In a recent interview with The Shintaro Higashi Show, renowned U.S. bronze Olympic medalist and longtime judo coach Jimmy Pedro provided an enlightening perspective on the stark economic differences between judo in the United States versus judo powerhouses like France and Russia.
According to Pedro, the numbers tell a stark tale. While the French judo federation boasts over 550,000 paying members with an annual operating budget of $20 million, the U.S. judo organization, USA Judo, has a mere 12-13,000 members contributing $100 each, amounting to just $1.15-1.5 million per year.
“The economics in France is night and day compared to what it is in the United States,” Pedro lamented. This massive disparity directly translates to the earning potential of top judoka. While French superstar Teddy Riner commands over $1 million in sponsorships and competition fees annually, “that’s bigger than our entire operating budget in this country for every single athlete that we have.”
Pedro attributes this chasm to the sheer scale of judo’s popularity in countries like France and Russia. “If you look at the United States, we have about 15,000 to 20,000 people doing judo. They have 550,000 members in France.” He noted that Russian judo even has a $20 million annual budget dedicated solely to developing their national team.
So how can the U.S. judo community gain ground on these international juggernauts? For Pedro, the solution lies in growing the sport at the grassroots level through school programs and developing a pipeline of professional judo coaches.
“We need to train trainers and teach coaches how to teach judo properly in schools right as professionals. And once we do that, then we can give them jobs.” Pedro highlighted his own initiative, Judo Today, which aims to implement accredited judo programs in 60 Catholic schools across Florida, providing full-time coaching positions.
Ultimately, Pedro believes the key is cultivating judo as a viable career path, just as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has done in the United States. “When it’s your professional job how you earn your living, you dedicate 100% of your effort to it. That’s when you’ll be successful.”
With innovative programs, increased funding, and a focus on developing the sport’s infrastructure, Jimmy Pedro is confident that U.S. judo can one day approach the level of success seen in judo powerhouses around the world.
Kayla Harrison went on record on MMA Hour several years ago about getting offered a really basic sallary from US Judo despite unprecedented success and having to decline the job and pursue MMA.
In his own words, Riner expresses his disinterest in competing within the confines of a cage, stating, “Fighting in a cage doesn’t appeal to me. There is no moral code in MMA. I am a warrior on the tatami, but you always have to respect your opponent.”
It is evident that Riner’s commitment lies in the sanctity of the traditional Judo practice, where respect and honor are deeply ingrained.
Not to mention that Riner actually translated Judo accolades into a lucrative ambassadorship. Teddy Riner , 34, dominated the ranking of “highest paid athletes in 2023” with estimated income of nearly 82 million euros as per mediamass.
Riner also has a sizeable net worth. According to calculations, the judo entrepreneur is estimated to be worth upwards of 245 million euros.
He owes much of his immense fortune to stock market investments, a substantial real estate portfolio and the very lucrative advertising contract with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also ownes several restaurants in Paris (including the chain ” Chez l’gros Teddy “), a football club in Abymes, teenage fashion line, a perfume line and more.
This type of wealth can’t be matched even by MMA household names for the most part with several outliers like Conor McGregor or Khabib Nurmagomedov.
