Top coach Roy Inman passed away

British Judo is sad to learn of the passing of Roy Inman OBE 9th Dan. Inman was a well-known and much respected member of the judo community both in Britain and across the world. Roy competed at an international level for 9 years before starting his own club, Fairholme Judo Club.

Inman went on to be a pioneering high performance coach of the British women’s judo team. With an incomparable track record including numerous European, World and Olympic medals, Roy continued his coaching career, leading the coaching team at Bath University and was personal coach to Kate Howey when she took silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

He coached numorous judoka such as Loretta Cusack-Doyle, Karen Briggs (daughter in law to Roy), Diane Bell , Sharon rendall, Dawn Neatherwood, Bridget Mc Carthy, Karen Roberts  and the list goes on with all the success in his period as a coach.

Inman went on to become a British Judo Board Member, where he was instrumental in his two main interest areas of coaching and gradings. Roy left the Board of Directors and was Chair of both the Promotions and Coaching commissions. Inman was awarded the O.B.E from HM the Queen Elizabeth in 1992 and was a prolific author.

Roy Inman Now holds the Grade of 9th Dan (one of very few). He was the British Judo Association National Coach for Over 15 years, He Has coached at 4 Olympic Games, and his players have won 6 Olympic Medals and 14 World Championships. Roy previously held the role of Head Coach, and latterly the Judo Technical Director for the University of Bath’s High Performance Judo Program for 10 years. He is a Director of the British Judo Association Ltd, was awarded the UK International Coach of the Year in 1991, and the O.B.E from HM the Queen Elizabeth in 1992.

As a player Roy won 2 British Open Titles, and competed in European and World Championships, over a 12 year period. He trained at Sekijuku in Japan under Isao Okano.

Roy has been a Director of High Wycombe Judo Centre Ltd for over 20 years, and a Director of the British Judo Association Ltd and the British Judo Association Competitions and Events Ltd for over 6 years. Previously he was a member of the B.J.A Management Committee. Formerly Finance Director of a Hire Purchase Firm.

Roy was the B.J.A Northern Home Counties Area Chairman, holding this position on and off for some 15 years. For over 30 years he was Chairman, Chief Coach, Caretaker, and Administrator of a B.J.A club, (Fairholme Judo Club). He was a Full Member of the Budokwai.

A prolific Coach Educator, he was a leading deliverer of the B.J.A Club Coach Award, and the architect of the B.J.A Instructor Award. He is a lecturer for the European Judo Union on their suite of Coach Awards, teaching on the E.J.U Level 4 Performance Coach Award at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Chairman of the B.J.A Coaching Commission since 2010, and Chair of the B.J.A Promotions Commission since 2008. He was B.J.A Senior Examiner. One of Roy's greatest achievements are having the most good looking grandson possibly in the world, Jamie Davison.