Judo in the United States

Last updated
Judo in the United States
Country United States
Governing body USA Judo
National team(s) United States Olympics team
International competitions

There are three main organizations that govern judo in the United States. The United States Judo Federation (USJF) started in 1952. The concentration of the USJF is on the east and west coasts, but also in Chicago and Hawaii. The United States Judo Association (USJA) was founded in 1968 as an extension of the Armed Forces Judo Association (AFJA) when it broke off from the USJF to focus on a more Americanized structure. The USJA is mostly concentrated in California and Florida, but also popular in the Midwest and Southeast. The United States Judo, Inc. (USJI), doing business as USA Judo, was founded in 1978 and has its headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It may be slightly larger than the USJA and USJF, as they have crossover members from both of these organizations, since they are the designated national governing body of the USOC for the Olympics.

Contents

The sport was first introduced to the United States in about 1902 when then US President Theodore Roosevelt, practiced in the White House. [1] Judo began to develop in the 1950s when it became required for the US Air Force. After these advances, it was officially recognized as an AAU sport, and there have been national competitions and tournaments ever since. The United States formed an Olympic team and competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics, which it continues to do to this day. Judo is now practiced by an estimated 100,000 American men, women, and children (25,000 registered in either the USJA, USJF and USA Judo).

History

America's first major contact exposure to judo came through President Ulysses S. Grant in 1879. [2] He was in Japan for a state visit and observed a judo demonstration. In 1889, Kanō Jigorō gave a lecture on the philosophy of judo to several Americans; however, the lecture had little effect on mainstream judo growth. The first American to actually study judo was Prof. Ladd from Yale University, in 1889. He trained at the Kodokan in Japan for about ten years; by 1908 about 13 Americans were training there. In 1919, Prof. John Dewey of Columbia University came to visit Prof. Ladd and Master Kano, many years later he took his knowledge back to Columbia and began the first U.S. college judo program. While some students were training in Japan, there was some action in the U.S.

Perhaps one of the most important figures in the U.S. development of judo is Yamashita Yoshitsugu, who came to the U.S. in 1902 in order to teach judo to the Japanese community. [3] [4] Yoshiaki ended up teaching Senator James Wolcott Wadsworth Jr.'s wife, who happened to attend the same country club as Theodore Roosevelt. Mrs. Wadsworth told Roosevelt about judo, and he became interested in the sport.

Yoshiaki was subsequently invited to Washington to give a demonstration at the White House. There was a contest with a wrestler by the name of John Graft, who was the coach at the U.S. Naval Academy and who was teaching President Roosevelt wrestling. Although Yoshiaki threw him time after time, Graft continued to get up. Finally, Yoshiaki decided that he would do mat work with Graft, since there seemed to be no end to the match. Yoshiaki got an armlock on Graft, but the wrestler would not give up. Yoshiaki kept up the pressure until Graft groaned as his arm came close to breaking. President Roosevelt was impressed and took judo lessons.

Through the help of the president, Yoshiaki taught judo at the naval academy. Judo suddenly had its first strong roots in the United States. Yoshiaki decided to return to Japan, but other Japanese Judo participants followed his example. The judo concentration was mainly centered in Washington before World War II, but several centers existed on the west coast, including Tokugoro Ito's dojo in Los Angeles, which was founded in 1910. [5]

Judo first entered the Western United States when Dr. T Ito began teaching Judo in Denver in the 1930s. During World War II Judo was banned in many areas due to the Japanese fear; however, a boom followed the war. Many servicemen picked up martial arts during the war and returned home to teach them all across the country. [6] The official judo federations formed in the 50s and 60s.

Olympics

The United States is not a major power in international Judo competitions. [7] [8] Kayla Harrison is the most successful American Judo Olympian with 2 gold medals, [9] [10] while Jimmy Pedro is the most successful male American Judo Olympian with 2 bronze medals. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judo</span> Modern martial art, combat and Olympic/Paralympic sport

Judo is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport, and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally. Judo was created in 1882 by Kanō Jigorō as an eclectic martial art, distinguishing itself from its predecessors due to an emphasis on "randori" instead of "kata" alongside its removal of striking and weapon training elements. Judo rose to prominence for its dominance over established jujutsu schools in tournaments hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, resulting in its adoption as the department's primary martial art. A judo practitioner is called a "judoka", and the judo uniform is called "judogi".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keiko Fukuda</span> Japanese martial artist

Keiko Fukuda was a Japanese American martial artist. She was the highest-ranked female judoka in history, holding the rank of 9th dan from the Kodokan (2006), and 10th dan from USA Judo and from the United States Judo Federation (USJF), and was the last surviving student of Kanō Jigorō, founder of judo. She was a renowned pioneer of women's judo, together with her senpai Masako Noritomi (1913–1982) being the first woman promoted to 6th dan. In 2006 the Kodokan promoted Fukuda to 9th dan. She is also the first and, so far, only woman to have been promoted to 10th dan in the art of judo. After completing her formal education in Japan, Fukuda visited the United States of America to teach in the 1950s and 1960s, and eventually settled there. She continued to teach her art in the San Francisco Bay Area until her death in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle Dojo</span> Judo club

The Seattle Dojo is located at 1510 S. Washington in the Squire Park neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. It is the oldest judo dojo in the continental United States, having been founded sometime before 1907 in what is today the International District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">USA Judo</span>

USA Judo is a non-profit organization which represents all areas of U.S. judo practitioners, including athletes, coaches, referees and others. The organization is managed by a staff of seven at the USA Judo National Office which is located at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Keith Bryant was the CEO/Executive Director of USA Judo as of August 2016. Mark C. Hill replaced Lance Nading as Board President in 2017.

