Father of five follows his children onto the judo mat to claim national title

Tweet

Images: Provided.

A Willunga father has followed his children onto the judo mat, taking home a national title of his own after years of watching his kids compete.

Chris Taylor won gold in the men’s over-100kg Veterans Division at the Australian Kodokan Judo Association National Championships at Cairns Trinity Stadium on Sunday, September 27.

The win came after his children had already made their mark on the national competition.

His daughter Loren won the national title in 2023, while his son Joel won in 2025 before taking home silver at this year’s championships in Cairns.

Chris, who trains alongside his five children at Willunga Judo Club, said he eventually decided it was time to have a go himself.

“I thought if you can’t beat them, join them and had a crack at winning a medal myself.”

Chris has trained at Willunga Judo Club with his family for almost 10 years, and has also helped coach his children as they progressed through the sport.

For him, however, judo is about more than medals.

“Just its culture, because it’s really respectful still,” he said.

“It’s a lot of discipline.”

“And everybody in the judo community, it’s like a family,” he said.

“Even though we’re up there in Cairns fighting against other states and trying to win, there’s a real good feeling amongst the people competing.”

“Everyone shakes hands after, has a hug. There’s no animosity.”

Judo’s emphasis on respect, discipline and teamwork is something Chris believes sets it apart from other combat sports and were particularly important for his children growing up.

“It’s all very strict because it comes from Japanese culture,” he said.

The Willunga Judo Club is part of the Kodokan Judo Association, which has clubs across South Australia.

Chris said the club also offers a welcoming environment for people of different ages and abilities, with members ranging from children to older adults.

“We’ve got people from about eight to 80 there,” he said.

He also highlighted the sport’s adaptive programs, which provide opportunities for people with disabilities to train and compete.

“It’s inclusive,” he said.

“They even have adaptive judo so that people who’ve got disabilities and things can train.”

With his own children continuing to compete and Chris now adding a national title to the family collection, the Taylor family’s connection with the sport shows no sign of slowing down.