In January 2027, I will be opening the doors to a brand-new program: The Judo Lab. Located at our newly redeveloped dojo at U1, 65 Boyland Ave in Coopers Plains, this represents a massive, exciting, and admittedly daunting next step in my judo journey.
To make this vision a reality, I am stepping away from Shin Gi Tai. It is important to stress that there are no issues between Srdjan and myself; our partnership regarding Shin Gi Tai has simply run its natural course. Srdjan will continue running Shin Gi Tai classes at other venues across south-east Brisbane and Ipswich, and you can keep up with his programs via the Web or Facebook. We are timing our transition carefully so Shin Gi Tai can finish up the current school term at the Coopers Plains premises without any disruption.
Our current coaching team - including Palilavong (Paily) Phouphayly, Sam Manu, Cho Ming (Alvin) Au, and Megumi Hamashima and - will remain involved with judo across both The Judo Lab and Shin Gi Tai venues.
At The Judo Lab, our philosophy is to build structurally unbreakable athletes. To support this, I am investing nearly $40,000 AUD into a complete facility rebuild starting in the second week of December. We are installing a 170-square-meter, fully engineered sprung floor. This system utilises a 24mm cross-laminated structural plywood deck suspended over closed-cell elastomer blocks, designed to safely decelerate high-amplitude heavyweight throws without bottoming out. We are topping this with brand-new blue and yellow Zebra tatami to create a clean and clinical, and modern training environment.
I look forward to welcoming you to The Judo Lab in January.