Sacramento Judo Club

Although a small judo club, the dojo directed by Sensei Harvey and Mac teaches judo to its full potential with techniques that work in self defense and in competition. At first I didn't really like judo that much but after a couple months I felt like I belonged... And you should to because everybody is kind and will teach you at your own pace and speed. In the end, you will be the best judoka of you, all you need is passion and commitment. In conclusion, the Sacremento Judo Club is a great judo club that I recommend to all you judokas or people wanting to learn self defense.

I found this club from a relative, saying how the Sensei was old school, and very traditional.I'm talking about the rear 2000.We lived in Elk Grove and would drive the boys here, three days a week. The boys's dad wasn't very interested, but after time, he ended up appreciating us signing up. (He also became an instructor)!We had so much fun, and learned so much from other parents.We grew very close to all the families, traveled to all the tournaments and spent time with our kids.Over the years, the families started to fall, and most ended up getting divorced.Still the discipline that was taught, the accomplishments that were achieved, were a great part of being with the club.Thanks to the Takeda family, and all the sensei's past and present for dedicating your life to a truly great sport!Miss you guys!

Went to a tournament today that was run by this club at CRC and was very disappointed. The club accepted the $120 registration fee each that our friend paid for his two girls. Of his two daughters there was only 1 competitor for one of them to face and the other daughter had no one for her to compete against in her weight class. When he asked for a refund of $120 for the one daughter who didn't get to compete at all their response was "it says no refunds on the registration form, didn't you read that part?" Of course it was read, but how is someone registering supposed to know how many people are signed up for a specific weight class? That's not information that is readily available and they sure didn't bother to share it when he checked in the day before. Basic professionalism and courtesy would dictate that if you can't provide the experience paid for you would understand that it's not the fault of the registrant and refund for the 1 participant. Unfortunately this organization lacks both professionalism and courtesy. I will never attend one of their events again and I would be very wary of anything they manage. In short this place runs a fairly shoddy tournament that can't draw all the weight classes but they won't tell you that, they will accept your money and tell you tough luck. They don't care that you took time to travel and stay out of town to be there and that you paid them for something they couldn't deliver.

I grew up in this club! One of the most formative experiences in my life. Sensei Takeda develops you as an athlete and human being. You learn real judo here. Will always be grateful for my time here. -Ted Scott-Smith (Shodan)

I have been a student for almost a year now I have achieved some goals but not all. All coach really good I have not got 1st place yet. But I know I will some day

My son has been training at Sacramento Judo Club since we moved from the Bay Area about three years ago. He was at Silicon Valley Judo prior to that. When we moved, Tilly Mayeda of SVJ recommended Sacramento Judo Club to us. She said Sensei Mac was "everybody's grandpa" and that we would like it here. We do.Judo is good for all ages, but especially for youths. Like wrestling - unlike karate - there is no kicking or striking in judo. So kids not only get conditioning and learn technique, they get the experience of going 'live' against opponents on a regular basis. My older son studied a different martial art and only got to spar once a week, wearing pads, after he was fairly advanced. In judo, live goes (randori) happen almost every practice, even for beginners.Besides the obvious training benefits, this means in judo your child comes face-to-face with adversity right away. This is preparation for life.Haven't we all met young martial arts students who've spent their time kicking/punching the air and getting promoted, who have an inflated opinion of their abilities? The randori of judo training means your kid gets to learn humble persistence. A Korean saying is you should "buy adversity" for your children. They will get that in judo and it is beneficial.Sacramento Judo Club is a great place to learn judo and train. The Sensei's are very experienced, dedicated, and giving. There is a good balance of pushing the kids and maintaining a friendly kind environment.The club is known for teaching good traditional judo and the senseis are widely known and respected. I was talking with another man at a tournament recently and when I said we were from Sacramento Judo Club, his first comment was "That's good judo."Whether you have an energetic kid who needs an outlet for his/her extra energy or a shy kid who needs an encouraging environment where he can build his confidence, you are missing out if you don't give Sacramento Judo Club a try.

A dojo where students and Senseis are honored with respect. Great camaraderie, supportive families, and teaching discipline and commitment. Students of all ages are encouraged from early grade school to the mature adult. Classes are offered according to skill level Monday through Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Training for competition or for your personal best inspires students to work hard, never give up, follow through, and strive high. The physical, mental, and emotional commitment goes a long way beyond the work out mats. Students take these lessons through life in their studies, jobs, relationships, and personal growth. Come out and experience a lifestyle that is time honored, internationally recognized for the physical and mental attributes, competitive and great fun.

Disappointed. I was tempted to give them 2 stars only because the lady that helped me was very friendly.I'm only giving them 1 star because they did not allow my two daughters to try a class. I was told I had to sign both of them up and pay the initiation, processing, yearly fees & purchase a gi/kimono from them before they could even step foot on the mat. Mind you, both my kids do Jiu jitsu and had their gi's with them when we showed up. I wish she had explained this to me when she returned my call and left a message. How are kids or adults supposed to find out if the school or the sport is the right fit for them if you're not able to try a class? I will not be going back and will be looking elsewhere for Judo classes.Added note:As far as the location...Some people might like to know it's right next door to a Medical Marijuana dispensary.

