Washington Judo Academy

Washington Judo Academy in Bellevue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit run entirely by volunteers with professional coaching credentials. As the club puts it, all membership fees go to rent and the program, “including inviting top-level international coaches to come and teach at the academy.” It teaches judo to everyone from toddlers to adults and runs a no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu program alongside. Kids start as young as age 2, in their own classes.

The adult judo class is open to adults and teenagers and works on physical conditioning, technical drilling and sparring (randori); the club sums it up as “drilling, friendly sparring, and an open-door culture.” Monday's class focuses on skill-building, and the club calls it “an excellent day for new adult students to join the program.” On Fridays the class is combined with an open mat, where new students work with a black belt instructor on movement drills and throwing techniques. The club welcomes grapplers of any style from around the area during its open mat hours.

BJJ is taught by Black Belt professor Jerry Tindall, who specializes in no-gi. His game combines old-school jiu-jitsu and modern wrestling and centers on positional control from top and bottom. Tindall is also a regular in the adult judo classes and encourages students to cross-train between grappling styles. The club says its BJJ classes suit all levels, from beginners to advanced. A message to the club is the way to find out which days BJJ classes meet.

The first class is a free trial. Before it, the club asks a few questions to match each family member with the right class: their ages and any prior judo, BJJ or wrestling experience. What to wear on the mat that first day is easy to raise in the same exchange. Private lessons give one-on-one coaching for an adult or a child.