Judo Club
NCJA National Championships:
- 2015 Hiroshi Yamaguchi, 1st
- 2015 Sofia Greco-Byrne, 3rd
- 2016 Nicole Taniguchi, 3rd
- 2017 John Leece, 2nd
- 2018 Sofia Greco-Byrne, 3rd
- 2018 Czarina Pineda-Abaya, 1st
- 2018 John Leece, 1st
- 2018 Michael Serra, 2nd
- 2019 John Leece, 1st
- 2019 John , 2nd
- 2019 Natalie Ortez-Arevalo, 2nd
- 2019 Lana Kinnear, 2nd
- 2019 Meiling Westburg, 2nd
- 2019 Czarina Pineda- Abaya, 3rd
- 2023 Victoria Nguyen, 1st
Judo (meaning "gentle way") is a modern martial art, combat, and Olympic sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the objective is to either throw or take down an opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue an opponent with a pin, or force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke.
Originally founded by Sensei Mits Kimura in 1962, the USF Judo Club, which is a competitive club on campus, has recently been revived. Sensei Kevin Oh has restarted the club in the hopes of providing access to USF students interested in the art. Students from beginner to advanced are encouraged to participate.
Sport Judo has many fitness benefits and can aid in the development of self-defense skills. The art can be enjoyed recreationally and those with a competitive edge have access to competition. The curriculum is designed for participants of all skill levels to prosper.
The USF Judo Club focuses on Olympic-style Judo and sends those interested in competition out to local and national Judo tournaments. Participants are matched up against others with similar skill sets to compete for medals.
To connect with the Club Judo Officers please email clubsports@usfca.edu.
Sensei: Kevin Oh
2019 Coach of the Year - Kevin (Sensei Oh) is the definition of going above and beyond. Not only does his passion for the martial art fuel the students, but he genuinely believes in each and every one of them. He teaches the students that if you work hard and put the effort in, anything is possible. When COVID-19 cancelled Judo for the remainder of the Spring Semester, he reached out to the students weekly to check in and provided Zoom workouts from home. He creates a welcoming, inclusive and fun experience for anyone looking to join with little to no experience. He is an inspiration to all of the students and they are extremely grateful!
USF Student Testimonials:
“I joined my club sport because growing up in Hawaii judo was a very prominent sport. When I learned USF had a judo club I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet new people and learn new skills which I did! The best part of my club is the fact that we all see it as more than just a sports club. We have all grown together and become a family.
My favorite club sport memory is when Sensei Oh won coach of the year because it was nice to see him and the judo club get recognized for all the hard work and love he has put into judo. Some advice to future participants is to not be afraid to try something new. I never had experience doing judo before joining the club but that shouldn’t stop you from wanting to try something new. Everyone has to start somewhere!” - Meiling Westberg [USF Graduate]
