ALL CLASSES CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO COVID-19 ADVISORY
The Lethbridge Kyodokan Judo Club was founded by Yoshio Senda in 1952 and has been active, with Sensei Senda as head instructor and coach up until his passing on September 9, 2009. The club has a proud history, of which we will add more later. If you would like to read about the club, you can read the book Kyodokan: The story of the Kyodokan Judo Club and the founder, Dr. Yoshio Senda edited by Jane Senda. It is available from the Lethbridge Public Library and other fine libraries and from Jane. For further reading on Sensei Senda and several other members of the club, as well as Canadian judo in general, try Judoka : the history of judo in Canada by Glynn Leyshon, available at the University of Lethbridge and other fine libraries.
The Lethbridge Kyodokan Judo Club family is grieving the passing of our very own Sensei Florence Senda. Sensei Senda was the thread that kept our club together. Judo was a part of Sensei Senda’s life since 1947, obtaining her Shodan in 1974. We are truly blessed for having the opportunity to learn from Sensei Senda, who consistently demonstrated a balance of elegance and fortitude, patience and willpower. Those who were honored to have known Sensei Senda can appreciate how her strength and energy was translatable to her kata; tenacious but effortless and with grace. We will long embrace the memories of her smiling presence on the tatami, her sharing of Japanese culture, stories and sweets. She inspired a countless number of judoka and was fittingly recognized with her Godan at the 2018 Canadian National Championships. The judo community has been enriched by Sensei Florence Senda’s involvement and influence, and she leaves a lasting legacy that will continue to shape and inspire young judoka for many years to come.