America’s 26th President Theodore Roosevelt was well-known for his love of physical activity, a passion that helped introduce the sport of judo to Americans.
An avid boxer, Roosevelt had already studied jiu-jitsu when he spent two months taking judo lessons at the White House from Yamashita Yoshiaki, an early student of the practice and a pioneer of the sport in the United States. The ensuing press coverage helped grow the sport across the country.
More than 100,000 athletes are now estimated to compete in judo across the United States yearly, according to Nicole Jomantas, director of communication, marketing, and development for USA Judo, the sport’s designated national governing body.
“Participation in judo in the United States has been steadily increasing with USA Judo’s membership hitting an all-time high of 12,000 individuals in 2023,” says Jomantas. Those 12,000-plus members train in more than 400 member clubs, she adds.
USA Judo hosts four national tournaments annually, including the Youth National Championships, Senior National Championships, Junior Olympic Championships, and President’s Cup. In addition, USA Judo sanctions more than 180 events each year, including tournaments, camps, and clinics.
“We are continually looking at opportunities to increase participation through a variety of programs,” says Jomantas.
To help grow the sport, USA Judo launched the “Judo in the Schools” program in 2017, introducing it to elementary, middle, and high school students across the country.
“The goal is to holistically develop students and combat some of the trending concerns among youth, including physical fitness, overall health, bullying, respect for self and others, peer engagement, and excelling in the classroom,” Jomantas explains.
The practice of judo promotes teamwork, leadership, and self-confidence. Jomantas says Judo can help prevent issues, such as harassment, aggression, and discrimination. She also says it helps develop discipline, manners, punctuality, strength, stamina, perseverance, tenacity, muscle strength and health, and cardio.
Practice of judo
Judo was invented in Japan by Jigoro Kano in 1882, just 22 years before Roosevelt received his training. The sport’s roots, however, go back as far as 1532, as Judo was derived from jiu-jitsu.
As a martial art, judo focuses on throws and grappling techniques to subdue opponents, with an emphasis on fitness, mental discipline, and sportsmanship. The sport demands physical prowess and mental discipline.
Points are awarded for throws, holds, and submissions. The aim is to throw the opponent to the ground with force or hold them down for a certain amount of time.
From a standing position, judo involves techniques that allow competitors to lift and throw opponents onto their backs. On the ground, it includes techniques that allows athletes to pin an opponent to the ground, control them, and apply various chokeholds or joint locks
until submission.
Judo first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1964, appropriately in Japan. However, the sport was not included as an official sport until the 1972 Munich Games. Women’s judo was introduced in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain.
Looking ahead to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, USA Judo launched a partnership with LA28 and the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks to bring judo to underserved communities throughout Los Angeles, according to Jomantas.
Since 2019, more than 3,000 youth throughout Los Angeles have participated in Play LA judo programs at 22 recreation centers, she says.
To host an event
For most tournaments, venues considering hosting a judo event need approximately 50,000 square feet of uninterrupted space. As many as four matches may take place on separate mats at the same time. In addition, USA Judo requires 400 to 800 room nights for national tournaments with approximately 200 rooms on peak nights, Jomantas says.
USA Judo tournaments range in size and duration from one to three days, with 500 to 1,200 competitors traveling from across the country to compete in its national tournaments.
The 2024 Youth National Judo Championships, for example, is expected to welcome more than 500 athletes ages 5 to 20 to compete March 23-24 at the Georgia International Convention Center in Atlanta. Participants from across the country vie for gold medals and the opportunity to represent Team USA in international competitions. The USA Judo Senior National Championships and Golden State Open, set May 24-27 at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, Calif., are expected to draw more than 600 participants. It is the final senior competition to be held in the United States before this summer’s Paris Olympic Games.
Nearly 1,000 athletes ages 5 to 20 are expected at the 2024 USA Judo Junior Olympic Championship, set June 21-23 in Pittsburg, Pa.
