USJF STORY~ Krista Tsutsui Steele Fresno, CA —–> Seattle, WA “I’m Krista Tsutsui Steele and I’m a member of USJF. My judo story starts back in the 90s at the Fowler Judo Club in Central California where my dad took my siblings and me to learn the sport...
Sensei Janet Johnson Janet Johnson has become one of the most visible and prominent senseis and referees in the country, with a long career in teaching judo informed by her professional educator credentials, her parallel career as a primary school teacher, and...
USJF STORY~ Sayaka Torra I’m Sayaka Torra and I’ve been a member of USJF for over 30 years. I’m a 5th degree black belt, 2008 Olympian, and Senior Instructor at the East Bay Judo Institute. My dad, David Matsumoto, became the head instructor of EBJI in 1983 and 38...
Jerry Hays Jerry Hays walked into the Phoenix, Arizona Boys Club as a (nearly) 14 year-old boy, beginning a judo career that extended for decades, throughout his career in the U.S. Navy, followed by an additional 15 years as a civilian working for the Navy,...
Mikayla Heston USJF Life Member Mikayla Heston, student of Sensei Julie Koyama, entered the 2022 Ore-Ida Judo Tournament in Ontario, Oregon. Ms. Heston is wheelchair bound with cerebral palsy but that didn’t stop her from participating. Mikayla is truly...
