Organized by USA Judo
Griffin Judo hosts a seminar led by Miguel Romero Azpitarte in Berkeley on August 29, 2026. The session focuses on technique instruction for judoka of all ages and ranks rather than tournament competition.
This is a judo instructional seminar hosted by Griffin Judo and led by Miguel Romero Azpitarte, run under USA Judo, the sport's national governing body. Unlike a tournament, there's no competition or bracket here — it's a hands-on clinic focused on technique, drilling, and coaching points, open to judoka across ranks and age groups who want direct instruction from an experienced practitioner. The seminar takes place August 29, 2026 in Berkeley, CA, hosted at Griffin Judo's home club. As with most USA Judo-affiliated clinics, attendees typically need current USA Judo membership (or an event-only option for first-timers) to participate — confirm requirements when you register. Sign up through USA Judo's Smoothcomp event page.
USA Judo is the official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic national governing body for judo, headquartered at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO. It runs national point tournaments, national championships, and international team selection events — distinct from the grassroots-focused USJA and USJF.
Judo matches are decided by ippon — a full-point score that ends the match instantly. Ippon is awarded for a throw that lands the opponent largely on their back with speed and control, for a 20-second pin (osaekomi), or for a submission by strangle or armlock in the senior divisions. Lesser throws and shorter pins score waza-ari, and two waza-ari combine to make ippon.
Modern judo rules (based on the International Judo Federation rulebook) prohibit grabbing the legs in standing exchanges, and passivity or rule infractions draw shido penalties — accumulate three and the match is lost by hansoku-make. Armlocks and chokes are age-restricted, so junior divisions are typically throws-and-pins only.
Judo tournaments in the United States are generally sanctioned by USA Judo, USJA, or USJF, all of which follow IJF-based competition rules with local modifications for youth and novice divisions. Check the event's sanctioning body and division rules before registering.
Always confirm the official rulebook before you compete — organizations update rules between seasons. See the official event page for current rules.
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