Nine years on the tatami.

How it began

Before the club existed, Karel ran self-defence courses at the Budulínek Mother Centre in Dobřany (2014–2015) — for children and adults, where the idea first emerged that Dobřany could have a serious judo programme.

The real catalyst was 2016 — Lukáš Krpálek's Olympic gold in Rio. The Czech judoka's victory sparked a wave of interest in a sport nobody in Dobřany had been doing systematically. Karel together with Pavla Adamcová (board chair) and Rudolf Kortus (co-founder, coaching background in Klatovy) decided to start the club.

RuKa JUDO z.s. was registered on 8 April 2017. The first article about the club was written by Pavla Adamcová for Dobřanské listy in March 2017; by December 2017 the club already had 74 members (52 children + 22 adults). In 2019 we crossed 100 members and were earning about 48 medals per season. On 18 September 2018 the club moved to its permanent dojo at Sokolovská 1010 in Dobřany (opposite Káčko cinema).

Rudolf later devoted himself to the club in Klatovy, while Karel stayed in Dobřany and continues to lead RuKa JUDO. The club's name still carries the meaning of two trainers who built the foundation: „Ru" + „Ka" = Rudolf + Karel.

Club values

We stand on four pillars formulated by the founder of judo, Jigoro Kano, more than a century ago:

• 仁 (Jin) — Benevolence. We help one another. Younger learn from older; older care for younger.
• 義 (Gi) — Righteousness. We compete fairly. Victory and defeat carry equal weight.
• 礼 (Rei) — Respect. We bow before our opponent and before the tatami.
• 道 (Dō) — The Way. Judo is not a destination, it is a way. Each training is a step.

Club traditions

Judo Day. Once a year all our judoka bring their club t-shirt to school and wear it the entire day — a reminder that when you spot a classmate in a RuKa shirt in the hallway or canteen, that's your dojo partner. Team spirit isn't built only on the tatami; it's built off it as well.

In-club tournaments for the youngest. Our youngest (5–6 years) get their first taste of competition not at a stranger's tournament with nerves, but at home — in the club, among friends. No pressure, just experience and the first encounter with rules.

Our purpose and mission

RuKa JUDO z.s. is a self-governing, voluntary, non-political and non-profit association founded to promote and train judo, other combat and non-combat sports, and self-defence.

Our mission is to:

• Develop the engagement of young people and the public in sport and cultural life across local communities.
• Support crime prevention.
• Reach at-risk youth and offer an alternative through organised activities, helping prevent risky behaviour.
• Lead members to adopt basic ethical and moral principles, and grow them through sport and physical culture.
• Represent the town of Dobřany and our schools at competitions and events related to the club's activity.

Legal entity

RuKa JUDO z.s. is a registered association (reg. no. 05927820) at the Regional Court in Pilsen, file no. L 7986. Our seat is at Lipová 1287, 334 41 Dobřany, Czech Republic. We are a member of the Czech Judo Federation.

The statutory body is a three-member board: Bc. Pavla Adamcová (chair), Karel Fojtík, DiS. and Veronika Fojtíková (board members). The association is represented jointly by the chair and one other board member.