Seiei Dojo Judo & Muay Thai Classes in Bellevue

I have always wanted to do Judo but it has been hard to find a school nearby. My jiu jitsu classes started being held here and I am so happy that they were because it gave me the wonderful opportunity to try judo here! I am absolutely hooked! Sensei June is such a nice person, he makes newbies like me feel so welcome and does not let my first time jitters get to me! I am so grateful to have such a traditional, respected, and highly skilled judo school nearby to attend. I just wish I had more free time so I could come more often! I will have to make time at least once a week for this incredible martial art as it is very beneficial to any person, gender, age, weight, Judo is for everyone! :)

My 4 year old daughter has been coming here since December and it has been a very positive experience. Sensei June is very patient and does not force her to do anything she's not ready to do which really helps since she is after all, 4 years old. Also, the parents there are wonderful and make you feel welcome.  We highly recommend this place.

I have been joining martial arts gyms for over 25 years :) perpetual white belt. This is by far the best gym/club I have ever been to. The space is large and welcoming...and everyone is one great big family.  If you are single and looking for a great place to hang out and get fit...come to Seiei.  If you are not single do the same.  It's really the coolest place ever. Instant family without the drama and the side effect is pants that fits. Win - win.

A true gem of the Pacific Northwest that is a fantastic dojo for all skill levels. Whether you are interested in recreational judo just to learn the art or in high level competition, Seiei has something to offer. The instructors are great. The attitude is friendly and family oriented, and the participants range from kids just there to learn and have fun to national level competitors. Beyond the people, the facility itself is excellent. The mats are on a sprung floor that increases the level of safety and reduces long term impact especially for older adults. If you’ve ever trained on mats places straight on foundation versus mats on a raised, sprung floor you’d immediately know the difference. The mat space itself is huge which give a lot of room to move and makes it safer to train. I highly recommend Seiei to anyone.

This is the best dojo in the area bar none. My 10-year old son has been here for 2.5 years and has greatly improved his discipline, skills, physique and mental strength. I also started my 7-year old daughter here a year ago. The competitive judo programs here are top notch and the coaches always look out for your children's best interest. The parents are like a big family and are very supportive to each other. We go there 3 times a week and I highly recommend this place.

First, the bonafides: I'm a Judo black belt (Shodan) and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu purple belt. I've been practicing judo for many years. As my young kiddo started showing interest in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I wanted to complement that training with Judo. Having trained in many schools, I have a certain level of expectation in terms of quality of training, especially when it comes to training my child. I'm very pleased to say that Seiei Judo exceeded my expectations. First, there's Sensei June. He's a high ranking black belt with decades of experience, and it shows. Technically very sound, his teaching methodology is part traditional, part modern, and emphasizes overall fitness and well being as well as the competitive and sport aspect of Judo. The smallest mistakes are corrected, and multiple techniques are taught, with multiple counters, variations and applications for sport, combat and self-defense. Next - the number of black belts in the academy speak volumes about the quality of instruction. There are plenty of qualified instructors to learn from, and if you're a Judo black belt yourself, you'll find that you're in good company. The adults class is physically challenging with the right balance of curriculum and randori. For parents, there are two options for kids' classes. The pee-wee class is fun and interactive, and parents get to engage, which is fun. The six year-old and up class is VERY well taught, with multiple senseis engaged to ensure that kids are learning and with an eye on safety. My kiddo absolutely loves the class and there are a TON of kids that participate. An aspect that cannot be overlooked is academy cleanliness and overall environment. The mats are clean, etiquette is well-adhered to, and everyone is friendly. This is without question a high quality and competitive dojo, with top-notch instruction, but not a place where beginners feel intimidated. It's a welcoming dojo that will work with you at your pace, challenge you, and help you grow. If you're looking for a place to train in Judo, learn self-defense, get in shape, just have fun, or any/all of the above for your children and family, Seiei Dojo is highly recommended.

Seiei Dojo is a great Judo school for young and old. The head instructor June Sensei does a great job of teaching you the little details that makes all the difference between a successful throw and failure. I have trained at many Judo schools off and on in the area and he is without a doubt the most technical instructor I have met. His credentials are second to none. Currently he is helping me correct my bad habits and outdated techniques without being overly harsh. I wish I had met him when I was younger. No matter what your goals are in Judo (fitness, competition, etc.), he will help you get there in Judo. Note that his daughter Nadine was a International level Judoka who was vying for a spot on the US Olympic team. She is also a regular instructor there at the school. She's tough but an excellent instructor. The other Senseis are very friendly and primarily interested in helping you progress in Judo. See you on the mat.

