John Paccione

This event was originally was scheduled for early July but because of logistical complications due to the Covid-19 pandemic it had to be rescheduled in a new location. So I volunteered to take charge of it. I also felt it needed to have more than junior points so I contacted Keith Bryant, CEO of USA Judo to request a one-time allotment of points for seniors and veterans. The USA Board of Directors graciously agreed and we now have those points for this year's event.

Historical Perspective

The leaders of Grassroots Judo™ are the Presidents of the USJA and the USJF. Their aim is to grow Judo and enable people to contribute to society. They are the organizations of choice for coaches and students to train in the fundamentals of Big Judo. Judo spelled with a big 'J' means the holistic contribution of Judo to society. Judo spelled with a little "j" is the sport and recreational (technical) aspects of judo.

For many decades, the USJA and the USJF had sponsored their respective versions of the Junior National Championships. In the spirit of cooperation, the USJA and the USJF decided in 2010 based on the success of the Grassroots Judo™ Winter Nationals® to combine their respective annual junior nationals into a single event entitled Grassroots Judo™ Summer Nationals. The hope was to facilitate a way for the most skilled and talented instructors, competitors, coaches, and referees in the country to give back to judo through the USJA and USJF.

Past USJA President Gary Goltz & Past USJF President Neil Simon, founders of Grassroots Judo™

These are the locations of the past events:

• 2010 Irvine, CA
• 2011 Toledo, OH
• 2012 Spokane, WA
• 2013 Pittsburgh, PA
• 2014 Honolulu, HI
• 2015 Indianapolis, IN
• 2016 Irvine, CA
• 2017 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
• 2018 Grand Rapids, MI
• 2019 Staten Island, NY
• 2020 not held due to pandemic

Photo Highlights:

2013

2014

2016

2019

2019

2019