ROYAL ENGINEERS JUDO TEAM
Proudly sponsored by Helyx SIS Ltd, Sapper Judo currently has over 70 active members of varying experience and grade. A selection of biref bios of the Sapper Judo Squad players can be seen below. If you want to be part of the team then contact the Team Manager via email scampey@hotmail.com
OIC and Team Manager
OIC and Team Manager
NAME: Dave Campey
RANK: Major
UNIT: Army Headquaarters
WEIGHT CAT/GRADE: O100kg/ Dan Grade
LOCAL CLUB: Perham Down
BIO: Serving British Army officer, Dave took up the sport of judo when he joined up as an Apprentice Tradesman in 1982. He has competed regularly at Army and Combined Services judo Championships from 1996 until 2013. He qualified as a Club Coach in 2003 and earned his coveted black belt on 4th February 2006. Now in his twilight years, and following an irreparable injury to his shoulder Dave has taken on administrative and coaching duties in support of Sapper and Army judo. He was the co-founder of Brompton Judo Club in 2006, and is the Head Coach at Perham Down Judokwai which re-opened its doors to serving personnel in 2012. Dave was instrumental in enabling judo to become a recognised sport in the Royal Engineers in 2012, and he is also the Army Judo Elite Team Player Manager. Dave aspires to be the UK Armed Forces Team Manager in the future, with the end goal to be selected as UK Armed Forces Judo President, before watching his Armed Forces elite judoka competing at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan and retiring a happy man after a full 38 year career as a Sapper in the British Army.
Secretary/Treasurer
NAME: Jon Chesney
RANK: WO2
UNIT: RETDT
WEIGHT CAT/GRADE: U100kg/ Dan Grade
LOCAL CLUB: Medway Park
BIO: Serving British Army Warrant Officer, Jon took up the sport of judo when he was a young lad, when he joined the Army in July 1991 where he occasionally trained at different units. He has competed regularly at Army and Combined Services Judo Championships from 2010 until 2015. He qualified as a Level 2 Club Coach in November 2015 and finally achieved his 1st Dan black belt on 22nd February 2015. Now his skills are used to assist with the running of administrative and coaching duties in support of Sapper and Army judo. He also assisted Maj Campey with setting up and establishing Perham Down Judokwai 2012. Jon was recently selected to join the Army Elite Player Squad and fights in the Masters Arena (over 35 years old) on the Judo Circuit, best achievement to date was Winning Bronze at the Northern Ireland Open championships in April 2015.Jon is due to retire from Regular Service in Feb 2017, but intends to join the Reserve Royal Engineers in order to carry on fighting for and supporting Sapper and Army Judo.
Player/Coach
NAME: Alan Hamilton
RANK: Corporal
UNIT: Army Headquaarters
WEIGHT CAT/GRADE: U60kg/ Dan Grade
LOCAL CLUB: Perham Down
BIO: Serving British Army soldier, Alan took up the sport of judo when he was as young as 7 years old completing at many junior and senior events prior to joining the Army. Once in the Army he has long periods of time off the mat although in 2014 he has found more and more time to train and compete. He competes regularly at Army, Combined Services judo Championships and National events. Alan secured a gold in his weight category in the AMCAN 2015 event. He qualified as a Club Coach through the Army Judo Association and currently studying for his Level 3 UKCC Judo Coach award. As he grows older he finds more ways to stay on the mat longer, he is now competing in both senior and masters events.
NAME: Alex Paske
RANK: Lieutenant
UNIT: 22 Engineer Regiment
WEIGHT CAT/GRADE: U73kg/ Dan Grade
LOCAL CLUB:
BIO: Serving British Army officer, Alex took up judo in 1994 and was part of Great Britain Junior, -20yrs, -23yrs and Senior Squads from 2007-2012. He is currently a Troop Commander in 3 Armoured Engineer Squadron, 22 Engineer Regiment and part of the Army Elite Judo Team. Alex attended the University of Bath from 2007-2011, studying for an undergraduate Masters in Chemistry, alongside training as a full-time time athlete with Team Bath at their High Performance Training Centre. It was here; in his late teen years and early twenties, where Alex’s grit and determination paid off and where he put his stamp on British Judo. Highlights include representing GB at the -23yrs European Championships and European University Championships, as well as winning numerous medals at the British Championships, British University Championships and National Open Championships. Whilst competing at the 2012 Olympic Test event in November 2011, Alex tore his AC joint in his shoulder putting him out of training and competing for 3 months, effectively ending any chance he had of attending the Games in the summer. He saw this set-back as an opportunity to explore other avenues in life; this is where he found the Army and since then he has not looked back, subsequently commissioning into the Royal Engineers in August 2013. Since joining, Alex has slowly managed his return to the GB judo stage alongside his work commitments; he is currently ranked 4th in GB and is the reigning Army and Inter-Services Judo Champion in the -73kgs category for the past 3 years.
