A Full-Circle Return in Spain for Judo Nomad Julien Brulard

Julien Brulard’s Judo Nomad journey has now passed 60 countries, but his latest stop in Spain carried a different weight. The Belgian judoka returned to a place that, in his own story, helped turn an idea born after COVID into a real life on the road through judo.

For more than four years, Brulard has travelled from dojo to dojo, joining training sessions, meeting local communities and connecting clubs across continents. What began in Belgium in August 2021 has grown into a long-running project built around one simple belief: judo can bring people together beyond borders, languages and cultures.

Spain was not the official beginning of the project, but it was where the plan became clear. During the pandemic period, while borders were still closed and sport had slowed almost everywhere, Brulard was in Madrid. He kept training in Mostoles with Javi Delgado and his team while waiting for the right moment to launch the adventure he already had in mind.

Coming back more than 61 countries later was, by his account, deeply emotional. And the trip quickly became a reminder of what the Judo Nomad project is really about.

His first stop was Castellón, where Koi Judo and Pere’s team welcomed him for two training sessions, working with both competition athletes and young children. The visit also brought a meaningful step for the project, as Koi Judo officially joined Judo Nomad as a member club.

Spain was not the start, but it became the turning point.

From there, Brulard travelled north to Santander with help from Felipe Sanchez, who connected him with clubs across the country. A joint session brought together Judo Club Suances, Judo Astillero, Judo Club Muñiz and Judo Samperio, creating one shared practice on the tatami. That collective effort stood out as a strong example of local judo spirit.

The next stage took him to Gijón in Asturias, where he visited Judo Asalia Beya during the club’s 30th anniversary celebrations. Two sessions were held in one day, first with younger judoka and then with adult competitors. Brulard left with gifts, but what clearly mattered most was the welcome itself.

The journey then moved out into the Atlantic, first to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. At Club Judo Lila, Alfonso and his team hosted sessions with both children and adults. Brulard also met Joyce, an English judoka whose own years of travelling and training around the world created an immediate link with the spirit of the project.

The final Spanish stop was Tenerife, where Giovanni and Judo Halcon Tenerife opened not only their dojo but also their home. That kind of generosity, repeated from city to city, seems to define this stage of the journey as much as any training session.

More than country numbers, this trip was about people.

From Castellón to Tenerife, through Santander, Gijón and Las Palmas, Brulard’s return to Spain looked less like a tour stop and more like a personal checkpoint. He also revealed that health and financial difficulties forced him to leave a little earlier than planned, making the departure even tougher.

Even so, the message from this chapter is clear. Judo Nomad continues because of the people around it: the coaches making calls, the clubs opening their doors, the friends offering support and the followers helping from afar.

Portugal is next.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation