As per title: can anybody recommend a club of this nature? A place I won't feel conspicuous or treated much differently for good or ill. I live in Central London (WC) which renders some clubs just too far away or difficult to reach/return home from e.g Budokwai; however I am prepared to try if they are exceptional. Preference is for BJA clubs although any is fine. I have MS, last practicing properly ten years ago at university, shortly before becoming unwell. Tried a club three years ago in another part of the country -- ultimately a horrendous experience, something I wish not to repeat. Thank you!
Welcome to MAP. I'll ask this question on our Facebook and Twitter account to see if we can find you a decent club.
Is it definitely judo you want? I don't know the symptoms or effects of having MS but even without any medical conditions I found judo very hard on the body and unforgiving. A great martial art for sure but 'gentle' it ain't. There are so many experienced people on here we might be able to suggest another art that may accommodate MS better than judo perhaps?
http://www.britishjudocouncil.org/bjc-club-database.php http://www.northlondonjudo.co.uk/ the ethos of the bjc may be a better fit then the bja, plus they are registered with the bja.
Thank you for your concern, it's quite appreciated. Absolutely Judo. Having thought about it for the past year, now feels like the right time to proceed; via extensive previous experience I fully understand what to expect and am sure the punishment will be tolerable. Should it be unmanageable, then other styles will be considered. There are other factors that could be more problematic, though am not sure how comfortable I am to discuss these publicly. For the time being, researching clubs has just been a mite overwhelming.
In that case have at it and make sure to tell us all how it goes! The BJA is pretty well run and may even have a dedicated disability officer or someone like that that may be able to help? I know Judo is really good for incorporating players that are blind for example (although obviously your situation will be very different to that).