Grassroots Judo™

The leaders of Grassroots Judo™ are the Presidents, the Executive Directors, and the Legal Counsels of the USJA and the USJF. Our aim is to grow Judo and enable people to contribute to society. We are the organizations of choice for coaches and students to train in the fundamentals of “big” Judo. [Judo spelled with a big “J” means the holistic contribution of Judo to society. Judo spelled with a little “j” is the sport and recreational (technical) aspects of judo]. We hope to facilitate a way for the most skilled and talented instructors, competitors, coaches, and referees in the country to give back to judo through the USJA and USJF.

I Upcoming Grassroots Judo™ Events

• July 10 – 12  (Fri/Sat/Sun) 2015 – USJA/USJF Junior Nationals, Indianapolis, IN
• December 4 – 5 (Fri/Sat) 2014 – USJA/USJF Winter Nationals, Azusa, CA
• July 1 – 3 (Fri/Sat/Sun) 2016 – USJF/USJA Junior Nationals, Los Angeles, CA
• July 7 – 9 (Fri/Sat/Sun) 2017 – USJA/USJF Junior Nationals, Palm Beach, FL
• July 6 – 8 (Fri/Sat/Sun) 2018 – USJF/USJA Junior Nationals, Open for Bid*
• July 5 – 7 (Fri/Sat/Sun) 2019 – USJA/USJF Junior Nationals, Open for Bid**

*(Interested parties please contact Robert Fukuda at the USJF)

**(Interested parties please contact Marc Cohen at the USJA)

II Grassroots Judo™ Core Values

• Perfection of the human character
• Mutual benefit and welfare
• Maximum efficiency with minimum effort 

III Grassroots Judo™ Core Purposes & Objectives

• Introduction: Introduce the concepts of J/judo a larger segment of the US
• Growth: Overcome the current stagnation of Judo in the United States and build an opportunity for all to participate in judo
• Marketing: Have an active outreach program to perpetuate the benefits of Judo to the American society as a whole
• Education: Disseminate the latest and greatest ideas about the sport
• Financial Stability: Attract project sponsor and donors 

IV Grassroots Judo™ Value Proposition

• For participants: By affiliating with this program you will gain expertise, personal confidence and competence
• Also, there are more opportunities to fully experience the benefits of J/judo and develop a worldwide social network
• For teachers and coaches: Creation of an interactive Judo community that brings the best thinking and knowledge to our members 

VI Grassroots Judo™ Benefits of Judo

• Self-awareness – what you are capable of doing and not doing
• Confidence
• Physical Fitness
• Development of core skills that can also be used in other sports
• Self-protection (ukemi – no fear of falling) and self defense
• Youth and adult growth and development
• Development of a recognized community and social network 

VI Current Grassroots Judo™ Joint USJF /USJA Tournaments

• Grassroots Judo™ Junior Nationals
• Grassroots Judo™ Winter Nationals
• Grassroots Judo™ High School Championships
• Grassroots Judo™ AM-CAN International 

VII Grassroots Judo™ Event Endorsement Criterion

• The event must be sanctioned by USJF or USJA (except if international with USA Judo prior approval)
• The event must be national or regional in the scope
• The review will be based past event history and must tie into the Grassroots Judo™ objectives
• The review for event endorsement will be conducted by the leaders of Grassroots Judo™
• The leaders of Grassroots Judo™ reserve the right to deny participation of any individual

Videos of Past Grassroots Judo™ Events  by Chris Mitsuoka

Junior Nationals 2013 in Pittsburgh  

Winter Nationals 2012 in Los Angeles – Seniors

Winter Nationals 2012 in Los Angeles – Juniors