My son and I have been students at Seiei Dojo for a few years and it has been a fun journey so far. It is so rewarding to see when he is able to actually use technique and when he has to work through a situation by practicing. I credit this to all the wonderful Sensei(s) at the dojo who are detailed oriented and have experience competing locally and internationally. Whether you want to compete or do judo for fun I encourage both kids and parents to take the trial lesson to experience it for yourself. That said a unique thing about Seiei Dojo kid's peewee class is that parents can participate alongside their kids in the class. It's a great way to spend time together, get in some exercise, and learn judo. This builds a great sense of community and positive environment to build not only a great judoka but person. In terms of facilities you get access to fitness/weight training equipment so if you are a parent waiting for your child to finish class its an excellent time to get in some exercise as well. Also the mat space is big which really encourages movement and allows them to host a large class of kids. This also allows them to host Muay Thai kickboxing and Brazilian Jujitsu classes.

First, let me say that we would most definitely recommend Seiei Dojo to anyone looking to take Judo. My wife and I tried out Seiei Dojo’s free trial to see if our kids (daughter’s 9-yr old and son’s 6-yr old) would like Judo. We’re delighted that our kids not only enjoyed it but are now taking the Judo lessons 4 days a week (you can choose to go as often as you’d like). We feel that our kids will learn important self-defense skills as well as valuable life skills, such as self-discipline, commitment, perseverance, and personal integrity. They’ve also gotten much stronger physically and mentally over the 7 months or so that they’ve been taking Judo. They demonstrated all of these skills in the 3 Judo tournaments that they’ve participated in so far. They discovered strengths and courage in themselves to participate and have success in these tournaments. This discovery and further personal development will naturally build their self-confidence for life in and out of Judo. The committed team of sensei of Seiei Dojo consistently demonstrates expert knowledge of Judo as well as the proper balance of patience, care, and communication. We’re so fortunate that all of the sensei are so incredibly nice, kind, and selfless. For my wife and I, we’ve enjoyed Seiei Dojo because it feels like a close, tight-knit community among the families enrolled with Seiei Dojo. This is perfectly demonstrated at Judo tournaments, which can be arduous because they can be all-day events. However, they’ve been much more pleasant and enjoyable because of the steadfast support and selflessness of our Seiei Dojo families and sensei. We know that our kids are at the right dojo! Try it out for yourself and see!

Highly recommend this dojo to everyone! My 7 yr old son joined the dojo a year ago and my 9 yr old daughter decided to join several months later after watching her brother and the competition he took. The Sensei(s) of this dojo are highly qualified, experienced and dedicated in teaching the kids and they are actually all volunteers. (Huge THANK YOU to the Sensei(s)!) Other than learning judo, kids are also learning discipline and respect which I really appreciate at the same time. Another plus is you can join the as many classes as long as you are available with a flat, reasonable monthly fee. They also have a monthly parent participation day that parents are encouraged to learn with the kids.

My family has been members of Seiei dojo for the past 3 years. Since then my 2 kids have been competing in local judo competitions and all the kids in the program that are competing perform very well. We often have a winner in each weight class that the kids compete in. In order for the kids to be ready for competition, June sensei works on weekly conditioning as well actual "randori" time which takes place immediately have a 60 min practice. For advance kids, there are three 90 min classes (T, Th, Sat). My kids have learned discipline, gained confidence, and are in great shape!!! Come check out our dojo if you are having a hard time getting your kids off the couch ! My family joined the Seiei Judo club in September 2014 and we are having a great time. Well, by we, I mean, my 2 kids (girl-8, boy-5) and husband, not me:). We participate 3 times a week even though classes are available 4 times a week. The sessions are usually 1-1.25 hours long beginning with conditioning followed by instruction and then practice. The classes are geared towards kids but if you have more than 2 people participating, you will join as a family and then parents can participate with the kids as well. Fees are very reasonable especially compared to other activities that we do. What I like about this Judo Club is that it's a "club". It's not currently set up as a non-profit but it might as well be. Their goal is to promote judo and teach kids discipline and a skill instead of out to make a buck like most other places. My husband commented that he likes it because it reminds him of when he trained back in Hawaii where his classes took place in a school gym and mostly taught by blackbelts who volunteer their time. The Seiei instructors as well as the volunteer instructors all have black belts. The children range from age 5 up to about 12-13. The club is small and has a very strong community feel. Trial classes are free and no contracts like most other places because it's a club and not a business. No high pressure sales tactics.

My daughter is a national judo competitor and we have been driving her an hour out to Seiei for the past year to train. The training is top notch and the Seiei’s are so welcoming and helpful. My daughter loves being part of the Seiei team because she has teammates who really push her to the next level. I highly recommend Seiei for high level competition training and for novice training.

My 7 year old daughter Klara had tried martial arts classes before and just was not that interested as the format was very rigid and slow-paced and she loves the action. We tried out Seiei Dojo and I was immediately impressed with the friendliness of the teaching team and the atmosphere.  Sensei June and team invited her to try a class and got her involved in learning through doing. She loved that first class and has been going since. This class is the activity she has remained most excited about, and I chalk that up to the instructors and the other great kids that attend. In all, highly recommend this dojo for kids!