The purpose of this letter is to help people understand the current state of sport judo in the United States of America.

People are often confused by rhetoric. Think about the cold, hard, indisputable facts:

1. The U.S.A. is essentially LAST PLACE IN THE WORLD IN JUDO.
2. In the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the U.S.A. won only a single bronze medal in judo.  Sydney in 2000 saw zero U.S. medals in judo.  Most recently, in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, American Jimmy Pedro's bronze was the only medal win, men's 73 kg.
3. Americans consistently do very well in sports that require the same physical abilities required to excel in the sport of judo.
4. American athletes consistently do well in other "combat" sports such as wrestling and boxing.

1. The current system controlling sport judo in America is extremely outdated.
2. Many, if not most, of the people who are in positions of control are motivated by the veneration and almost fearful admiration of their small group of followers. The improvement of American athletes really takes a back seat to this, their primary motivation.
3. Many of the people that currently control much of American judo expend a great deal of energy to try to make the sport into a philosophical lifestyle choice. They see judo as an alternate religion and they (the "leaders") are of course the conduit through which this wonderful spiritual essence eventually can be obtained. This gives them the veneration that compares to that of a pastor, priest, rabbi, or cleric in traditional main-stream religions. They like this veneration and will defend the system which provides it.
4. Modern forward-thinking coaches and athletes are looked at by the "traditional leadership" as being disrespectful and unworthy if they don't buy into the old-fashioned system. Ironically, some of these modern and forward-thinking coaches and advocates are producing national champions at the fastest rate in the country. Unfortunately, regardless of their competitive results, these modern coaches are often sabotaged politically by the "old-guard traditionalists" who will lose veneration if American judo evolves into the modern sport that it has become in Asia and Europe.

1. More modern, forward-thinking judo enthusiasts who dare to break away from the old-fashioned system that consistently produces losers in international competition.
2. Less emphasis on judo "belt ranks" which are, of course, controlled and issued by politically "high ranking" old-fashioned judo people who seek veneration.
3. Modern training techniques that stress results in competition over adherance to tradition.
4. Legal intervention when necessary to stop the political sabotage put forth by the "traditionalists" who are involved in the sport for their own personal power and veneration, not for the advancement of the sport in international competition.

Come and join us. This is a modern world and judo needs to modernize too!

Sincerely,
Coach John R. Holm
U.S.. Judo Training Center