WHEN Terry Welham had his big toe amputated, few of his pupils would have expected to see him back on the judo mat.
But Cambridge's own 'Mr Judo' has fought back and despite only returning to coaching three months ago, he helped St Faith's pick up four medals at the recent national independent schools championships.
And at 75, a time when most folk are settling into retirement, Welham is as fit and sprightly as someone half his age.
He has only recently been on his feet again following a year in a wheelchair after what appeared to be a minor foot injury, picked up on holiday in Greece in 2004, turned into blood poisoning with the big toe becoming gangrenous.
For such an active character, it has been close to purgatory. "This is the hardest thing I've had to face since my wife Betty had cancer 11 years ago," he said.
"I'm still learning to walk again and the most difficult thing at the moment is balance because losing the toe has really affected it and I've really relied on Betty to help me.
"I was worried I might not be able to do it again and I don't want to ever give up. There's a bit of fuel left in the engine and the only person who can tell you to give up is you. But you don't always have to listen to yourself!"
But the St Faith's pupils' medal haul was just the latest in a long line of silverware won by Cambridge youngsters since Welham, who was British Schools Judo Association director of coaching before his injury, began training in schools at the Leys in 1961.
And for Welham there is nothing he enjoys more than showing children the ropes. He said: "You don't have children taking up judo by chance and those who do well come into the gym because they want to and we must encourage them to stay.
"I just want my players to reach their full potential whatever level that may be. I've always said it's the players that make the coach and any coach who thinks he's more important than the players needs to think again.
"But the thing that amazes me when I'm teaching at school is the kids say 'my father sends his regards' and I realise I taught them judo.
"What worries me now is if someone comes along and says their grandfather sends his regards."
Already a talented sportsman having represented Cambridge schoolboys and the county at football, cricket and boxing, Welham discovered judo when he was stationed in Liverpool with the RAF in the early fifties.
Welham earned his black belt in 1958 and after leaving the air force, he returned to Cambs and joined the police, eventually becoming part of the CID's drug squad. He began judo training in a nissen hut in Cherry Hinton, practising on mattresses donated by Fulbourn Hospital, or would cycle to Newmarket to practise on straw-filled tarpaulins.
Welham went on to set up the Sakura Bana Kwai - Japanese for cherry flower - Judo Club with black belt brother Roger at Beaconsfield Conservative Club.
"For the first time we had the luxury of a permanent mat which we didn't have to take up after every session," he said.
But Welham also trained with Cambridge University and said the biggest influence on his career was Light Blues instructor Kenshiro Abbe"He was an eighth dan and used to teach the Tokyo police and with me being a policeman, he took me under his wing and I travelled all over the country with him helping him with his demonstrations," said Welham, who has four children, 11 grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
Son Martin followed him into the sport, reaching the quarter-finals of the national schools championships, while grandsons Andrew, Richard and Ryan all won honours before going into rugby, golf and shooting, respectively.
But one of Welham's biggest discoveries was British coach and former world and European champion Neil Adams, and the pair remain best friends.
He said: "I've known Neil since he was 12. His father was a coach and asked me to look at him and when I saw him, he was phenomenal.
"During my illness, he contacted or saw me nearly every week. He loves coming to Cambridge to coach the kids."
Welham's most famous pupil was fellow policeman and twice World's Strongest Man Geoff Capes, who went from novice to blue belt in his first grading. "He's the strongest man I've ever seen in my life and one of the most wonderful characters," said Welham, who was the British Judo Association's coach of the year in 1998 and 2000.
After leaving the police in 1988, Welham worked as a bailiff for Cambridge County Court. But he said he had rarely been called upon as a policeman or bailiff to bring his martial arts skills - Welham also holds a green belt in aikido - to practical use, disarming a man brandishing a firearm and breaking the wrist of a felon wielding a knife.
He has also been a swimming instructor and lifesaving tutor for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme, but most memorably was also the Cambridge team's fitness trainer in a show, filmed at Milton Road for BBC's It's a Knockout in 1975.
Judo is Welham's first love, though - "it teaches so much about self-respect, discipline and respect for others" - and it is going to take a lot more than a missing toe for him to say sayonara to more than half a century of playing and teaching the martial art.
