Judo Classes: How to Add Them to Your Martial Arts School

So your academy offers BJJ most nights and Muay Thai two or three times a week. At some point, students begin asking about takedowns.

Coach, can we add judo classes to improve our stand-up game?

Can judo really fill that gap?

Danny Gutman of ITC New York mentions the imbalance in New York City:

Believe it or not, this scarcity can be wonderful for gym owners. A judo class page has far less competition for the people searching.

Here's the problem.

Staffing, beginner retention, and pricing require planning. Today we'll take a close look at how you can add judo classes without overcomplicating your existing operation.

If you're looking for a student's perspective, start with our updated guide: judo for beginners.

Why Judo Fills a Gap Your Schedule Already Has

As a martial art, judo is scarce.

This is part of the reason why judo is so difficult to staff. Teaching it safely requires specialized expertise. It’s hard to find credible, knowledgeable judokas.

Gutman has also described it as physically demanding, which can make retention challenging.

What makes judo so physically demanding?

When I first started judo, I found that it was (much) more physically demanding than jiu-jitsu. There were several aspects of judo that many students felt were too much.

1. The fear of falling. Falling can be very stressful for beginners. Our brain instantly activates our sympathetic nervous system. We get an adrenaline dump and all of the usual physical symptoms—rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, shaky legs, and muscle tightness. This is something many veterans take for granted.
2. What this means for instructors: When students are afraid of falling, awkward falls and an unwillingness to try new techniques are more common. Get students used to breakfalling, being held up by their partner, and rotating slowly through the air.
3. The constant impact. Absorbing the impact from a fall is rough. Using a proper breakfall (as a beginner) hurts your hands; poor positioning makes falls hurt more than they already do (e.g., having your knees clack together after a hip throw). Getting thrown repeatedly for an hour creates this kind of cumulative physical shock to your spine, hips, ribs, and shoulders. It’s something you feel physically for a few days afterward.
4. What this means for instructors: This cumulative impact means students will need more time to recover from each session. A better option would be to use controlled falls and practice throws from the knees to reduce the impact.
5. Being a punching bag. As a beginner judoka, you’ll spend most of your time flat on your back, feeling outmatched, uncoordinated, winded, and sore. This isn’t a great feeling, and it tends to wear on you over time, especially if you’re struggling to see progress or consistent growth.
6. What this means for instructors: Students have a harder time achieving quick wins. A better option? Pair students with safe partners who can help them work.
7. Joint and bone stress. Sprained fingers, jammed/turf toes, dislocated collarbones, and torn ligaments (e.g., ACL tears) are injuries that can be avoided if instructors help students avoid awkward landings or falling incorrectly.
8. What this means for instructors: Most of these happen when a student resists a throw instead of taking the fall. Teach the fall first.

Danny Gutman of ITC New York explains why:

This was definitely my experience.

But these are the factors that have a direct impact on your ability to retain students in your judo classes. How do you address these problems?

It’s simple: you ease students in gradually rather than throwing them into worst-case scenarios off the bat.

Judo participation vs access

USA Judo's historical membership numbers show us the differences between student participation and access: According to USA Judo, membership went from 9,907 in 2010 to 10,443 in 2022, while affiliated clubs grew from 256 (39 students per club) to 425 (25 students per club).

These figures cover USA Judo only; they don't include every national judo organization or organizations operating outside of other federations.

Clubs got smaller on average, which is why a judo class inside a gym that already has members makes more sense than opening a standalone dojo.

Judo draws its own students

Some students are drawn to judo in spite of the physical demands. Some people who are searching for judo aren't necessarily looking for BJJ or MMA.

Combat Sports Academy offers judo alongside other combat sports.

Treat judo as an independent, completely distinct program within your broader martial arts classes.

Decide Who the Class Is For

This is essential because you’ll want to start a judo class with the age groups you can staff consistently. Don't launch four separate programs before you've established demand.

San Diego Judo runs the full ladder. Most schools adding judo start with two rungs of it.

Hyland Hills Judo does the opposite: one class, one price, everyone together.

If you run the two youth tiers, a lot of your judo students will be kids, so hire a coach who's good with them.

