US Embassy Judo Club

Description

Traditional judo and Nihon Jujutsu dojo in Tokyo, founded by Sato Shizuya in 1957. The dojo has been supported by US Ambassadors to Japan as honorary presidents including Douglas MacArthur II, Edwin Reischauer, Mike Mansfield, Walter Mondale, and Caroline Kennedy.

Also known as

Embassy Judo Club

Affiliations

• corporate_fareKokusai Budoin, International Martial Arts Federation

  fact_check1 source expand_more

  “Satō Shizuya sensei was the managing director of IMAF and the Embassy Judo Dojo was considered its headquarters dojo during those many years.”

  — US Embassy Judo Club, Tokyo, Japanlink history info

Locations (1)

• location_onAkasaka, Tokyo

  Akasaka 6-chome, Minato-ku, Tokyo (near Roppongi Station)

  warning No sources cited

Founder

Instructors (3)

• 
  Shizuya Satō

  Head instructor

  1957 – 2011

  Probable

  Probable

  His own association's page; one side only.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  history_eduTradition only

  Tradition only: every supporting source is the lineage's own account of itself

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  His own association's page; one side only.

  “Embassy Judo Club Shihan, 1957 - 2011”

  — Sato Shizuya - International Nihon Jujutsu Associationlink history info
• person
  John B. Gage

  Instructor

  2011 – 2015

  Probable

  Probable

  His own association's page; one side only.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  His own association's page; one side only.

  “2011 - 2015: Program Director, U.S. Embassy Judo Club, Tokyo, Japan”

  — John B. Gage Shihan - International Nihon Jujutsu Associationlink history info
• 
  Lance Gatling

  Head instructor

  2011

  Probable

  Probable

  The club's page and his own author page; both from his side.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  The club's page and his own author page; both from his side.

  “Lance Gatling, the Director of US Embassy Judo”

  — US Embassy Judo Club, Tokyo, Japanlink history info

  “Director, US Embassy Jūdō and Jūjutsu 米大使館柔道場長”

  — Gatling, Lance. The Kanō Chronicles - Author: Lance Gatling. The Kano Chronicleslink history info

Trained here (2)

• person
  John B. Gage

  sports_martial_artsNihon Jujutsu Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Joined US Embassy Judo Club under Sato's direction in 1986; Sato 'accepted me as his student' per Gage's own account; later served as Sato's assistant at international seminars

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  under Shizuya Satō (1986 – 2011)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  3 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Joined US Embassy Judo Club under Sato's direction in 1986; Sato 'accepted me as his student' per Gage's own account; later served as Sato's assistant at international seminars

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “Fortunately, Sato Sensei accepted me as his student”

  — JMAC - I Am JMAC: John Gage Senseilink

  “Upon arriving in Tokyo, Japan in 1986, Gage-Sensei joined the US Embassy Judo Club, under the direction of Sato Shizuya Sensei.”

  — JMAC - John Gage Senseilink

  “traveled around the world as an assistant to Sato Sensei at martial arts seminars”

  — JMAC - John Gage Senseilink
• 
  Lance Gatling

  sports_martial_artsNihon Jujutsu Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Explicitly refers to Sato as 'my sensei' in his own writing on The Kanō Chronicles; also described as 'direct student of Sato Shizuya sensei' in independent sources

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  under Shizuya Satō (1990 – 2011)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Explicitly refers to Sato as 'my sensei' in his own writing on The Kanō Chronicles; also described as 'direct student of Sato Shizuya sensei' in independent sources

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “My sensei, Satō Shizuya (1929–2011)”

  — Lance Gatling. (2026-02-02). Tomiki Kenji sensei on the future of budō. The Kano Chronicleslink history info

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “My sensei was a graduate of Meiji [...] So, he taught there from 1957 until he died five years ago, and at the time I was taking Judo there, Judo and Jujutsu, Nihon Jujutsu, his style.”

  — Budo, a way of life [2] — Lance Gatling [Nihon Jujutsu, Judo & Jodo]link info

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “I came here in 1986 and I was a member of this dojo since 1990”

  — Budo tourism: what do the budoka think? Lance Gatling, Sandro Furzi and Michael Reinhardtlink info

  “Lance Gatling was a direct student of Sato Shizuya sensei, the founder and 10dan Nihon Jujutsu, Director, International Martial Arts Federation, for over 20 years.”

  — Judo Forum - Lance Gatling Nihon Jujutsu link

Styles founded here (1)

Tags

dojo · tokyo · nihon-jujutsu · judo

Sources