Our Art - Judo
Judo is a beautiful, tough and highly practical martial art, which combined many of the jujutsu schools or “ryu” studied for centuries in feudal Japan. Founded in 1882 by Professor Jigoro Kano, judo was developed and codified to seek out the underlying fundamentals and techniques of the various schools while preserving them as a system of physical education and martial arts for the Japanese society and eventually the rest of the world. Since that time, judo has expanded around the globe and has been an Olympic sport since 1964.
Sensei Joe being promoted by his coach and friend, 1988 Olympian and 2000 Olympic team coach, Steve Cohen.
Our Founder
Our founder and head coach, Joe Yungwirth, is certified as an International Level coach under USA Judo and the US Olympic Committee. Joe brings a unique blend of knowledge to the art of judo. As a successful Special Forces Soldier, police officer and retired FBI Special Agent, he has experienced both the highly competitive and practical aspects of judo and the martial arts and brings a professional’s understanding to the training mat. Based on his varied assignments, Joe has traveled extensively, training and coaching in some of the top judo programs nationally, internationally and at the university level. He has been a judoka for most of his life and after over four decades of dedicated study, opened Yungwirth Judo Academy. Joe’s biggest desire in teaching judo is to be a positive influence in others’ lives - helping each one optimize his or her potential while encouraging the leaders of the coming generation. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Accounting with continued studies at the Defense Language Institute, Middlebury College and the University of Jordan. He remains committed to continued learning and providing the utmost in judo instruction for competitors and non-competitors alike.
Our Philosophy
At the Academy, We view judo as the gold standard of martial arts study. It is an art, science, Olympic sport and method of self-defense. More importantly, it is a way of life consistent with high moral values. While our students love the competitive aspects of judo and the opportunities for success all the way to the Olympic games, we do not view competition as the ultimate goal of the study. Rather, we view all aspects of judo, training and competition alike, as preparation for life outside of the dojo. The study of judo is limitless and expands far beyond the competitive mat and ultimately all of our students are striving for lives of meaning, purpose and excellence.