These tiers are just one possible program structure; it’s not a universal age standard. San Diego Judo, for example, separates younger children from older kids and adults.

Two adult judo classes and two kids' classes per week is a good starting point; scaffolded learning ensures that students build on the previous session each week. Expand or contract as attendance and staffing dictate.

Keep in mind that kids can also introduce parents and siblings to your school.

Lakea Vargas of Combat Sports Academy prioritizes enrolling entire families.

Experience tells me this should be the goal because this approach connects your judo program to your existing kids program design and family memberships. This means you’ll need to structure your classes around the 99 sheep, not the 1% of competitors looking to go pro.

Solve the Instructor Problem Before Anything Else

Your instructor is the foundation of your judo program. If you spend the upfront time you need to find a quality instructor, the rest of the program gets much easier.

Culture fit is a make-or-break criterion here.

If your instructor loves brawling and hard rounds, you’ll want to tread carefully, as this may impact student retention negatively. It’s much more likely to magnify the risk and physical demands I mentioned earlier.

Imagine a beginner getting hip thrown by someone who isn’t trying to give them a safe landing or keep them safe.

Dan, a 40-year-old middle school teacher in my class, was seriously injured. He was thrown aggressively, dislocating his knee. This led to an expensive emergency room visit.

He was unable to work for several months. It created major problems for him in his personal life.

Over time, everyone in our group eventually dropped out of the class. Some of us went to other gyms, others quit combat sports completely, and a few chose to focus on jiu-jitsu exclusively.

Contract a coach or hire a specialist

If your instructors only teach BJJ, don't assume they can run a judo class safely. Search for competence.

Sasaki Judo has worked with BJJ-only schools by offering judo instruction for a semester. He outlined the clear niche for this: “They want to do judo class, but they have only Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu senseis.”

This gives owners a way to gauge student interest and overall demand before deciding to make a permanent hire.

If you’re thinking about hiring a judo coach/specialist, take a look at our guide: how a judo sensei earns.

The hire route usually starts with someone you already know. Roll Society added judo when Professor Wayne, who has black belts in both judo and jiu-jitsu, offered to teach.

Verify that your judo coach is (a.) competent—they can teach positioning, handfighting, and break-falls. (b.) they can manage beginners, create a judo class curriculum, and carefully move student progression toward throwing and sweeping techniques.

Even if you can spot good judo, check these.

Check federation requirements

USA Judo's club and coaching requirements are separate from those of other federations like the USJF and USJA; they have their own structure and programs.

For coach certification, USA Judo may accept rank certificates from the USJF, USJA, or ATJA, with USJF and ATJA ranks accepted up to sandan (third-degree black belt). Its Rank & Certification Committee can review any transfer.

This is helpful because it allows coaches to use their certificates from other federations to satisfy the prerequisite rank requirements for their coaching credentials.

USA Judo also describes secondary participant accident medical coverage of up to $25,000, subject to its terms.

Review the current martial arts insurance requirements and policy details before opening enrollment.

Build a Beginner Curriculum That Doesn't Hurt People

This is the sticking point for many gyms. How do you create a judo class curriculum that doesn’t hurt or injure your students?

Put break-falls before throws

At ITC New York, Gutman spends the first classes on safety and the basics before progressing to grips and throws. This gives beginners time to learn how to fall before adding more demanding techniques.

ITC's sequence, in Gutman's words: “...the first probably two to four classes is just learn the basics of break falls, rolls, different side break falls, front break fall, back break fall.”

This may be different for BJJ students who are used to resisting and scrambling.

Gutman sees it all the time:

It’s important that you teach them to relax when appropriate, follow instructions, and prioritize control over winning. This made things so much easier for me during my judo classes.

Here’s an eight-week block you can use as a starting point. Take some time to adapt it with your instructors. Do your best to ensure there’s a good fit with the other programs you teach.

Track judo ranks separately from BJJ ranks, as Combat Sports Academy does. A student can be a brown belt in BJJ and a white belt in judo; each martial arts discipline needs its own progression.

Not sure where to start with your curriculum planning? Check out our guide: How to build a curriculum. It gives you the detail you’ll need to build and structure your curriculum properly.

Price It and Package It

Take a look at this sample of nine US dojos. See the differences in tuition rates? These are posted prices, not a national average.

