What time does First Principles Judo open?

First Principles Judo opens at 5:00 PM on Monday and Thursday.First Principles Judo opens at 9:30 AM on Saturday.

What time does First Principles Judo close?

First Principles Judo closes at 7:00 PM on Monday and Thursday.First Principles Judo is closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.First Principles Judo closes at 10:30 AM on Saturday.

Mon, Thu 5:00 PM - 7:00 PMTue-Wed, Fri, Sun ClosedSat 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

Does First Principles Judo take credit cards?

Yes, First Principles Judo takes credit cards.

Does First Principles Judo have bike parking?

No, First Principles Judo does not have bike parking.

Does First Principles Judo have parking?

Yes, First Principles Judo has parking options.

Is First Principles Judo wheelchair accessible?

No, First Principles Judo is not wheelchair accessible.

Specialties

We offer martial arts classes for kids of all ages and aim to charge some of the lowest rates in the area so that price isn't a barrier to entry. We believe that martial arts should be available to everyone. At First Principles Judo our instructors are USA Judo certified national level coaches, so when you train with us you can be sure you are getting the highest quality martial arts instruction.

History

Established in 2007.

First Principles Judo was founded in 2007 by Mark Houk and started out as a garage gym where he taught a small group of students, notably his nephews, to do Judo. Eventually a few of his nephews continued their training in Columbia, Mo under Sensai Randy Russel, who is one of the top ranked Judokas in Missouri, and Sensai Glenn St. John. There Marks student Jonathan achieved the rank of Shodan and returned home where the first FPJ location was opened in Ozark, Mo. In the following years the dojo was moved from Ozark to Springfield and finally settled in Nixa, Mo in 2021 where it is currently operated by Jonathan Mann.

Meet the Business Owner: Jonathan M.

I started training Judo in 2007, when my late uncle, told me that I desperately needed physical grounding. I didn't know what that meant at the time, but after being introduced to hard falls on the mat, I quickly understood. Not only did judo get me out of my head, but it helped me to get my "head on straight". I quickly took to the art of Judo and learned as much as possible and soon I outgrew our small garage dojo. My uncle and sensai suggested that I continue my training in Columbia, Mo under Randy Russel who is one of the top judokas in the state. So I did just that. After a few years of training in Columbia and taking gold in numerous competitions I achieved the rank of Shodan(1st degree blackbelt) and not long after I received a call from my uncle asking me to return home and help teach judo in Ozark Mo. Since then I've been coaching Judo. I love Judo and passing on the lessons that I have learned while training. I hope to pass that on to as many as possible.