Judo Program Description

Our program is a USA Judo certified club. Only five organizations have achieved this distinction in NJ and 220 nationally. USA Judo is a member of the U.S. Olympics Committee, the Pan American Judo Confederation, and the International Judo Federation. It governs all aspects of amateur judo in the U.S. and prepares American teams for international competition.

Our program was founded by Cory Cuomo in 1994 and has achieved recognition as a premier program across the state. It has grown since that time to include men, women, boys and girls ranging in age from 5 to 55. Many are competitors, others do Judo for fun, and some for fitness.

Our judo emphasizes technique and develops attention, social skills, and coordination. According to Cory, “We teach children how to be better children – to behave a little better, know a little more, be a little healthier. Teens and adults really enjoy the mental and physical components of the sport.”

A range of classes have been created to suit a variety of schedules and interests. You can register for a specific class on a particular night, a month-to-month plan, or even our ‘unlimited’ access which entitles you to attend as many classes as you’d like during a specified period. We have recently introduced a 3- month term designed to accommodate teens’ changing school and sports schedules as well as their parent’s schedules. Because our program has a running cycle, you are free to join at any time!

Our accreditation and growth is tied to our high level instructors and competitors. Cory Cuomo is a Certified Coach with USA Judo and a competitor with USA Judo and the United States Judo Federation. He began practicing Judo in 1977 at the age of seven. In 1994 he moved to Princeton, joining with former US Junior Olympic Champ Tim Vaughn (Sandan) in developing a judo club. Cory holds the rank of Nidan as a member of the U.S. Judo Federation, USA Judo and Kodokan in Japan, has medaled in 9 NJ State Judo Championship tournaments and 3 East Coast Judo Championships. A certified USA Judo Coach, he is also CPR and First Aid certified by the American Heart Association.

Edwin Calvache is a Sandan black belt world class athlete and instructor with 25 years experience. He was the National Champion of Colombia for 10 years and competed internationally qualifying for the World Championships in 1996. He too holds a Coach Certification from USA Judo. Joshua Suh is a 4th degree black belt instructor with over 30 years of judo and martial arts experience. He studied Judo as a major in Yongin University in South Korea. As part of the National Judo Demonstration team and participated in training sessions with the Korean Judo Olympic team and other high level events. He has been coaching for 15 years.