Judo in the United States
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.
The sport was first introduced to the United States in about 1902 when then US President
History
President Ulysses S. Grant witnessed a demonstration of jujutsu by judo founder Kanō Jigorō and several others when visiting Japan in 1879.[2] Kano and fellow student Godai Ryusaku performed
Perhaps one of the most important figures in the U.S. development of judo is
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
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.
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.[5] The official judo federations formed in the 50s and 60s.
Olympics
The United States is not a major power in international Judo competitions.[6][7] Kayla Harrison is the most successful American Judo Olympian with 2 gold medals,[8][9] while Jimmy Pedro is the most successful male American Judo Olympian with 2 bronze medals.[10]
References
- ^ "Theodore Roosevelt: Mojo in the Dojo". Mental Floss.
- ^ "Five Facts about the 1879 Encounter Between Ulysses S. Grant and Kano Jigoro". martialhistoryteam.blogspot.com/. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
- ^ Inc, Active Interest Media (1 May 1977). "Black Belt". Active Interest Media, Inc. – via Google Books.
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has generic name (help) - ISBN 9780313350665. Retrieved 11 October 2016 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 9781317476450. Retrieved 11 October 2016 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Is Ronda Rousey the savior judo has been waiting for?". MMAjunkie. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
- ^ Mihoces, Gary (8 March 2012). "U.S. judo making move to become powerhouse after medal grab". usatoday.com. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
- ^ Perrotta, Tom (19 July 2016). "How an American Took Down Judo". Retrieved 11 October 2016 – via Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Carpenter, Les (11 August 2016). "USA's Kayla Harrison wins second straight Olympic judo gold". Retrieved 11 October 2016 – via The Guardian.
- ^ "Jimmy Pedro and his dad: Guardians at USA Judo gate | Sports". newburyportnews.com. 2016-08-14. Retrieved 2016-08-17.