Player/Coach
NAME: Alex Paske
RANK: Lieutenant
UNIT: 22 Engineer Regiment
WEIGHT CAT/GRADE: U73kg/ Dan Grade
LOCAL CLUB:
BIO: Serving British Army officer, Alex took up judo in 1994 and was part of Great Britain Junior, -20yrs, -23yrs and Senior Squads from 2007-2012. He is currently a Troop Commander in 3 Armoured Engineer Squadron, 22 Engineer Regiment and part of the Army Elite Judo Team. Alex attended the University of Bath from 2007-2011, studying for an undergraduate Masters in Chemistry, alongside training as a full-time time athlete with Team Bath at their High Performance Training Centre. It was here; in his late teen years and early twenties, where Alex’s grit and determination paid off and where he put his stamp on British Judo. Highlights include representing GB at the -23yrs European Championships and European University Championships, as well as winning numerous medals at the British Championships, British University Championships and National Open Championships. Whilst competing at the 2012 Olympic Test event in November 2011, Alex tore his AC joint in his shoulder putting him out of training and competing for 3 months, effectively ending any chance he had of attending the Games in the summer. He saw this set-back as an opportunity to explore other avenues in life; this is where he found the Army and since then he has not looked back, subsequently commissioning into the Royal Engineers in August 2013. Since joining, Alex has slowly managed his return to the GB judo stage alongside his work commitments; he is currently ranked 4th in GB and is the reigning Army and Inter-Services Judo Champion in the -73kgs category for the past 3 years.
Player
NAME: Chris Coley
RANK: Lance Corporal
UNIT: 26 Engineer Regiment
WEIGHT CAT/GRADE: U70kg/ 2nd Kyu
LOCAL CLUB: Perham Down Judokwai
BIO: Serving British Army soldier, Chrs started Judo in 1998 and competed in his first competition in Birmingham the same year. The Club he used to fight for was Bishop Challoner JC from which he competed for very often up until 2004 when he moved over to Halesowen JC and was trained by Commonwealth Bronze medallist Denis Stewart. Chris continued to train and compete at Halesowen up until 2006 when he then decided to join the Army. Now settled with a wife and a child Chris has decided to take the sport back up in February 2016. With dedication and the right training he hopes to be selected for the Army Elite Squad in 2017.
Player
NAME: Martin Bartram
RANK: MUSN
UNIT: RE Band
WEIGHT CAT/GRADE: U81kg/ 5th Kyu
LOCAL CLUB: Medway Park JC
BIO: Martin initially began practising judo as a child for a short period of time in order to learn some form of self defence. Returning to the sport after a period of 12 years away, meant effectively starting from scratch again. This began principally as an evening activity outside of camp and work, as well as another form of physical exercise. Through club coach, WO2 Chesney, Martin was invited to take part in some training activities with the RE squad. Currently Corps of Army Music are underrepresented in combat sports and martial arts, partly due to historic concerns over operational effectiveness being affected through potential injury, and so this was a good opportunity to build links between the Corps band and members of the wider Corps.
Web Master/Player
NAME: Christopher Morton
RANK: Sapper
UNIT: 1 RSME
WEIGHT CAT/GRADE: U90kg/Novice
LOCAL CLUB: Medway Park
BIO: Serving British Army Sapper, Chris was press ganged into Judo by WO2 Chesney last year (2015). Judo was not the first martial art Chris has under taken, he previously achieved his Jr Dan Grade in Ju-jitsu.
His first competition was the Army Championships 2015, although he did not win any fights, infact, spending most of the competion looking at the ceiling wondering what had just happened. It was however, a great learning experience. Later in the year, at the We Will Remeber Them H4H Charity Champianships, using the experience learnt from the Army Champs, he spent a lot less time looking at the ceiling and actually medalled for the first time.
Chris is only just starting his Judo career, with the aim of achieving his 1st Dan and coaching new players through the Sapper Judo ranks.
Thanks to his IT skills Chris was soon 'voluntold' to design and publish the first ever Sapper Judo Website, which you see before you today.
Player
NAME: Isaac Royals
RANK: Lance Corporal
UNIT: 35 Engineer Regiment
WEIGHT CAT/GRADE: U73kg/ 2nd Kyu
LOCAL CLUB: None
BIO: Isaac took up judo in New Zealand at the age of 6 and has continued with it with few gaps to present. In October 2013 he joined the Army as a REME Land Systems Technician and was able to train with the Royal Engineers at Gibraltar Barracks during phase 2. He has competed at the Army championships in 2014 and the Combined Services Championships in 2014 and 2015.
His best achievement to date was winning gold at the Victorian state championships in 2008 and being selected to fight in the Victorian state team in the Australian national Championships. He has also recently been selected to join the Army Elite judo squad.