Jacks the lad for judo masterclass

Superstar drops into Newbury to give youngsters a masterclass

A JUDO superstar dropped into Newbury recently to put future stars through their paces.

Judoka Brian Jacks won Britain’s first medal at a world championship, a bronze, at Salt Lake City in 1967 – and also took bronze at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The 71-year-old Judoka is one of six men to hold the International Judo Federation grade of 10th Dan, the highest that can be awarded outside of the Kodokan, the world headquarters of judo.

The athlete dropped in to Newbury Judo Club to see young pupils learning the ‘gentle way’.

Mr Jacks watched pupils perform and also taught them some new holds and how to defend against them.

Mr Jacks is best known for his appearances on the BBC’s Superstars show, which pitted elite athletes against each other in a series of trials,

He won four titles on the show between 1979 and 1980 and constantly set records for squat thrusts and parallel bar dips.

Clare Aldridge, a parent of a child who attends the club, said: “The little ones didn’t have a clue as to who he was, but they were in awe and he was able to hold their concentration level.

“He was able to take hold and grab some of the older men who didn’t anticipate it from a 71-year-old. He just proved it was skill rather than strength.”

Mr Jacks, who also has two golds, a silver and three bronze medals in European Championships, is touring the country promoting his book Mindset of a Champion.