OUR MISSION
The mission of the United States Combat Judo Federation is to preserve, research, teach, and advance America’s fighting Judo heritage while maintaining high standards of technical competency, historical integrity, and practical application.
Throughout American history, Judo and Judo-derived methods have been adapted for military hand-to-hand combat, self-defense, physical training, and practical close-quarters fighting. American military programs integrated throwing and grappling with striking, aggressive balance disruption, and other close-combat methods. During World War II, Judo training appeared in specialized military programs, including the Army Amphibious Training Center and the Alamo Scouts. The USCJF exists to help ensure that this important part of American Judo history is remembered, researched, practiced, and passed to future generations.
Judo Beyond the Tournament
The USCJF respects traditional and competitive Judo. Sport has played an enormous role in preserving Judo and developing generations of skilled Judoka. However, Combat Judo addresses a different training objective. Combat Judo examines what happens when Judo is returned to a broader fighting environment. That includes striking and striking entries, aggressive posture disruption, throws and takedowns, standing controls, groundwork, submissions, transitions, and the adaptation of Judo mechanics to practical situations.
Historical American military programs repeatedly adapted Judo-derived throwing mechanics to military uniforms and circumstances where conventional sleeve-and-lapel gripping could not be assumed. The underlying mechanics of balance, leverage, positioning, timing, momentum, and body control remain relevant regardless of clothing. For that reason, the USCJF recognizes both Gi and No-Gi Combat Judo as important components of a complete fighting-Judo education.
Our Purpose
The USCJF is built around four principles:
HISTORY ★ TRADITION ★ TECHNIQUE ★ PRACTICAL APPLICATION
History means researching and preserving the people, programs, manuals, training methods, and institutions that contributed to the development of American fighting Judo.
Tradition means respecting Judo’s foundations while recognizing the distinctly American history of adapting those principles for military combatives, self-defense, and practical fighting.
Technique means maintaining high technical standards. Combat Judo should not become an excuse for poor Judo. Effective application still depends upon balance, posture, leverage, positioning, timing, movement, and sound throwing mechanics.
Practical Application means understanding how those techniques must change when the circumstances change. The opponent may not be wearing a judogi. A conventional grip may not be available. Striking may precede the throw. The environment may be very different from a competition mat. Combat Judo prepares the practitioner to adapt the principles rather than depend upon a single set of conditions.
Preserving Standards Without Rank Politics
The USCJF is also intended to maintain a clear distinction between membership, rank, and teaching authority. Membership in the Federation does not purchase Judo rank. Holding Judo rank does not automatically make someone a USCJF Combat Judo instructor. Likewise, instructor certification does not automatically confer Judo rank.
USCJF instructor certification is based upon demonstrated knowledge and teaching competency through a progressive Level I, Level II, Level III, Level IV and Level V structure. Judo rank recognition is handled through a separate process and is available only after an individual has established a meaningful relationship with the organization through at least one year of membership. The objective is straightforward: credentials should represent accomplishment, not politics, favoritism, or the payment of a fee.
A Federation for Fighting Judo
The USCJF is not being created to replace traditional Judo organizations or compete with organizations governing Olympic Judo. It serves a different purpose. The United States Combat Judo Federation provides a home for Judoka, martial artists, instructors, researchers, historians, military-combatives practitioners, and schools interested in studying and preserving Judo as a practical fighting method. We believe the sporting and combative expressions of Judo can coexist. Understanding one can deepen appreciation of the other.
Most importantly, we believe America’s fighting-Judo heritage deserves to be preserved.
Historically and technically, Combat Judo shouldn’t be defined as simply “no-gi Judo.” Its methods can be practiced with or without a judogi or jacket. What changes is the gripping and control strategy—not necessarily the underlying principles of balance disruption, positioning, leverage, impact, and throwing mechanics. The United States Combat Judo Federation recognizes Combat Judo as a practical fighting method that can be trained and applied both with and without the traditional judogi.
Combat Judo is not defined by clothing. Its fundamental principles, balance disruption, posture destruction, positioning, leverage, striking integration, control, takedowns, throws, and ground control remain applicable regardless of whether the practitioner is wearing a judogi, ordinary clothing, or training without a jacket. Gi training develops powerful gripping, pulling, controlling, and throwing skills while preserving the traditional Judo foundation from which much of Combat Judo developed. No-gi training teaches the practitioner to accomplish the same tactical objectives through body control, under hooks, over hooks, head-and-arm control, limb control, pressure, striking entries, and other forms of attachment that do not depend upon clothing. The uniform may change. The principles do not.
USCJF Membership & Credential Structure
Individual Lifetime Membership — $50 USD
One-time membership in the United States Combat Judo Federation. Membership provides affiliation with the USCJF and eligibility to participate in USCJF programs, seminars, certifications, and recognition processes. Membership does not confer rank. Rank does not confer instructor certification. Instructor certification does not automatically confer rank.
