By Barron Shepherd, Founder and President, United States Combat Judo Federation
The United States Combat Judo Federation was not established to become another large martial arts organization. We are not interested in competing with other federations for membership numbers, collecting affiliations, or redefining Combat Judo to accommodate every interpretation of what someone believes it should be. The USCJF was established for one specific purpose: to recover, preserve, teach, and carry forward the U.S. Army’s historical method of fighting Judo—a body of knowledge that has largely faded from modern martial arts instruction.
That purpose defines who we are and what we intend to accomplish.
Our Focus Is Historical Preservation
During the twentieth century, the U.S. Army incorporated Judo-derived methods into its hand-to-hand combat training. These methods were adapted to the requirements of soldiers who needed practical fighting skills rather than techniques designed exclusively for sporting competition. The resulting instruction emphasized practical entries, rapid disruption of an opponent’s posture, throws, takedowns, and methods of controlling an adversary.
The historical Army approach is the foundation of what we are working to preserve.
Over the decades, military training programs changed, manuals were revised, and many of these older methods disappeared from the instructional curriculum. Although historical manuals and other records survive, much of the associated knowledge is no longer widely taught as an integrated method. The USCJF seeks to recover that knowledge through historical research, examination of period military manuals, technical analysis, and practical instruction.
We are not attempting to invent a new fighting system and give it an old name. We are attempting to preserve an old fighting method and ensure that its knowledge survives.
We Are Not Here to Redefine Combat Judo
Today, the term Combat Judo is used by different instructors and organizations to describe a variety of approaches to martial arts. We recognize that other organizations have their own interpretations, training methods, and objectives. They are free to pursue them. But those interpretations do not determine the mission of the USCJF.
Our Federation has a clearly defined historical and technical focus: the study and preservation of the American military’s Judo-based hand-to-hand combat methods, particularly those documented in the U.S. Army’s historical training programs. We examine how techniques were taught, how soldiers were instructed to enter into them, how striking and posture disruption were integrated with throwing, and how Judo principles were adapted to practical fighting conditions.
Where historical documentation establishes a method, we seek to preserve it accurately. Where we develop modern interpretations or instructional refinements, we should identify them as such rather than present them as original military doctrine. This distinction is essential to responsible preservation. We are not concerned with convincing everyone that our interpretation must become their interpretation. Our responsibility is to the historical material, the technical knowledge, and the integrity of what we teach.
We Are Not Trying to Build the Largest Federation
The success of the USCJF will not be measured by how many thousands of members we can recruit. A large membership means very little if an organization loses sight of its original purpose. We would rather have a smaller community of dedicated individuals who genuinely appreciate this history, study the techniques, understand the methodology, and contribute to its preservation than build a massive organization with no common direction.
Membership should represent an interest in what the USCJF actually stands for.
Our instructor certification program reflects that philosophy. Every candidate begins with Level I and progresses sequentially through the five levels. There are no skipped courses based upon outside rank, reputation, or organizational credentials. This is not intended to diminish anyone’s previous accomplishments. It ensures that every USCJF-certified instructor has studied our specific curriculum and understands the method they are being certified to teach.
Likewise, a USCJF School Charter requires a properly certified instructor. We want affiliated schools to represent the method accurately, not simply display a Federation certificate. Standards must mean more than membership numbers.
Preserving the Method, Not Just the Techniques
A collection of throws does not constitute a complete fighting method. The Army’s historical approach must be studied in terms of how its components worked together. The relationship between striking, posture disruption, footwork, entry, throwing, and control is just as important as the individual techniques themselves. Understanding why a particular entry was used, how it created the conditions for a takedown, and how the technique functioned within the broader method is central to our work.
We also recognize that this tradition includes applications both with and without conventional jacket grips. The USCJF is committed to studying these principles through historical documentation, technical instruction, and biomechanical analysis while clearly distinguishing documented military practice from modern adaptations. Preservation means maintaining the integrity of the method—not merely reproducing photographs from an old manual.
Our Mission Is Bigger Than an Organization
The USCJF is ultimately about ensuring that an important part of America’s fighting-Judo heritage is not forgotten. That requires individuals willing to study the history, examine the original sources, learn the methods, develop instructional competency, and pass the knowledge to future generations. We welcome those who share that commitment.
We are not asking everyone to agree with our approach, abandon their current organizations, or accept our interpretation of Combat Judo as their own. We simply intend to remain faithful to our mission. We are not building the USCJF to be the biggest. We are building it to preserve something worth saving. If that purpose resonates with you, we invite you to become part of the United States Combat Judo Federation.
UNITED STATES COMBAT JUDO FEDERATION
Preserving America’s Fighting Judo Heritage.
Our mission is preservation. Our commitment is historical integrity. Our responsibility is to the next generation.
Learn more about the USCJF at CombatJudo.net
