Judo is one of the most popular participation sports and viewing sports in the world, but if you live in the USA, you wouldn’t know it. By all accounts, there are six tom eight million people throughout the world that participate in, teach or view Judo as a spectator. Judo is wildly loved and respected on every continent from South and Central Africa to the tundra of Greenland. In the United States, however it is practiced in some form by less than fifty thousand children and adults.
Last month, during the Rio Olympics,visitors found that the tickets for the full five days of competition were completely sold out months and even years in advance. The world Wide television audience was larger than those who streamed most other sports. Surely then, Judo is something spectacular and fun to learn and practice.
Judo in Long Beach has been around for nearly 20 years. The Long Beach Judo Club is one of those secrets that are just out of sight of the children and adults in Long Beach and Island Park. It was first taught at the West end community center and then moved to National Boulevard. The Go Rin Dojo (School of five Rings) is a Judo Club, not specifically a Judo School. It is where those who wish to practice their skills go to, as well as those wishing to learn. Because it is a club, the members take care of one and other and both teach and learn in fellowship under the guiding principles of Judo’s founder, Jigoro Kano. Those principles make Judo more than just a martial art of Olympic Sport. The tenets have everything to do with mutual and self respect as well as working smart.
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The Dojo currently operates on Monday and Wednesday evenings on National Boulevard from 7 to 9. Because it is a club rather than a school, there are is no cost to join or attend one or both evenings, however club members must join the United States Judo Association for insurance and recognition purposes and obtain a Judo practice uniform.
Information about club membership can be had by calling Marc Cohen, head instructor on 516-650-8731.
