'I'm in my 80s and still coaching - judo is in my blood'

Harry McGuigan has broken countless records in the world of judo.

He is about to turn 84 and is still the head coach at Ren Bu Kan – the club he set up almost 60 years ago.

"Judo's in my blood," he said.

"I'm still coaching four days a week and during sessions I still like to do a bit of fighting and get hands on, I just love it."

Harry became the first person in Irish judo history to earn a seventh dan black belt - an honour reserved for master instructors. A champion in his own right, he has also spent decades coaching the next generation.

At the end of last year, his club extended its unprecedented record, once again securing gold at the All-Ireland Judo Championships and maintaining their unbroken streak of more than 50 years.

Daniel Grimley has been with the club, based in Dungannon, County Tyrone, since he was four.

As well as having a cabinet full of gold medals and judo trophies, the 39 year old now coaches in the club and his two sons are members.

He described Harry's knowledge and experience as "incredible".

"He still lives for judo, and he will always have that passion and command that respect.

"If my boys are ever messing at home I still say 'don't make me tell Harry', and that will sort things out very quickly."

Seventeen-year-old Matt is no stranger to the elite spot, having been All Ireland, Northern Ireland and Irish Open judo champion on multiple occasions.

"I owe so much to Harry, he coached my dad when he was my age and I've been with him 10 years now," he said.

"He's a fantastic coach and an amazing man, who has been with me through it all."

Harry first fell in love with judo as a 20 year old, when he lived and worked in Hong Kong for a short time.

"When I got back to Ireland there weren't many clubs, maybe one in Derry and in Belfast, but nothing in Tyrone," he said.

In 1968, Harry formed Tyrone's first judo club and adopted the Japanese name Ren Bu Kan, which translates to: "A place to practise the art of fighting".

Since then, the club has gone on to smash records - and recently produced its 56th black belt.

But one of Harry's proudest achievements is the legacy of the club's members who have been with him since their youth.

"Now they're bringing their own children and it's great because the lessons you learn don't stop with the physical training," he said.

"Judo teaches you respect. My students kneel and bow before they fight and afterwards you bow and shake hands.

"It's that kind of discipline that you can take with you, and you learn some Japanese along the way."

The club's younger members are enthusiastic. Fianna, aged nine, said judo "keeps you strong and healthy" and "gives confidence".

Scarlett, 13, has been a club member for about seven years and said, as well as staying fit and learning new skills, she has "made such good friends".

"I never miss a week of training," she added.

Harry credits the sport with helping him continue to feel young.

"I initially retired from competitions when I was 45, and then when I was 60 my first wife died and I felt at a bit of loose end, so I got back involved in competing and coaching."

In a career spanning more than half a century, Harry has won more than 20 international judo medals. His last competition was in 2019, when he won the Irish Open Masters in his late 70s.

At the age of 72, he also won gold at the Judo World Masters Championships in Spain - becoming the oldest person from Ireland to take the title.

But for several years now, he has been putting his energies into coaching.

"When I take some of the younger ones to a competition now, it's like I'm still fighting," he said.

"The adrenaline is still up, I can't sleep the night before, and I'm going through all the emotions with them, I just love it."

For now, he shows no signs of slowing down and his priority remains to help grow the sport.

He said: "I might have a few more injuries and it takes me a bit longer to recover after training, but thank God I have my health and don't feel any different than I did 40 years ago.

"I've always said that when I'm old enough, I'll start playing golf, but that hasn't happened yet."