Honolulu Judo Club

Honolulu Judo Club is an 'ohana on the mat. Our motto is Watashi no i-basho (私の居場所) — "my place in this world" — and it is the promise we make to every person who walks up our stairs: you belong here, and you will be welcomed with the heart of Aloha.

The club grew out of a friendship that began in the early 1990s, when Sensei Kevin Asano and Sensei Steven Alphabet met at a national judo training clinic in Miami. Both shared a vision of building the next generation through judo. Thirty years later, in 2017, Sensei Steven accepted Sensei Kevin's invitation to move to Hawai'i, and Honolulu Judo Club became the genesis of that vision.

We teach Olympic judo to keiki and adults alike, but the mat is really where we teach character. Our club is built on three values drawn from our Christian faith:

• Be Strong (Kyōjin) — strong in body, mind, and spirit, because there are no shortcuts to success.
• Be Courageous (Yūki) — stand firm in the face of adversity and step onto the mat with confidence.
• Be Gentle (Nyūwa) — support the weak and the struggling, because it takes real strength to be humble and kind.

Judo is not about hurting anyone. It is an art of self-defense that teaches discipline, responsibility, teamwork, and perseverance.