San Gabriel Judo Dojo

San Gabriel Judo Since 1929

San Gabriel Judo Dojo operates out of the San Gabriel Japanese Community Center on Encinita Avenue in Temple City, just east of Arcadia within the Pasadena metro. The dojo was founded in 1923 as a judo club in El Monte, established its current Temple City roots in 1929, was disbanded during WWII when members were interned at Japanese-American internment camps, then reestablished after the war. Nearly a century of continuous (post-war) instruction.

Kids Judo Programs

The dojo splits training into three traditional Japanese rank-age categories with separate beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes running Tuesdays and Fridays. Programs include:
- Beginner Class (Tuesdays and Fridays, 5:00-5:45pm) with Miss Tiffany Yanagi and Mr. Martin Morales
- Intermediate Class (Tuesdays and Fridays, 6:00-7:30pm) with Mr. Richie Endow and Mr. Taizo Sasaki
- Advanced Class (Tuesdays and Fridays, 6:00-8:30pm) with multiple senior instructors
- Yonen Division (12 and under)
- Shonen Division (ages 13-16)
- Seinen Division (ages 17 and up)

What's Included

• Founded 1923, established 1929 (one of the oldest judo dojos in California)
• Traditional Yonen/Shonen/Seinen rank-age structure
• Six named senseis on the advanced floor (Endow, Sasaki, Castillo, Elizalde, Horiuchi, Davis)
• Anchored in the San Gabriel Japanese Community Center cultural venue
• 501(c)(3) nonprofit structure

Experience

Nearly 100 years of continuous teaching gives San Gabriel Judo a depth of lineage few American judo clubs can match. The community-center venue and Japanese-American cultural anchoring make the dojo a meaningful cultural-heritage option for families with that background. The Tuesday-and-Friday schedule keeps weekly commitment focused rather than spreading thin. Pattern fits families that want their child grounded in traditional Kodokan judo with deep historical lineage.