Sample shown left for illustration. Official certificates are individually issued to approved USCJF members and include a unique membership number.
School Lifetime Charter — $100 USD
A one-time charter for qualifying martial arts schools, clubs, and training groups wishing to become officially affiliated with the USCJF. The charter remains with the approved school or club rather than an individual instructor.
USCJF COMBAT JUDO INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION
USCJF Combat Judo Instructor Certification is separate from Judo rank. Combat Judo and traditional Judo share a common technical foundation, but Combat Judo represents a distinctly different tactical approach. It emphasizes aggressive posture disruption, striking integration, immediate entry, forward pressure, throws, takedowns, control, and practical fighting application in both Gi and No-Gi environments.
LEVEL I — COMBAT JUDO ASSISTANT INSTRUCTOR — $100
Foundation-level certification demonstrating competency in the fundamental principles and core techniques of Combat Judo and the ability to safely assist with instruction.
LEVEL II — CERTIFIED COMBAT JUDO INSTRUCTOR — $150
Demonstrates the technical and instructional competency necessary to independently teach Combat Judo, including striking integration, posture disruption, aggressive entry, throws, takedowns, controls, groundwork, and Gi/No-Gi application.
LEVEL III — ADVANCED COMBAT JUDO INSTRUCTOR — $200
Advanced certification demonstrating a high degree of technical and tactical proficiency, instructional ability, and understanding of Combat Judo methodology and practical application.
LEVEL IV — SENIOR COMBAT JUDO INSTRUCTOR — $250
Senior-level certification recognizing substantial teaching experience, comprehensive knowledge of Combat Judo, advanced instructional ability, leadership, and the ability to mentor and evaluate developing instructors.
LEVEL V — MASTER COMBAT JUDO INSTRUCTOR — $300
The highest USCJF instructional designation, recognizing exceptional technical knowledge, extensive teaching experience, mastery of Combat Judo principles and methodology, and significant contribution to the preservation, development, and transmission of Combat Judo.
Certification and evaluation fees do not guarantee certification. Candidates must satisfy the technical, instructional, experience, and evaluation requirements established by the USCJF for the level sought.
USCJF instructor certifications are lifetime credentials, subject to the holder remaining in good standing and adhering to USCJF standards of conduct and Code Of Ethics.
USCJF Instructor Levels measure competency in Combat Judo—not Judo rank. Traditional Judo rank and Combat Judo instructor certification are complementary but separate. A high Judo rank does not automatically qualify an individual for a senior Combat Judo instructor designation, nor does a senior Combat Judo instructor certification automatically confer Judo rank.
RANK RECOGNITION – 75 USD
USCJF Judo Rank Recognition is available to members in good standing only after a minimum of one continuous year of USCJF membership. The $75 processing and evaluation fee does not guarantee recognition or promotion. Rank must be supported by appropriate documentation, training history, technical knowledge, experience, and/or evaluation as determined by the USCJF. USCJF Rank Recognition acknowledges legitimately earned Judo rank; it is not a mechanism for purchasing rank or circumventing normal promotion requirements.
ALL fees are to be paid to winterhavenjudo@gmail.com via PAYPAL.
JUDO RANK AND COMBAT JUDO INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION
Judo and Combat Judo are complementary, but they are not identical disciplines. Traditional Judo provides much of the technical foundation upon which Combat Judo is built. Combat Judo, however, applies those principles within a more aggressive fighting methodology emphasizing striking, immediate posture disruption, forward pressure, rapid entry, takedowns, throws, control, and practical application.
For this reason, Judo rank and USCJF Combat Judo Instructor Certification represent different accomplishments.
A high Judo rank does not automatically qualify an individual for an advanced USCJF Combat Judo Instructor designation. Likewise, earning an advanced Combat Judo Instructor certification does not automatically confer Judo rank.
Judo rank recognizes accomplishment in Judo. Combat Judo Instructor Certification recognizes demonstrated competency in teaching and applying Combat Judo.
CODE OF ETHICS
USCJF members and instructors are expected to conduct themselves with integrity, represent their credentials accurately, maintain appropriate standards of instruction and safety, and never misrepresent USCJF membership as conferring rank or authority that has not been formally awarded or recognized.
THE UNITED STATES COMBAT JUDO FEDERATION
Preserving America’s Fighting Judo Heritage
HISTORY ★ TRADITION ★ TECHNIQUE ★ PRACTICAL APPLICATION
The United States Combat Judo Federation (USCJF) is an independent martial arts organization. USCJF is not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Armed Forces, Department of Defense, United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, USA Judo, or any governmental agency. Historical references to military Combat Judo are presented for educational and historical purposes. © 2026 CombatJudo.net / United States Combat Judo Federation. All Rights Reserved.