James A. Pedro (born October 30, 1970) is an American retired World Championship and Olympic

judoka is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponica, "Judo"). ...

and current judo coach. Pedro currently holds a 7th degree black belt in judo. He is the coach of

Kayla Harrison Kayla Jean Harrison (born July 2, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former Olympic and world champion judoka, currently signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL). Harrison competed in the weight category in jud ...

, the first American ever to win an

Olympic gold medal Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece be ...

in judo.

Early life and education

Pedro was born on October 30, 1970 in

Danvers, Massachusetts Danvers is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts. The suburb is a fairly short ride from Boston and is also in close proximity to the renowned beaches of Glo ...

. He was trained by his father James Pedro Sr., a 1976 Olympic Alternate. Pedro is currently a 7th degree Black Belt in judo, and also has a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

( BA) in Business Economics and Organizational Behavior & Management from

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

, whom he also wrestled for. His favorite judo technique is Sode Tsuri Komi Goshi, and his most effective is Juji Gatame.

Achievements

Pedro was the World Champion at 73 kg in 1999 after defeating Vitaly Makarov of Russia in the final, and also won bronze medals in the 1991 and 1995 World Championships. Pedro represented the United States in the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

, winning bronze in 1996 and 2004. His entry in the "Legends" section of a major judo magazine's web site lists 29 gold medals in international competition.

National honors

* 04, 03, 00 & 99 Real Judo Magazine "Player of the Year" * 04 New York Athletic Club Hall of Fame * 04 Brown University Hall of Fame * 97 New York Athletic Club "Athlete of the Year" * 97 Black Belt Hall of Fame * 10x USJA Jr. National Champion * 6x US National Champion (89, 91, 93, 94, 99, 03) * 3x High School National Champion (86, 87, 88)

Gold major international medals

* 04 & 00 German Team Championships (73 kg Member of TSV Abensberg) * 04 & 03 New York Open (73 kg) - Manhattan, NY * 04 Pan Am Championships (73 kg) - Margarita Island, Venezuela * 03 Korean Open (73 kg) - Yongin University, Korea * 03 Rendez Vous Canada (73 kg) - Montreal, QC * 03 Tre Torri (73 kg) - Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy * 03 Puerto Rico Open (73 kg) - Salinas, Puerto Rico * 03 British Open (73 kg) - London, England * 00 Europa Cup Team Championships (73 kg Member of TSV Abensberg) * 99 World Championships (73 kg) - Birmingham, England * 99 Pan Am Games (73 kg) - Winnipeg, Canada * 98 US Open (73 kg) - Colorado Springs, CO, USA * 98 Pan Am Championships (73 kg) - Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic * 98 French Open (73 kg) - Paris, France * 98 Austrian Open (73 kg) - Leonding, Austria * 98 Shoriki Cup (73 kg) - Tokyo, Japan * 97 & 95 German Open (71 kg) - Munich, Germany * 97 Pan Am Championships (71 kg) - Guadalajara, Mexico * 95 US Open (71 kg) - Macon, GA, USA * 95 Pan Am Games (71 kg) - Mar de Plata, Argentina * 93 Pacific Rim Championships (65 kg) - Auckland, New Zealand * 92 Guido Sieni (65 kg) - Sassari, Italy * 92 Pan Am Championships (65 kg) - Santiago, Chile * 92 US Open (71 kg) - Colorado Springs, CO, USA * 90 & 89 US Open (65 kg) - Colorado Springs, CO, USA * 90 Tre Torri (65 kg) - Porto Sant'Elpidio, Italy

Silver major international medals

* 04 Hungarian Open (73 kg) - Budapest, Hungary * 04 German Open (73 kg) - Hamburg, Germany * 03 US Open (73 kg) - Las Vegas, NV * 93 Korean Open (65 kg) - Seoul, Korea * 93 French Open (63 kg) - Paris, France * 92 Hungarian Open (65 kg) - Budapest, Hungary * 90 Goodwill Games (65 kg) - Seattle, WA, USA

