Sawtelle Judo Dojo | Judo Los Angeles CA 90025

Judo began in the late 1880’s in Japan. It is a modern adaptation of traditional jujitsu. The founder, Dr. Jigoro Kano, stated that Judo is the elevation of an art to a principle. In studying Judo, it is essential to train the body and to cultivate the mind through the practice of methods of attack and defense. The four basic areas of Judo are throws, hold downs, chokes and arm locks.

Most Americans, influenced by Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan martial arts movies, assume Judo is about hitting, kicking and the total destruction of the opponents. Judo is far from that. Although Judo has its roots in martial arts, it has structured rules, strict safety regulations and adheres to the ethical philosophies of an educator and founder of Judo, Professor Jigoro Kano. In 1882, Professor Kano founded the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo, Japan, which still is the international authority for Judo.
It is a modern adaptation of traditional jujitsu. Dr. Jigoro Kano, stated that Judo is the elevation of an art to a principle. In studying Judo, it is essential to train the body and to cultivate the mind through the practice of methods of attack and defense. There are four basic ways to win in Judo, by throwing the opponent on their back, pinning the opponent for 25 seconds, submission by chokes, and submission by locks to the elbow joint. Chokes and joint locks are prohibited for junior participants. Since 1964, Judo has been an Olympic sport. As with all Olympic sports, it takes many years of dedication and hard work to be competitive.

More than competition and hard work, Judo is a way of life. The philosophy in judo is “Maximum, Efficient use of Energy of Mind and Body and Mutual Welfare and Benefit.” The practitioners of Judo not only apply these principals to Judo but to everyday life.

Since 1927, Sawtelle Judo Dojo has trained our students based on these founding principles of Judo as a form of physical fitness, self-defense and to the application of these principles in any endeavor in your life and to the benefit of others and society as a whole. Sawtelle Judo Dojo is one of the oldest Judo schools in the United States. Its doors were closed during WWII. Later re-opened in 1950, Sawtelle Judo Dojo is dedicated to introducing interested students to the principles of Kodokan Judo, not only as a practical sport and self-defense mechanism but as a principle that maximizes efficient use of the mind and body. The fine instruction and practice facilities have resulted in many junior and senior champions of whom we are very proud of.

Sawtelle Judo Dojo is affiliated with the following organizations:

United States Judo Federation (USJF)

Nanka Judo Yudanshakai (Southern California Judo Black Belt Association)

United States Judo Association (USJA)