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 and entry into USCJF members only Facebook group for access to videos, training materials and eligibility to participate in USCJF programs, 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 United States Combat Judo Federation. The charter recognizes the school as an Authorized USCJF Combat Judo Training School and remains with the approved school or club rather than with an individual instructor. To qualify for a USCJF School Charter, the school must have at least one instructor who holds a minimum of Level I USCJF Combat Judo Instructor Certification and remains a member in good standing.
USCJF Combat Judo Instructor Certification System
LEVEL I — CERTIFIED COMBAT JUDO INSTRUCTOR – 100 USD
The foundational USCJF teaching credential. The candidate demonstrates competency in the fundamental principles, techniques, safety practices, and teaching methodology of Combat Judo. A Level I instructor is qualified to independently teach the fundamental USCJF Combat Judo curriculum .
Authority: May serve as the qualifying instructor for a USCJF School Charter.
LEVEL II — ADVANCED COMBAT JUDO INSTRUCTOR – 150 USD
Recognizes an instructor who has progressed beyond fundamental instruction and demonstrates advanced technical and tactical understanding of Combat Judo. The instructor should be capable of integrating striking, posture disruption, aggressive entry, throws, takedowns, standing controls, groundwork, and transitions into a cohesive fighting method.
Authority: May teach fundamental and advanced USCJF Combat Judo curriculum and conduct seminars within the scope of certification.
LEVEL III — SENIOR COMBAT JUDO INSTRUCTOR – 200 USD
A senior instructional designation recognizing substantial teaching experience and a comprehensive understanding of Combat Judo methodology. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to analyze and teach the biomechanical and tactical principles behind techniques rather than simply reproduce them. A Level III instructor should also understand the historical development of American Combat Judo and the relationship between traditional Judo and military-style combatives.
Authority: May mentor Level I and Level II instructors and assist USCJF with instructor development and technical evaluations.
LEVEL IV — SENIOR COMBAT JUDO INSTRUCTOR / EXAMINER – 250 USD
This should be the point where certification moves from being primarily an instructor credential to an organizational leadership credential. Level IV recognizes instructors with extensive teaching experience, exceptional technical competency, demonstrated leadership, and a record of maintaining USCJF standards.
Authority: May teach the complete USCJF curriculum, develop instructors, conduct authorized instructor evaluations, recommend candidates for certification, and serve as a USCJF technical examiner when authorized by the Federation.
LEVEL V — MASTER COMBAT JUDO INSTRUCTOR – 300 USD
The highest instructional designation awarded by the United States Combat Judo Federation. Level V should recognize mastery of the complete Combat Judo methodology, extensive teaching experience, exceptional technical and tactical knowledge, leadership, instructor development, and significant contributions to the preservation, research, development, or transmission of American Combat Judo.
Authority: May teach and evaluate the complete USCJF curriculum, develop senior instructors, conduct advanced instructor evaluations, participate in establishing technical standards, and serve in senior technical leadership positions within USCJF.
USCJF Instructor Certification Progression
USCJF Combat Judo Instructor Certification is a progressive five-level training and development program. Each level builds upon the technical knowledge, tactical understanding, teaching methodology, and experience developed in the preceding level. All five certification courses must be completed in sequential order. There are no course exemptions, accelerated entry points, or skipping of certification levels. Regardless of an individual’s Judo rank, martial arts rank, teaching experience, or credentials from another organization, every candidate begins with Level I and progresses through the USCJF instructor curriculum in order. Prior experience may make a candidate better prepared for the curriculum, but it does not replace the curriculum.
USCJF Instructor Certification recognizes demonstrated competency and instructional authority in Combat Judo. It does not confer, replace, or imply 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. 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.
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.
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 Member 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.
USCJF Standards of Conduct
Members, instructors, and chartered schools of the United States Combat Judo Federation are expected to uphold the integrity, traditions, and professional standards of the Federation.
All USCJF members shall:
- Conduct themselves with integrity, respect, and professionalism both within and outside the training environment.
- Represent rank, certifications, experience, and credentials truthfully and never misrepresent USCJF recognition or authority.
- Maintain appropriate standards of safety and responsible instruction when teaching or practicing Combat Judo.
- Preserve the historical and technical integrity of Combat Judo while encouraging responsible research, training, and continued development.
- Never use USCJF membership, rank recognition, instructor certification, or school charter status in a fraudulent, misleading, or unethical manner.
- Uphold USCJF standards when representing the Federation publicly or operating an authorized USCJF training school.
Membership, certification, rank recognition, or school charter status may be suspended or revoked for violations of these standards or conduct that materially damages the integrity of the Federation.
USCJF credentials represent responsibility as well as recognition.
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.