Bronze major international medals

* 04 Olympic Games (73 kg) - Athens, Greece * 99 Kano Cup (73 kg) - Tokyo, Japan * 98 German Open (73 kg) - Munich, Germany * 97 Austrian Open (71 kg) - Leonding, Austria * 96 French Open (71 kg) - Paris, France * 96 Olympic Games (73 kg) - Atlanta, GA, USA * 95 World Championships (71 kg) - Makuhari, Japan * 95 Pacific Rim Championships (71 kg) - Sydney, Australia * 94 Goodwill Games (71 kg) - St. Petersburg, Russia * 92 French Open (65 kg) - Paris, France * 92 German Open (65 kg) - Munich, Germany * 91 US Open (65 kg) - Colorado Springs, CO, USA * 91 Pan Am Games (65 kg) - Havana, Cuba * 91 World Championships (65 kg) - Barcelona, Spain * 91 Pacific Rim Championships (65 kg) - Honolulu, HI, USA * 90 Jr. World Championships (65 kg) - Dijon, France * 90 Tblissi International (65 kg) - Tblissi, Georgia * 88 Shoriki Cup (65 kg) - Tokyo, Japan

5th place in major international events

* 00 Olympic Games (73 kg) - Sydney, Australia * 94 Kano Cup (71 kg) - Tokyo, Japan * 93 World Championships (65 kg) - Hamilton, Canada

Post-competition career

Pedro retired from competitive judo after the

2004 Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

. He has worked for Monster.com, promoted a brand of

tatami A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Tatamis are made in standard sizes, twice as long as wide, about 0.9 m by 1.8 m depending on the region. In martial arts, tatami are the floor used for traini ...

training mats used for judo and

jujutsu Jujutsu ( ; ja, link=no, 柔術 , ), also known as jiu-jitsu and ju-jitsu, is a family of Japanese martial arts and a system of close combat (unarmed or with a minor weapon) that can be used in a defensive or offensive manner to kill or subd ...

practice and competition, and been the subject of a biographical movie. A ''

newaza Grappling, in hand-to-hand combat, describes sports that consist of gripping or seizing the opponent. Grappling is used at close range to gain a physical advantage over an opponent, either by imposing a position or causing injury. Grappling is ...

'' (ground techniques) specialist, Jimmy currently owns and operates Pedro's Judo Center in

Wakefield, Massachusetts Wakefield is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, incorporated in 1812 and located about north-northwest of Downtown Boston. Wakefield's population was 27,090 at the 2020 census. Wakefield offer ...

and teaches clinics and seminars throughout the country. Pedro also coached the U.S. Olympic Judo team at the

2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

in London. He is the national sales executive for FUJI Mats + Facility Design. He is

's coach. Harrison was the first American to win an Olympic gold medal in judo. ''Fury on the mat'' is a biographical movie about Jimmy Pedro. Pedro currently owns and operates the renowned Mat and Outfitting company, www.FujiMats.com and sister company www.fujisports.com

Personal life

Pedro is married and the father of four children.

Notable students

(2x Olympic Champion) *

Travis Stevens Travis Stevens (born February 28, 1986) is an American judoka and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner who competed in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics. He competes in the men's half-middleweight (−81 kg) division. On August 9, 2016, ...

(3x Olympian and 2016 Olympic Silver medalist) *

Ronda Rousey Ronda Jean Rousey (; born February 1, 1987) is an American professional wrestler, actress, former judoka and mixed martial artist. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand and is the current SmackDown Women� ...

(2008 Olympic Bronze Medalist and former UFC Champion) * Rick Hawn (Olympian and Bellator Tournament Champion) * Janine Nakao (Pan American Silver Medalist) *

Taraje Williams-Murray Taraje Williams-Murray (born November 9 1984, in Bronx, New York) is an American Judoka. He graduated from high school at the age of 15 and went to college. After an initial health scare where he was diagnosed with beta thalassemia, Taraje was ...

(2x Olympian)

References

Published works

* ''Judo Techniques and Tactics'', Jimmy Pedro and William Durbin.

External links

*
Pedro's Judo Center
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pedro, Jimmy 1970 births Living people American male judoka Olympic judoka of the United States Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in judo Judoka at the 1992 Summer Olympics Judoka at the 1996 Summer Olympics Judoka at the 2000 Summer Olympics Judoka at the 2004 Summer Olympics Judoka at the 1991 Pan American Games Judoka at the 1995 Pan American Games Judoka at the 1999 Pan American Games People from Methuen, Massachusetts World judo champions Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Pan American Games medalists in judo Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States Brown Bears athletes Goodwill Games medalists in judo Competitors at the 1990 Goodwill Games Competitors at the 1994 Goodwill Games Medalists at the 1991 Pan American Games Sportspeople from Essex County, Massachusetts