But the small town’s judo club, down the road from Beaconsfield, found its next significant discovery in new instructor Hanä Shimazaki.

The Japanese third Dan black belt is fresh from the national championships.

“That’s why we’re so excited,” Ginkan Judo School president Cassie Arnold said.

“We’re just a little club based in Sidmouth.”

Shimazaki, who is set to join current instructor Terry Hjort, graduated from Nippon Sport Science University and won gold in the women’s under 48kg division.  

Arnold said it was “totally brilliant” to lure Shimazaki on the cusp of launching new women’s judo classes.

But the adopted Tasmanian’s key role will be to further develop the emerging judo base on the big stage.

“It’s all just a huge coup for us. The club has been really successful in sending juniors to the nationals,” Arnold said.

“Hanä will be able to work with those juniors so well and in further competition.”

Three Sidmouth juniors had already competed in the state team at the nationals. 

“She will give our juniors a real edge to be able to have someone of that calibre training them,” Arnold said.

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