At Toulouse Balma Martial Arts, we also train!
“We were often considered a judo club that recruits and only aims for competition. But the training of our young people is indeed one of our priorities.” In charge of communication within Toulouse Balma Arts Martials, Baptiste Canal thus sums up the evolution of the club, whose name is quite recent. “In December 2021, during its last general meeting, the Balma Saint-Exupéry 31 – Toulouse Métropole proposed its transformation to become the TBAM. We also offer karate, aikido, tai-chi-chuan, qi gong, tai-chi wudang, kung-fu, ba gua zhang, voluntary gymnastics and Nordic walking. We can count on a dozen training places. Our headquarters are located at the House of Martial Arts, in Argoulets”, explains Baptiste Canal.
His dad Pierre has also held the presidency since 2019.
“Concerning training, the objective is to keep our forces alive. Many judokas leave the region to join Paris, Montpellier or Bordeaux. As a result, our major sports project is the Performance Pole. The main goal is to be able to constitute a group of competitors capable, in the medium term, of stabilizing at level 20 of the ranking list national. This project is both sporting and human because we do not neglect the school aspect of our graduates. And more generally, whatever their level, we want each member of the club to find something for us”, he explains.
Good results at the French and European levels
In terms of results, Pierre Canal does not forget to recall that the TBAM is the 1st club in Occitania. Last year, several judokas shone nationally, but also continentally, starting with the Georgian Luka Lomidze (senior, – 100 kg, Insep athlete), 3rd at the European Cup in Spain and 5th in the championship of France 1st division. Among the women, we note the performances of Sarah Caballero (youngest, – 48 kg, 7th at the European Cup in Hungary, 1st at the Tarbes tournament and 1st at the label A tournament in Moissac), Yliana Gheraïbia (junior, – 48 kg, 2nd at the Rochefort senior tournament, 1st at the Clermont Excellence tournament and 1st at the Limoges Excellence tournament) and Clémence Roger (senior, 52 kg, 1st at the Tarbes Excellence tournament, 2nd at the Nîmes Excellence tournament and qualified for the French university championships). Beautiful examples to follow.