James A. Pedro is an American retired World Championship and Olympic judoka and current judo coach. Pedro currently holds a 7th degree black belt in judo. He is the coach of Kayla Harrison, the first American ever to win an Olympic gold medal in judo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gokor Chivichyan</span> American martial artist

Gokor Chivichyan is an Armenian-born American judo, submission grappling, and mixed martial arts instructor. Chivichyan currently trains professional and amateur fighters at the Hayastan MMA Academy in North Hollywood, California, United States. With his extensive knowledge in judo, sambo, catch wrestling, freestyle wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Chivichyan is considered to be one of the most complete grapplers of all time.

Jason Newth Morris is a retired American judoka. He was a four-time Olympian and 2008 Olympic Coach, is best known for winning the silver medal in the -78kg weight category in the 1992 Summer Olympics and a Bronze Medal in the 1993 World Judo Championships. He is a Hachidan his favorite techniques are Uchi Mata, Tai Otoshi, and his "Sticker or Sticky Foot".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yamashita Yoshitsugu</span> Japanese judoka

Yamashita Yoshitsugu, also known as Yamashita Yoshiaki, was a Japanese judoka. He was the first person to have been awarded 10th degree red belt (jūdan) rank in Kodokan judo, although posthumously. He was also one of the Four Guardians of the Kodokan, and a pioneer of judo in the United States.

Yoshisada Yonezuka, was a Judo instructor and two time U.S. Olympic Judo Team coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayla Harrison</span> American Olympic judoka and mixed martial artist

Kayla Jean Harrison is an American professional mixed martial artist and former Olympic and world champion judoka, currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomita Tsunejirō</span> Japanese judoka

Tomita Tsunejirō, born Yamada Tsunejirō, was the earliest disciple of judo. His name appears in the first line of the enrollment book of the Kōdōkan. Tomita, together with Saigō Shirō, became the first in the history of judo to be awarded the rank of Shodan by the founder of judo, Kanō Jigorō, who established the ranking system that is now commonly used in various martial arts around the world. Tomita was known as one of the "Four Kings" of Kōdōkan judo for his victorious efforts in competing against jujitsu schools. He was awarded 7th dan upon his death on January 13, 1937.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rank in Judo</span> Judo belt

In Judo, improvement and understanding of the art is denoted by a system of rankings split into kyū and dan grades. These are indicated with various systems of coloured belts, with the black belt indicating a practitioner who has attained a certain level of competence.

Connor Dantzler, of Damascus, Maryland, is an accomplished youth American amateur athlete. In 2000, at the age of six, under the tutelage of his father Mark Dantzler, he won his first junior national title in his age bracket. By 2012, Dantzler had won US national championship titles in judo, jujitsu, and powerlifting and earned awards as an AAU All-America and Athlete of the Year.

Eichi Karl Koiwai, M.D. was the president of the United States Judo Federation (USJF) in 1973 and 1974 and the chairman of the United States Olympic Committee in 1973.

Kenji Yamada (1924–2014) was a competitive judoka who was a two-time U.S. National Judo champion.

Yoshito Vince Tamura was a former international competitor in judo.

Tammy Hostetler is an American former competitor in the sport of judo. In 1977, she was recognized by Black Belt magazine as one of the Top 10 female judoka in the United States.

References

  1. ↑ "Theodore Roosevelt: Mojo in the Dojo". Mental Floss.
  2. ↑ "Info". ir.library.oregonstate.edu. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  3. ↑ Inc, Active Interest Media (1 May 1977). "Black Belt". Active Interest Media, Inc. – via Google Books.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  4. ↑ Lee, Jonathan H. X.; Nadeau, Kathleen M. (1 January 2011). Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife. ABC-CLIO. ISBN   9780313350665 . Retrieved 11 October 2016– via Google Books.
  5. ↑ Arnold, Bruce Makoto. "Pacific Childhood Dreams and Desires in the Rafu: Multiple Transnational Modernisms and the Los Angeles Nisei, 1918-1942".
  6. ↑ Ling, Huping; Austin, Allan W. (17 March 2015). Asian American History and Culture: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. ISBN   9781317476450 . Retrieved 11 October 2016– via Google Books.
  7. ↑ "Is Ronda Rousey the savior judo has been waiting for?". MMAjunkie. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
  8. ↑ Mihoces, Gary (8 March 2012). "U.S. judo making move to become powerhouse after medal grab". usatoday.com. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  9. ↑ Perrotta, Tom (19 July 2016). "How an American Took Down Judo" . Retrieved 11 October 2016– via Wall Street Journal.
  10. ↑ Carpenter, Les (11 August 2016). "USA's Kayla Harrison wins second straight Olympic judo gold" . Retrieved 11 October 2016– via The Guardian.
  11. ↑ "Jimmy Pedro and his dad: Guardians at USA Judo gate | Sports". newburyportnews.com. 2016-08-14. Retrieved 2016-08-17.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.