USA Judo Club Spotlight: Riverside Youth Judo Club

Deep in the heart of Southern California, just 60 miles east of Los Angeles, the Riverside Youth Judo Club, Police Activities League (PAL) has become one of the most unique and inspiring dojos in the United States. Founded in 2012 by Brian Money, the club began small, with just six students training in an 800-square-foot racquetball court that had no air conditioning. Today, it has grown into a powerhouse with over 400 active members, making it one of the largest judo clubs in the nation.

What sets Riverside apart is its unwavering commitment to inclusion. The club has established one of the largest adaptive judo programs in the world, with over 150 athletes with special needs training alongside their neurotypical peers. Supported by a team of nearly 70 behavioral technicians, the program ensures that every athlete — regardless of physical or financial challenges — has access to quality judo instruction.

“Bottom line is all our students work together, despite their physical and financial limitations,” explains Money. “We have kids who would normally never have access to a program like this, and here, they find a place where they belong.”

From children as young as three to adults and police officers training in specialized classes, the Riverside mats are alive with energy, diversity, and community spirit. There’s even a popular Mom’s Judo class, offering groundwork-only sessions designed to reduce the risk of injury while keeping mothers engaged on the tatami.

The Riverside Youth Judo Club has already produced standout athletes and international champions. Among them is Kevin Lopez, the first U.S. World Champion at the Special Needs Judo Games, and Ryoshi Nakama, a profoundly Deaf and Autistic judoka who has excelled in mainstream competition and will represent Team USA at the Deaflympics in Japan this November.

Money beams when speaking about these athletes:

“Ryoshi is profoundly Deaf and Autistic, but he competes as typical — and wins. Kevin became the first U.S. World Champion in Special Needs Judo. These are stories that inspire not just our club, but the entire judo community.”

Veterans like Brad Karmann have also brought home international medals, and just recently a bronze at the veteran world championships in Las Vegas last year.

In 2016, Riverside launched one of its signature events: the “Fight for a Cure” Women’s-Only Judo Tournament. Designed to encourage more female participation in the sport while raising money for breast and ovarian cancer charities, the tournament has exploded in size from 100 competitors in its first year to 330 women on the mat in 2024.

“Female judokas tend to be underrepresented in many clubs,” says Money. “We’ve worked hard to bring our female membership up to over 40%, and this event has become something powerful.”

The event has raised more than $107,000 for cancer charities, featured Olympians and World Champions as clinicians, and even welcomed Ronda Rousey, who personally helped present donations in 2023.

This October, the tournament will move to the Riverside Convention Center with expectations of over 350 competitors and a fundraising goal of $30,000.

Riverside has become a national leader in Adaptive Judo, a program that includes athletes with autism, cerebral palsy, and other disabilities often excluded from Special Olympics or Paralympic pathways. Using World Special Needs Judo rules, the program allows athletes to compete at levels suited to their abilities, from full neurotypical-level competition to assisted divisions.

The results have been life-changing.

“We’ve had students come to us who couldn’t walk, and within a year or two they’re walking on their own,” Money recalls. “Others came to us nonverbal, and now they’re using sign language, some even speaking. That’s the kind of transformation judo can bring.”

And for Money, the philosophy behind it couldn’t be clearer:

“Judo seems to help our students with disabilities in a huge way. It helps them with their focus, balance, and overall physical ability. This also helps our typical students grow as they work with our adaptive students – they learn patience and understanding. This goes to the heart of mutual benefit and welfare.”

In 2024, Riverside hosted the first-ever Pan American Adaptive Judo Games, drawing over 240 athletes from across the Americas. The second edition is already scheduled for January 2026, with even bigger ambitions on the horizon — including hopes of one day hosting an official World Adaptive Judo Championship.

As Riverside looks to the future, its mission remains clear: to spread the message of “judo for all.” The club plans to expand its model to schools and communities, including a military charter school for at-risk teens.

“We never turn a student away because of ability or finances,” says Money. “Sixty percent of our kids are considered at-risk, and we completely sponsor them. Judo is more than sport — it’s therapy, it’s mentorship, it’s a lifeline.”

And his message to the next generation of judoka?

“Judo teaches inner strength and courage. When our adaptive players and typical students train together, everyone grows. That’s what ‘judo for all’ truly means.”