Nakano Judo Academy

I did two classes of beginners Judo at the Caio Terra Academy location recently, and for me, having had knee surgery back in Feb, I’m really cautious in what I’m doing with my legs and knees, and of course, Judo is a lot of footwork, and throws, etc., so my only fear in a sense, was how I could handle a fundamentals class.
First off, the facility is clean, and welcoming, the mats are very nice to train on. I trained at this facility when it was previously the Institute of Martial Arts location, so I was familiar with the layout, but very impressed to see how it’s transformed to suit the BJJ and Judo arts.
Sensei Shintaro Nakano is very welcoming, and his instruction is detailed, and broken-​down to help you understand the movements, and flow. The assistant coaches, one name I remember (from only having 2 classes), is Anthony, he was very helpful as well, and very technical. I can get a sense and understanding that the instruction provided here is top notch, and know that as a newcomer to Judo, that I’m receiving quality instruction.
Training in a Gi is completely new to me, and I thought that it would be real uncomfortable, and awkward, but it actually moves rather well. If you want to try this out, this is definitely the right place to learn and train from. They have Gi’s you can use to loan for your initial training too, which is what I used.
All the other students were very respectful, helpful, a welcoming to be around. In my experience with gyms, the 3 things I look for, are 1) Quality and skills of the instructors and program 2) The layout, cleanliness of the facility 3) The overall environment, welcoming, how other students treat each other, if those 3 are good, then it’s my choice, and for me the Judo program fit all 3 of those.
–quick background info on my mention of knee surgery (was for torn meniscus) I had early Feb 2015 (I train MMA/​NoGi/​Kickboxing/​Boxing at Institute of Martial Arts, and returned to training, initially limited, at end of February 2015, and continue strength rehab for my legs) Just in case anyone is reads this and wonders about my reference to knee surgery.

Being older I always thought Judo would be hard too hard body so always stayed away. Out of curiosity I tried a class and instantly knew that all my previous assumptions were wrong!
Nakano Sensei is an amazing instructor and all the classes are both fun and challenging. One of San Jose’s best kept secrets!

Great Judo Instructors! My child is enjoying her learning experience in Judo.

It doesn’t get any better than this! Outstanding and legit Japanese Judo!
My eight year old daughter has been practicing with Sensei Nakano for three months and her judo has improved dramatically. Every practice Sensei Nakano practices with each of the kids and is constantly helping them with the details of the techniques. Sensei Nakano is very nice and patient with the kids. Most if not all classes are taught by Sensei Nakano and his assistant instructors (Sensei Anthony being the number one assistant). Sensei Anthony is also very good and patient with kids. At the end of most classes, Sensei Anthony plays a Judo game with the kids and the kids love it. The facilities are also great (Nakano Judo Club is at Caio Terra’s Brazilian Jiu-​Jitsu Academy). There are two very large mat areas with brand new mats.
My daughter is also benefiting from practicing with the other kids in the class. The better your training partners, the better you get.
I feel very lucky to have and Elite Sensei and a top notch assistant Sensei teaching my daughter.
I highly recommend this place!

The best Judo sensei I’ve ever seen. Very nice class for kids and adults. All the details, techniques are absolutely perfect! The assistant instructors are awesome too. Worth every penny. Highly recommended!

It is a rare to find a combination of having successfully competed at the top level and being a good teacher. Students of all levels will benefit from studying with Nakano-​sensei, who has increasing levels of details in teaching the various techniques in both learning and sparring settings. Having a good model to imitate is icing on the cake as well.
I also feel that, especially, young students will benefit even more, since they still can make those crisp movements that Nakano-​sensei demonstrates.
High recommended!

Having originally no fighting experience I was at first scared of taking Judo. However after spending the last five weeks at Sensei Shintaro’s gym, it has become the thing I look forward to after a long and stressful day. Sensei Shintaro’s explanations and demonstrations help his students understand even the most complex of moves. In conjunction with the help of his highly knowledgable assistant coach, Anthony, all students will get enough guidance to learn all moves. Nakano Judo is a warm welcoming environment that fosters learning for judoka of all skill levels. I would highly recommend anyone in the area looking for a gym to go here.

An awesome judo academy led by one the main coaches for the San Jose State Judo team, the premier USA collegiate judo team. Shintaro Nakano coached American judoka Marti Malloy to the bronze medal in the 2012 olympics and to silver medal in the 2013 world judo championship. He’s a really good and patient teacher. I’ve been attending classes since the studio opened and really have enjoyed my classes.

I started learning Judo with Sensei Shintaro this past November and I am really enjoying the classes. Shintaro is very friendly and makes learning Judo fun while also being challenging. His assistant instructor Sensei Anthony is also very knowledgable and helpful. They both really take the time to break down the techniques to make sure that all the students understand the movements. I would recommend that anyone interested in learning Judo come and try out a class with Shintaro.