is actively engaged in training its teachers and coaches to enable them to welcome and develop adapted judo for other types of disabilities.