ABOUT SOUTH HILLS JUDO CLUB

South Hills Judo Club is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to positively affect the character, fitness, and lives of its members and the community through the principle of "mutual benefit and welfare".

More than just a place to practice, there is a social dimension to the club that is rarely found.  South Hills Judo Club is one of the oldest clubs in Pittsburgh and produces many talented players, including several National and International Elite players, including 1996 Olympian Dr. Marisa Pedulla.

We strive to offer something for everyone whether you are an elite competitor, a recreational player, a beginer, older student, or have an interest in Kata.

South Hills Judo Club is a member of the United States Judo Federation, PA JUDO, and USA Judo.

Many people may be unaware that South Hills Judo Club is run by an elected, volunteer  Board of Directors who, in turn, are governed by By-laws and Articles of Incorporation. This structure was created when South Hills Judo Club was organized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to enable the club to raise funds for scholarships that would allow underprivileged, at-risk youth to study judo at our club. (Scholarships cover the cost of individual insurance and dues.)

The decision to operate as a non-profit was, in some ways, an extension of the “open door” policy established by the club’s founder, Mr. Nick Zaffuto, more than 30 years ago when he opened the South Hills Judo Club.  Mr. Z. believed that every child could benefit from the study of judo, and no child was turned away because their family could not afford the monthly dues.

But mostly, the Club's decision to operate as a non-profit underscored the Club's deep commitment to judo’s guiding principle of "mutual benefit and welfare" - using the sport of judo to help build character as well as physical skills, and to help improve the community as well as the individual.  This principle is integral to the study of judo and central to the mission of South Hills Judo Club.  South Hills Judo Club has always been deeply committed to positively affecting  the character and lives of its students and the community through this principle.  

For the hundreds of students who have passed through its doors in the 30+ years since it was established, South Hills Judo Club has been more than a place to learn and practice judo.  It has been a place to gain confidence in one's physical and mental abilities, a place to test personal limits, a place to learn the lifelong benefits of physical conditioning, a place to grow as a person, and a place to help your fellow students grow.