The red carpet for Stade Laurent’s Judo 70th anniversary

For seven decades, the route des Pugets club has established a record to pale the great French stables. With national and international titles and even an Olympic medal won in Los Angeles in 1984. As well as the well-known visitors who pass through his lair. Let’s take a look at the wonderful history of Laurentian judo.

This is a family story. Colorful family. In which the rainbow of beautiful colors fades between black and white: yellow, orange, green, blue, brown… A family that displays its values ​​- moral code – on the walls of the dojo. A family where respect is not an empty word. Spend a few hours on the side of the tatami with Patriarch José Allari, red and white belt, 8^e from And seeing the parade of young and old to greet the master before the yellow and blue surfaced. Along with his brother Cesar, Jose embodies the entire history of Laurentian judo. A story that he lived from the beginning and kept every significant episode deep in his memory. This 70 years of the club is an opportunity to open a family album. Let yourself be told of Laurentian exploits, anecdotes, admire the wonderful brotherhood that springs from this sport, delightfully set to music by the leaders of this association. Joseph Segura officially opened the day, surrounded by the Education Assistant Brigitte Lizée-Juan, a large number of deputies and municipal councilors, as well as Mrs. Spencer, UNICEF Representative Christine Bertoni, Jean-Marc Messina-Raccourt, District Inspector. National Education, Françoise Benne, AGASC President. The Mayor wished to salute the work and investment of all the services and partners working to make this day a success.

BEGINNERS

In 1952, a small judo seed was planted on the banks of the Var. Mr. Grandjean, curator of water and forests of the region, takes care of this first shot like an expert. He is a brown belt and has a judo fiber. Transplantation! He was enrolled in a group of pioneers named Caesar Allari, who was then 14 years old. Little brother Jose is only 9 years old and is not allowed yet. “I trained on vacation”, the big boy laughs. As for the first dojo, it was the uncle of the Allari family, Ferdinand Honorat, who was elected to the municipal council (family story, you’ve been told). “It was in the orange blossom shed in front of St. Joseph’s Church”, Jose pulls back. And twenty judokas then wore their sleeves surrounded by beautiful orange fragrances. Less than two years later, a tribe of white kimonos, reinforced by José and a few other “zealous” Laurentians, descend on National 7, then set up a new dojo on rue Desjobert: “It was DIY, we built the room from scratch”. Judo developed in Saint-Laurent is starting to make a name for itself. César is a black belt and has won the title of champion of Côte d’Azur and Provence. The club even won the Cote d’Azur Senior team title when he was 13 and a half years old: “Prince Rainier gave us the trophy at the Theater des Beaux-Arts in Monaco and it was broadcast live on TMC! »

FIRST GOOD LUCK

César becomes one of the first two judokas from the Côte d’Azur to be selected for the French team. 3^e, will be… Jose. After winning the title of vice-champion among French youth in 1961, he follows his brother’s path to the Joinville Battalion. During military service, it changes size. 5 Japanese trains every day. Win 1^er pre-Olympic tournament and finish 5^e In the European championship of 1968. To earn a living, he even participated in wrestling competitions at fairs. In Saint-Laurent-du-Vard, the brothers “work in the countryside” with their parents growing vegetables at Vespins and later cloves at Coteaux Fleuris. As judo training is not enough, they also practice rugby. With the same success. “With Nice, we rose from Sharaf to 1st place^time divide », José recalls. Before closing in 1969: “I hurt my cruciate ligaments. I had to be sent to Lyon for surgery.”. This cannot be done. And another sports career opens for the champion. Knowledge broker. That year, the club moved to the Carton gymnasium (now the weight room) before occupying the current wrestling room in the 1980s.

Olympian Glory

Because in the meantime, Laurentian judo has continued to grow. In 1962, César worked all summer at Paddock Beach in Cros-de-Cagnes. “Make money and buy tatami mats at the closing Draguignan club”. Its purpose? Bringing life back to Mr. Grandja’s club, which has collapsed due to a lack of fighters. The club reopens rue Notre-Dame in a warehouse (now a garage). In addition to Saint-Laurent, two brothers also teach martial arts in Nice: MJC Magnan (César), MJC Pasteur (Jose) and Judo Club Elena in California. And their clubs win many titles. “Twice in the final of the French youth team championship, Saint-Laurent Judo Club met Elena”, José recalls. 1960-61 and then 1966-67 with the wonderful generations born. Newspaper three times Team Among the 180,000 French sports associations, the Laurentian club stands out. It should be noted that several names have shone the colors of the club, including Eric Colleuil, European junior vice-champion and winner of the Paris Tournament, or Michel Novak, bronze medalist of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. “We had 14 senior international players, supports Jose Allari again. Not the boys you buy, but club trained judokas! » Manu Armitano’s award list, today 6^e from and the club’s technical director, Gilles Nahon, took over from José Allari, multiple French champion and head of Pôle Espoirs judo at the Parc Impérial high school in Nice. Or even today Clémence Eme and Meghan Vo, the two great hopes of French women’s judo.
In 2011, Stade Laurent moved to a new dojo on the Judo des Pugets route. “The most beautiful room in the world”, Japanese master Isao Okano, the 1964 Olympic champion, was elated when he arrived on the shores of the Var. Because the club’s reputation and Jose’s unifying personality have been able to attract many of the discipline’s luminaries for trips celebrating 70 years of love for judo.

Prestigious visitors!

With its reputation throughout France and even in its original land of Japan, Stade Laurent has attracted the biggest names in Judo to its tatami mats. Names quickly delivered by master Jose Allari: begins with a legend Yasuhiro Yamashita, a Japanese fighter who went undefeated for more than nine years (1977-1985) in the heavyweight division and in all divisions, still holds the unbeaten record for a judoka in the heavyweight division (203 consecutive victories). He was also awarded in the same category at the Laurentian dojo. David Douillet and Teddy Riner. But also Lucia Decosse, Thierry Ray, Angelo Parisi, Jean Paul Coche, Mark Alexander, Larbi Benboudaoud, Marcel Pietri and many others…