The Lost Traditional Dojo at UCL
There had always been a traditional Dojo in the Central Collegiate Building (CCB), now known as the Bloomsbury Building until 14 December 2013, when the new BF management demolished it to replace it with a ‘Multi-purpose Room’. The martial arts clubs and activities were not consulted and were not notified until 4 days prior to the demolition.
Bloomsbury Aikido club and 4 other UCLU Dojo-using clubs initiated a petition to restore the permanent traditional Dojo. A formal complaint was sent on 3 June 2014 to UCLU Sabbatical Officers . The petition was run between 29 May – 27 June 2014 and 147 people responded: 50% UCL students, 35% UCL Alumni and staff, 15% public. 67% of the response was from people who were current members of the Bloomsbury Fitness centre. Responses came from 10 different martial art and other dojo-using activities and from dojo-using individuals. Because of the time of year at which the petition was run, this will be a substantial undercount of the numbers affected, particularly of students.
The Petition and Complaint documents and the comments sent in by signatories can be viewed here:
Cover Letter 29 May 2014; Petition Restore Permanent Dojo
Petition Practical Problems mp room; Dojo Petition Appendix 1
Dojo Petition Comments 15July2014
The photos below (1-4) show the Dojo over the years between 1978 and 2013.
1. 1978 The original “Judo Room” on the 3rd floor of the CCB. Class with Sekiya Sensei.
2. 1998 The same room, now named the Dojo and a part of the Bloomsbury Fitness Centre. Course with Ken Cottier Sensei.
3. Bloomsbury Fitness Dojo 2003 – 2013. In 2003 the Dojo was transferred to the 4th floor, due to the BF’s ‘Phase One’ gym expansion.
4. Bloomsbury Fitness Dojo 11 December 2013. The last Aikido class in the traditional Dojo.