UK's oldest judo teacher, aged 94, has no plans to retire

At 94, Jack Hearn is the oldest active judo teacher in Britain and has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

In 1951, 'Judo Jack' attended his first martial art class and 67 years later, is one of the country’s highest graded judo players, holding a ninth Dan black belt.

The great-grandfather from Cramlington, Northumberland, has taught the martial art to three generations and still enjoys taking down his younger opponents.

He believes “there’s no such thing as retirement” and credits his long life to staying active and keeping fit. He said: “Get up and get out. Do something, keep active. That way you will live as long as I have.”

The father-of-five is both Sensei (a teacher of judo) and Hanshi (a doctor of physiology in judo). He attended his first class in 1951 at a small club in North Shields, and after setting up a judo school with his brother, became one of the most popular judo teachers in the region.

He regards martial art not just as a sport but a way of life: a mental activity as much as a physical one.

"The most important thing for pupils to learn is respect," he says, "respect for their teacher and respect for the person you're busy throwing."

The former sergeant who served in the Northumberland Fusiliers during the Second World War, believes age has no limit.

"There are lots of activities out there for the older generation to get involved in," he said. "It’s never too late in life to find something that you like. In my case, I looked after my body when I was young and I know my body is looking after me now that I am old.

"I never thought for one moment that when I got to this age I'd be doing anything. I thought I'd be sitting in a wheelchair, but here I am and I'm going to continue as I've got a lot of things to do yet."

Jack has recently started ballroom dancing and sequence dance lessons. He continues to study and practice judo, and is hoping to achieve his tenth Dan in 2020, aged 96.