Of Northern Virginia


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Picture of Olympian Maurice Allan, head judo instructor.

Head Instructor
Maurice Allan, MBE

Highlights

Mailing List

We have a mailing list for our members and interested judoka. It is a good way to stay in touch and to find out about upcoming competitions and other events. Unsolicited ads and spam are strictly prohibited.

SportJudo player performs well in Russia

Willie Inserra was one of only two US players to score during the competition in Russia. Read more here .

Judo Videos


Willie Inserra, Giuseppe Inserra and Lela Veskov All Medal at Junior Nationals!!
Willie accepting his Gold Medal Giuseppe accepting his Bronze Medal

Congratulations to our new Junior National Champions and Placewinner! These guys (and gal) have been working extremely hard and it shows in their competition performance!

SportJudo

SportJudo is a nationally known judo club located in northern Virginia's biggest MMA complex, the Warrior Gym of Alexandria. Our focus is on sport judo--big throws, submission techniques, and pins. We regularly compete in tournaments. A number of our members have won national trophies. We also have Fairfax County Police officers and soldiers who train with us as part of their self-defense regimen. Judo is a formidable (and fun) style of self-defense and sport for students from six to sixty. Stop by and see what judo can do for you!

Head Instructor

Head Instructor Maurice Allan is a former Olympic freestyle wrestler, 7th degree judo black belt, multiple British and Scottish Judo National Champion, and 1975 World Sambo Wrestling Champion. For his contributions to the grappling arts as a competitor and a teacher, his native Scotland recognized Maurice as the "Scottish Wrestler of the Century" and the Queen of England awarded him "Most Excellent Order of the British Empire." More about our head instructor...

Training

We welcome newcomers! We've got classes for all ages and skill levels. Competition is encouraged, but not required. Nobody is too weak or too out of shape to join. We provide beginners with training in the basics. As students progress, they are gradually phased into advanced drills and live judo grappling. We recognize that different ages and different body types adjust at a different pace and are willing to work with each student to maximize that student's potential. Click here for the training schedule...

Check out our kids program, JudoKids. We have a long history of teaching judo to children, teens, and young adults. Some of our kids have grown into nationally ranked competitors. More info on JudoKids...

Sport Judo has teamed up with BJJ great, Pedro Sauer. Pedro earned his BJJ blackbelt from the Gracie family and is recognized as one of the best BJJ instructors in the world. Find out more about Pedro Sauer...

Sport Judo's judoka can now cross train in BJJ and MMA at our Warriors Gym headquarters and at our affiliated schools. We encourage our judo players to cross train in BJJ, Muay Thai, and MMA. Check out our BJJ, Muay Thai, and MMA schedule at Warriors Gym...

Contact Info

If you have questions or want to try a class, please contact us. Call our head instructor, Maurice Allan, MBE, at (703) 407-1691 or email us at sensei@sportjudo.org....

SportJudo is located in Olympus Gym, just a half mile north of where I-395 intersects I-495 near Springfield, VA. The gym sits on the northwest corner of I-395 and Edsall Rd. For directions and a map...

Sport Judo members can join our mailing list and keep on top of upcoming events and team competitions. Click here to join...

Background

Judo is one of the oldest Japanese martial arts and is also an Olympic sport. The focus on athletic competition forces the judo player to develop techniques that work against an opponent resisting 100%. An athelete scores points by throwing the opponent onto the opponent's back, by pinning the opponent, or by submitting the opponent with an armbar or choke. Unlike some of the more stylized traditional martial arts, Judo does not rely on aesthetic judgments by masters to determine which technique is better. As with wrestling and other grappling sports, we test our techniques in the crucible of competition. For this reason, competition is a key part of the Judo curriculum, but developing proper technique is essential. Our classes combine technique drills with live competiton, known as "randori". Randori is the laboratory within which we test and develop effective technique, technique proven to work effectively against an opponent.

Submission techniques in BJJ, Sambo, and submission wrestling evolved primarily from judo kansetsu waza. Each has taken these techniques in a new direction. Many of us have seen kansetsu waza used to devastating effect by UFC fighters. Arm bars and chokes remain an important part of judo and are a core part of our curriculum. Sport Judo also offers today's grapplers and MMA atheletes a unique opportunity to work on throws that use the gi. Our training routinely includes drills that focus on the transition from a throw to groundwork. A number of competitors in other grappling styles train with our club because of the friendly, but competitive environment that we offer. We welcome wrestlers and BJJ players to our club. Come by and check us out!