So the median for our sample list is $90 for adults and $85 for kids.

Is this an apples-to-apples comparison? As the table shows, it's not. This is exactly why you’ll want to compare what your competitors include before setting your own price.

Details like uniforms, federation membership, enrollment fees, amenities, and drop-ins can move the total cost in one direction or the other.

Here are three of the most common packaging options:

• Standalone. Judo membership and tuition are billed separately.
• Add-on. Existing members pay an extra fee for judo classes.
• All-access. One membership covers multiple disciplines (e.g., Muay Thai, BJJ, judo, wrestling).

We’d run classes as an all-access option; in our experience, we don’t have a lot of people who are seeking out judo exclusively—most students don’t know that they want judo. If students want to attend judo sessions exclusively, they generally cross-train at a judo-only gym, or they get a membership but only attend judo classes.

At the start, the majority of our students had zero interest in judo.

Then they were thrown, or they got swept during open rounds. They quickly realized that they didn’t have the training they needed to stay on their feet.

AP Training Center, for example, lists judo at $145 monthly and judo plus BJJ at $199. A free trial or crossover week lets members test the program before paying additional fees.

Use the pricing your programs guide and membership pricing calculator to check your numbers.

Get Found When Someone Searches for Judo Classes

People who are searching for judo classes may not be as interested in the other striking or grappling classes you have to offer.

Give judo its own page

A throwaway line on a general class page isn't enough. Treat your judo classes like a separate art. Create a dedicated page that includes:

• Your location, schedule, and coaching credentials
• Your price—what it costs each month, and what's on top (federation dues, a gi, any enrollment fee)
• Separate adult judo classes and judo classes for kids, if offered
• A clear trial-class booking option
• Beginner FAQs and information about loaner uniforms

The action steps are pretty straightforward here:

1. Build a keyword list (preferably keywords that signal local intent, e.g., “judo classes near Chicago, IL”).
2. Weave phrases like “judo classes near me,” “adult judo classes,” and “judo classes for kids” into your content naturally.
3. Update your Google Business Profile and ask your judo students for honest reviews.

Follow our guide to local SEO for gyms.

Keep Beginners Past the First Month

Make the first two weeks approachable: Danny does a regular scan of the judo list for people he hasn't seen in a while, then a personal reach-out. Take the time to contact inactive members before they cancel.

Another thing to keep in mind. It’s normal for judo enrollment to fluctuate with the seasons. Here’s how Danny describes it:

“Especially with judo, the swings, you know, during the summer, people get lazy. They want to go to the beach. They go on vacation. Of course, after the new year, it always kind of pumps up.”

That's also your launch window: open judo in January, when interest picks up.

Our post on the first 100 days is a strong framework for building a retention process.

Let Your Software Run the Second Discipline

You’ve just added judo classes to your program. That means you’ve created several administrative jobs. You now have to track separate ranks, manage yet another class schedule, create and manage a curriculum, and follow up with inactive members.

Martial arts software can do a much better job of managing these administrative tasks.

With the right martial arts software you can:

• Track separate ranks. Maintain independent judo and BJJ progressions with belt tracking. This means a BJJ brown belt can show up as a judo white belt without a second spreadsheet.
• Manage classes and trials. Publish the judo schedule, manage capacity, and organize trial-member follow-ups. You’ll be able to identify where students are with their free trial and the curriculum.
• Spot attendance dips. Use attendance tracking to spot members you haven't seen in a while, then send a personal check-in before a quiet member cancels.

The goal here is creating a business that runs smoothly, where you don’t have to do all of the work manually. With the right team and tools your academy operates as a second discipline that runs smoothly without taking time away from coaching.

Start Small With One Coach You Trust

You don't need a full roster of judo coaches or a massive team to handle administration on day one.

You just need the basics: A qualified instructor, a beginner-focused curriculum, and a schedule your existing members can support.

Use the right tools to manage all of this, and you have a program that’s ready to grow and expand. Give your judo classes their own identity, their own page, and a straightforward trial process, then expand things when student demand supports it.

Ready to organize your programs, ranks, and enrollment in one place? Check out Gymdesk. Our plans come with a 30-day trial, no credit card required.