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National Governing Body · United States

USA Judo

Judo's U.S. governing body — one of the few NGBs covering an Olympic and a Paralympic discipline, in a country whose dan grading is split three ways.
✓ Last reviewed: August 2026
SportJudo
HeadquartersColorado Springs, Colorado
Members13,000+ annually
CoversOlympic judo and Paralympic judo for the visually impaired
LeadershipCorinne Shigemoto, CEO (2025) · Dr Ronald Tripp, President
SelectionRanked rosters + IJF World Ranking cut-offs by weight

What is USA Judo?

USA Judo is the national governing body for judo in the United States, recognised by the IJF and the USOPC. It is also a member of the International Blind Sports Association, which makes it one of the few American NGBs governing an Olympic and a Paralympic discipline within a single organisation. It is based in Colorado Springs and reports more than 13,000 members a year.[1] [2]

What does it do?

It issues individual memberships and licences, sanctions events, and runs the National Point Tournament circuit and the National Ranking Rosters — senior, junior, veteran and visually impaired. It stages the Junior Olympics, the Senior Nationals, kata and veterans programmes; operates the National Resident Training Program in Colorado Springs; and certifies coaches and referees, delivering IJF Academy courses.[1] [3]

How does it select the national team?

By ranking, against published cut-off dates. To sit on a National Ranking Roster an athlete must hold current USA Judo membership and documented U.S. citizenship on their profile — and a lapse in membership removes them and forfeits all accrued points. Domestic points come from National Point Tournaments in the athlete's true age and weight division. International teams are then taken from the IJF World Ranking List at a set date: the 2026 Pan American–Oceania Championships team, for instance, was the top nine men and top nine women by IJF points within each weight division. Points are never combined across categories.[2] [3]

Dan grading is split three ways

An important peculiarity of American judo: USA Judo is the NGB and runs its own rank promotions, but it is not the only body that grades. The United States Judo Federation (founded 1952) and the United States Judo Association (1968) promote and certify dan ranks independently, and between them hold a large share of the country's graded judoka. The three bodies have been moving closer — USA Judo and the USJF announced reciprocal event membership in late 2025 and a partnership in 2026 — but a U.S. dan certificate still has to be read against which organisation issued it.[1] [4]

References

  1. USA Judo. Accessed August 2026.
  2. USA Judo — national ranking roster criteria. Accessed August 2026.
  3. USA Judo — 2026 Senior Pan American/Oceania team selection procedures. Accessed August 2026.
  4. USA Judo and the US Judo Federation announce reciprocal membership. Accessed August 2026.