Season 5 — Europe to the Americas

Mostar and Bijeljina — another reminder that judo opens doors through hospitality alone, no federation contact needed.

Trieste, Udine, Tamai, Jesi, Modena, Rome, Torre del Greco, Naples — and a quick unofficial detour through the Vatican for good measure.

Training at Albania’s very first judo club — a small community with a big heart.

The bridge between Bosnia and Montenegro — and the place where a promise got made that led straight to Kotor.

A judoka I barely knew, Dejan, said “come to my home” in Croatia — and meant it. Kotor’s amphitheatre dojo, the national team in Podgorica carried by one coach doing everything alone, and a closing seminar in Tivat with fifty judokas of every age.

A stop back home — the Paris Grand Slam, Pôle France Strasbourg, and the “Why France Is So Strong in Judo?” mini-series filmed in Asnières.

The country where it all began — Spain was the pre-launch beta test during COVID. This time: Castellón, Bilbao, Gijón, the Canaries, Tenerife, Madrid. Two classes at Koi Judo Castellón, a first conversation entirely in Spanish, and homemade paella with the team.

Braga, Aveiro, Lisbon, Albufeira, Porto — three weeks of clubs and clinics across Portugal, “A Portuguese Judo Journey,” plus a quick return to Slovenia along the way.

No reply from the federation, so the trip got organized directly with Daniel Zodian — hosted by Bronx People in Bacău, a club for at-risk youth, plus a seminar with Nova BJJ. “You Must Fall to Raise: A Judo Lesson From Romania.”

An extension of the Romania trip — organized by Konstantin Kotov across two clubs, M.S. Champions and Judo Lider Team, and the very first Moldovan supporter on Patreon.

Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas — the whole leg organized with Jonathan Cotté of Griffin Performance Judo.

Montreal, Trois-Rivières, Quebec City.

Underway right now — Minsk.