Getting Griffin Performance Judo Started

 Griffin Performance Judo

An African and Indigenous owned and operated company:GP JUDO is a young Judo dojo located in El Cerrito, CA. Founded in 2019 by Adham Ramadan, Cody Three Bears Costello, and Bill Fairchild. GPJ was started as a way for Adham to bring his incredible talent for judo and his wonderful way of connecting with the youth to the East Bay. Together, Cody and Adham had already worked with kids from Richmond, to Alameda, to San Leandro. Adham immigrated from Egypt, here with his wife Diana and their baby daughter, recently arrived. He was on the Egyptian national team for Judo. He has won multiple continental titles, international medals, and recently the US National Championship. Cody is an indigenous NorCal local, teaching Judo since 16 in community programs, local dojos, and in the East Bay since 2018. Since opening up, GPJ has come to be home to incredible athletes and coaches from all over the world. Hyesun Lee sensei from Korea, and Daniel Sensei from Brazil just to name a few. We also recently had black belts compete at the Paris Grand Slam, and World Masters in Portugal!

GPJ has many goals in this community, but needs support!

● Creating access to training for underserved kids in the East Bay

● Sponsoring young athletes in their training and competitive journeys

● Sending Judoka to the Paris Olympic Games in 2024

● Establishing Judo programs in Northern California schools

● Supporting our diverse community and bringing people together with Judo

Judo has a founding principal of mutual benefit and welfare for all. With our instructors being from every continent besides Antarctica, we understand what it means to benefit from a diverse community. We want to share our knowledge and love for the community we belong to as well.