About this Event
Add Life to Your Years
What do you want to still be capable of at 60, 70, 80 and beyond?
Strength. Balance. Coordination. Movement. Reaction. Cognitive sharpness.
Add Life to Your Years – The Gentle Judo Way is a new approach to judo designed for adults 45+ who want to build and maintain strength, flexibility, mobility and confidence in their capacity to actively engage in life in later years.
The idea behind it is simple. We don't want to maintain only enough physical and cognitive capacity to manage everyday life. We want to build more capacity than we currently need – creating a reserve that can help us stay capable as we get older.
Judo provides a unique way of building that headroom. It brings together strength, balance, coordination, movement, reaction, decision-making and learning new skills. It also teaches something increasingly valuable as we age: how to fall safely.
The aim isn't simply to add years to your life. It's to add life to your years.
This is not about fighting or being thrown around
You don't need to be fit, flexible or have any previous judo or martial arts experience.
We start gently with movement and mobility, balance and coordination, moving comfortably on the floor, safe falling and simple ground-based judo.
Partner and standing skills are introduced as confidence and capability develop. When we eventually introduce throwing, it is carefully controlled, from a low height and onto crash mats.
There are no joint locks or strangles in the Introduction program. Activities are adapted to suit different physical needs, and everyone progresses at their own pace.
Judo brings together physical and cognitive challenge in a way that few forms of exercise do. You are not simply repeating movements – you are balancing, reacting, adjusting to another person, solving problems and learning new skills while developing coordination, mobility and confidence in movement.
Because everything can be introduced progressively and adapted to individual capability, it provides a practical way to build headroom for staying active, capable and confident as we get older.
Who is it for?
The Introduction Program is designed for adults aged 45+, and complete beginners are very welcome.
You don't need to be fit, flexible or confident in your physical capabilities. The program starts gently and activities progress according to your individual capability.
While the focus is on adults 45+, younger adults looking for a gentler introduction to judo are also welcome.
Program details
6-Week Introduction Program
Wednesday 30 September – Wednesday 4 November 2026
7:00 pm
Yarra Judo, Eltham North
$168 for the complete six-week program
The fee includes all six sessions, Judo Australia introductory participant insurance and Eventbrite fees.
No judo uniform or special equipment is required. Comfortable exercise clothing is all you need.
What happens after the Introduction Program?
For those who enjoy the Introduction Program and would like to continue, an optional six-week Foundation Program will run from Wednesday 11 November to Wednesday 16 December.
The Foundation Program builds on what you've learned, with progressively more movement complexity, partner interaction, controlled resistance and judo skills.
There is no obligation to enroll in the Foundation Program.
After completing the Foundation Program, participants who would like to continue their judo journey may choose to join Yarra Judo's regular classes. Our philosophy is to meet each member at their individual capability, so continuing doesn't mean having to train at the same pace or intensity as everyone else.
As the program develops, and if there is sufficient interest, we may also establish an ongoing class specifically for older judoka who prefer to continue training in an adapted environment.
Your coach
The program is led by Neel Beyers, Head Coach at Yarra Judo.
At 61, the question of how we maintain our physical and cognitive capabilities as we get older is personally relevant to me. This program brings together my experience in judo with a growing interest in longevity and the idea of building more capacity now to help us remain capable in the years ahead.
The objective isn't to turn everyone into competitive judoka. It's to use the unique characteristics of judo to help people move, think, react, interact and be confident in their bodies.
Train your body. Challenge your brain. Learn to fall. Build your physical and cognitive headroom.
Event venue & nearby stays
94 Weidlich Rd, 94 Weidlich Road, Eltham North, Australia
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.