I felt I had to clear some things up after reading a few negative reviews that I felt did not accurately reflect the quality of the school as well some negative comments towards Sensei Takeda that were unwarranted.First, a little background on myself. I've trained in various martial arts prior to discovering Judo when I was in college and took a semester of it at Sacramento State and was hooked. Shortly after I joined Sacramento Judo Club in 2005 and eventually was promoted to 1st degree black belt by Sensei Matsuo "Mac" Takeda . I also hold a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under the instruction of Professor Gustavo Enriquez. I currently don't train with Sacramento Judo due to injuries and a busy family life, but my time there has been life changing and rewarding. The Dojo is run by Sensei Mac Takeda who is a 7th degree black belt as well as a group of black belt instructors who are all volunteers. Led by Sensei Takeda I believe the school has fostered a tradition of family, discipline, and respect. A lot of schools these days only seem to emphasize winning at all costs. While Sensei Takeda has always emphasized a Judo that uses proper form, technique, leverage and efficiency. I believe more so that Sensei Takeda has taught and preached a form of Judo that is just as much about perfecting one's character to better society than just winning matches. Overs the years Sensei Takeda has dedicated his life to this vision and taught people of all ages these values and skills. It is unfortunate that some people can only see their own ambitions and not how Sensei Takeda has served his students.As far as the training goes at Sacramento Judo Club you will learn traditional Kodokan Judo as well as the competitive aspects of Olympic sport judo.First, Sensei Takeda is an encyclopedia of Judo and his knowledge is one of the best on the west coast and the U.S. for that matter. I remember when I first started Sensei Takeda had already had already suffered a stroke that prevented him from competing. In spite of this when it came time for Sensei Takeda to demonstrate a technique it was one that was of perfect form and the speed and power of a twenty year old even though he was pushing towards 60 at that time. I have also not encountered anyone with his level of grip strength and technique in chokes in either Judo or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The bottom line is that at the Sacramento Judo Club you learn a strong and diversified takedown game as well as a fast and aggressive style of ground fighting that utilizes a lot of pins and holds to control your opponent on the ground as well as submissions such as chokes and armbars. Having trained in many martial art schools, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and some other Judo schools I can say without a doubt that Sacramento Judo Club is the most physically challenging and toughest workout of all. After a year of training I was in the best shape of my life.As far as the reviewer mentioning about all the upfront costs and yearly fees one must pay before even trying a class. I know this can be frustrating as I've trained in Jiu Jitsu and other martial arts and almost every school I've encountered will simply have you sign a waiver to release any liability as a result of injury, death, etc. just to try a class. One must understand that pretty much all Judo schools in the U.S. fall under the umbrella of three organizations the USJF, USJA, and the USJI which mainly deals with high level players and that are nationally ranked, world ranked, or Olympic level. So if you operate a Judo club you will usually fall under the USJF or USJA. I know the USJF yearly fee is currently at 50 dollars and the main purpose of these fees or for liability and insurance reasons in case you get hurt. It sucks in a way because the deductible from what I remembered was pretty high and the max benefit was a pretty low amount. Unfortunately, any legitimate judo school that I know of fall under these organizations and their rules and that is the only way you can obtain a rank in Judo through these organizations. On the plus side if you do obtain a rank your rank is recognized no matter what organization you go in the U.S. or the world for that matter. The only way around this is maybe a Judo class in college or an MMA school that will teach you judo throws, but I guarantee that the quality will probably not be the same. For some Judo athletes the highest achievement and main goal is to reach the Olympics and you can only get that from training at a Judo club. Also, most judo schools on the west coast are non-profit and as a result have relatively low monthly fees. I know Sacramento Judo Club only charges 50 bucks a month with no contracts or testing fees. You only have to pay a yearly fee and the month to month. I guarantee that you can't say that about most jiu jitsu schools or karate schools for that matter.

If you are looking for a quick route to a black belt, look elsewhere. However, if you are looking for :* great Judo training & instructions,* belts that will actually mean something,* a large enough club to allow for consistently good training partners,* strict adherence to Japanese tradition, and yet an open mind to sister sports like Jiu Jitsu and wrestling (they will help you modify techniques from other sports in order to make them work better in Judo),you've found the right club.Sacramento Judo Club is the oldest Judo club in Northern California and its membership ranks in the top 10 in the US. It's no coincidence. A lot of hard work over many years has gone into this. Sensei Takeda gets much credit for having assembled an amazing group of instructors, all of which are volunteers (nobody is paid at Sacramento Judo Club!). The love of the sport and the Dojo is what drives everyone.Parents: Unlike some martial arts clubs that use belts as a pretext to charge parents more and more money, Sacramento Judo Club only assigns belts based on merit - promotion fees, I'm guessing, barely cover the cost of the new belt and the related paperwork. My kids took a year just to get to yellow belts, but they knew it meant something when they received theirs - so much so that it meant more to them than any of their Christmas gifts that year. When I asked them why, each one responded "because I earned it".This club is a gem. Don't miss out. It's worth a try.PS: Indeed, because there is liability involved with any fighting sport such as Judo, the first visit might seem burdensome due to paperwork - that is unavoidable. It's well worth it, however.