San Diego Judo and Jiu Jitsu - Poway, California

Brandee Bilotta

My favorite judo gym in San Diego! The layout is great and the mats are pristine—everything is brand new. Leilani and Jacob are such talented athletes and teachers! I especially love how seriously they take safety—many martial arts gyms are way too rough or do weird hazing. Big egos are also a common problem in many martial arts gyms but absolutely not the case here.

Edward Lin

Myself and both of my young kids train at San Diego Judo, and we all love it! Properly raised mats make it safe and comfortable to take falls, no gaps between mats so your toes would not get caught. My gi doesn't smell after training because mats are clean. Photos and videos taken in the dojo look great because it's well lit and beautiful.

Excellent instructors! Kids class is fun and always a good workout, my son and daughter sleep good after judo. Adult class is consisted of thorough warmup and drills, uchikomi, nagekomi, and randori, no time wasted and I always feel great after practice! Fees are reasonable. This is a great dojo for both beginners and black belts, I appreciate to be able to train at San Diego Judo and Jiu Jitsu

Kai Benson

Coaches are great. Both coaches have great Judo. Jacob Sensei has clean Japanese style judo. His uchimata is very nice and clean. The classes are well paced and there are some pretty strong people to get good rounds with at SD Judo. And the dojo is pretty traditional in general. A lot of uchikomi and nagekomi and randori as well. They are both great coaches as well, and are great at teaching. They genuinely make an effort to teach the newer students as best they can, and they do it good. The dojo itself is also extremely nice, and the mats are easy to take falls on. There are competitive judoka as well for good rounds. They have nice changing rooms and bathrooms as well in the back. They also start class on time consistently. This is a great dojo, and I'm happy to be apart of it.

Lisa Coles

My husband grew up doing Judo (ok, Junior National champion in US and Canada) and searched all over San Diego for a dojo with proper training basics for our kids. Sensei Leilani and Jacob are amazing with a wealth of experience and accomplishments themselves. The group is great and our kids look forward to seeing new friends they’ve made. If you’re looking for a new place or place to continue martial arts in a safe setting, this is your place.

Jeff Baugh

Great place with great people! I came in from Kentucky and they were more than happy to have me join them on the mats. If you’re in the San Diego area, it’s worth the time to go out and train!

Christian Kim

Sensei Leilani is a high level judoka. This place is not a McDojo. This place can take your kid as far as you'd want to go.

Sogyel Lhungay

Been there 3 times and love it. Good class sizes and lots of friendly folks. The two judo Sensei’s are experienced and friendly.

Ryan Mocock

My 10 year old son has been training jiu jitsu since he was 4. When introduced to Sensei Leilani Akiyama and her judo program over a year ago he has become invigorated with the sport and his mentor Sensei Leilani. Leilanis demeanor is perfect for kids and adults. She is patient and caring as well as extremely technically sound and competitive. Her background having competed in the World Judo championships several years adds a level of knowledge second to none. Judo has greatly helped my son in his jiu jitsu competitions with scoring takedowns. He now enjoys competing in judo and jiu jitsu. There are several other coaches making up the team at San Diego Judo and Jiu Jitsu.
Jacob Flores also helps with the kids judo class as well as adults. His level of expertise is phenomenal and watching him perform throws is amazing.
Teaching the kids jiu jitsu class is Sensei Matheus, who is simply awesome! Also helping is Sensei Leila who my son has trained with since he began Jiu jitsu. She is instantly like able.
This dojo has a great family vibe and helps instill confidence in kids while making learning judo and jitsu fun. Parking is plentiful and the dojo is spacious and clean. I would highly recommend stepping in and meeting the instructor’s and watching or participating in a class.