But Cambridge's own 'Mr Judo' has fought back and despite only returning to coaching three months ago, he helped St Faith's pick up four medals at the recent national independent schools championships.
And at 75, a time when most folk are settling into retirement, Welham is as fit and sprightly as someone half his age.
He has only recently been on his feet again following a year in a wheelchair after what appeared to be a minor foot injury, picked up on holiday in Greece in 2004, turned into blood poisoning with the big toe becoming gangrenous.
For such an active character, it has been close to purgatory. "This is the hardest thing I've had to face since my wife Betty had cancer 11 years ago," he said.
"I'm still learning to walk again and the most difficult thing at the moment is balance because losing the toe has really affected it and I've really relied on Betty to help me.
"I was worried I might not be able to do it again and I don't want to ever give up. There's a bit of fuel left in the engine and the only person who can tell you to give up is you. But you don't always have to listen to yourself!"
But the St Faith's pupils' medal haul was just the latest in a long line of silverware won by Cambridge youngsters since Welham, who was British Schools Judo Association director of coaching before his injury, began training in schools at the Leys in 1961.
And for Welham there is nothing he enjoys more than showing children the ropes. He said: "You don't have children taking up judo by chance and those who do well come into the gym because they want to and we must encourage them to stay.
"I just want my players to reach their full potential whatever level that may be. I've always said it's the players that make the coach and any coach who thinks he's more important than the players needs to think again.
"But the thing that amazes me when I'm teaching at school is the kids say 'my father sends his regards' and I realise I taught them judo.
"What worries me now is if someone comes along and says their grandfather sends his regards."
Already a talented sportsman having represented Cambridge schoolboys and the county at football, cricket and boxing, Welham discovered judo when he was stationed in Liverpool with the RAF in the early fifties.
Welham earned his black belt in 1958 and after leaving the air force, he returned to Cambs and joined the police, eventually becoming part of the CID's drug squad. He began judo training in a nissen hut in Cherry Hinton, practising on mattresses donated by Fulbourn Hospital, or would cycle to Newmarket to practise on straw-filled tarpaulins.
Welham went on to set up the Sakura Bana Kwai - Japanese for cherry flower - Judo Club with black belt brother Roger at Beaconsfield Conservative Club.
"For the first time we had the luxury of a permanent mat which we didn't have to take up after every session," he said.
But Welham also trained with Cambridge University and said the biggest influence on his career was Light Blues instructor Kenshiro Abbe"He was an eighth dan and used to teach the Tokyo police and with me being a policeman, he took me under his wing and I travelled all over the country with him helping him with his demonstrations," said Welham, who has four children, 11 grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
Son Martin followed him into the sport, reaching the quarter-finals of the national schools championships, while grandsons Andrew, Richard and Ryan all won honours before going into rugby, golf and shooting, respectively.
But one of Welham's biggest discoveries was British coach and former world and European champion Neil Adams, and the pair remain best friends.
He said: "I've known Neil since he was 12. His father was a coach and asked me to look at him and when I saw him, he was phenomenal.
"During my illness, he contacted or saw me nearly every week. He loves coming to Cambridge to coach the kids."
Welham's most famous pupil was fellow policeman and twice World's Strongest Man Geoff Capes, who went from novice to blue belt in his first grading. "He's the strongest man I've ever seen in my life and one of the most wonderful characters," said Welham, who was the British Judo Association's coach of the year in 1998 and 2000.
After leaving the police in 1988, Welham worked as a bailiff for Cambridge County Court. But he said he had rarely been called upon as a policeman or bailiff to bring his martial arts skills - Welham also holds a green belt in aikido - to practical use, disarming a man brandishing a firearm and breaking the wrist of a felon wielding a knife.
He has also been a swimming instructor and lifesaving tutor for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme, but most memorably was also the Cambridge team's fitness trainer in a show, filmed at Milton Road for BBC's It's a Knockout in 1975.
Judo is Welham's first love, though - "it teaches so much about self-respect, discipline and respect for others" - and it is going to take a lot more than a missing toe for him to say sayonara to more than half a century of playing and teaching the martial art.
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