Joshua Resnick has been a fighter since the day he was born.  Diagnosed with epilepsy at an early age, Joshua has spent a lifetime proving his doubters wrong. He faced the struggles of the disease with a positive attitude and mental will of iron.

Joshua, stated; “The way I see it, I’ve been fortunate to have the mentality that did not allow epilepsy to stop me from doing the things I love doing.  I think Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are very safe for people with epilepsy because of the amount of physical perception people develop when in contact with one another, the focus is intense, and we preach safety for oneself and one’s training partner at all times.  In a team sport, a person with epilepsy can have a seizure, and end up feeling like they let their team down, and end up feeling embarrassed by it.  But in Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that isn’t the case because of the mentality of the sports.  We focus on the self-development and self-awareness more than team sports do. Thus, there is no team letdown, and the people whom you train with admire one another for their efforts and motivations instead of the results gained or lost for the team.”

Joshua first learned judo under Sensei James Peterson in Milwaukee, WI when he was 9 years old.  His work ethic impressed his teammates and instructors, and he rose through the junior competitive ranks quickly.

Upon graduating from high school, he traveled to Japan on his own, and decided to dedicate himself to reaching the highest level he could in judo.  Later, he was competing in the Jr. Nationals and had a chance meeting that would change his life.

David Williams, a competitor and coach at San Jose State University, convinced him to leave Wisconsin, and enter SJSU to continue  his education and to pursue his judo training with like minded individuals who were looking to attain success at the highest levels of judo competition.  Several months later, at age 19, Joshua made the move to San Jose.

For more than 10 years, Joshua trained with some of the very best coaches in the USA, including World Champion and Olympic medalist Mike Swain, and 1980 Olympic Judo Team Captain, Keith Nakasone.  He traveled the world training and competing for the United States, and spent the better part of a decade on the Elite National roster. He is a 3rd degree black belt,  National Level Coach and Referee, and spent several years as an Athlete Representative in USA Judo, the National Governing Body of Judo in the United States.

Since graduating and retiring from judo competition, Joshua’s career path has led him to working with special needs students, first in his hometown of Milwaukee, and now in Southern California. He has also coached wrestling at the High School level, and was the judo instructor at Neutral Ground in Milwaukee. After retiring from competitive judo, he began to study Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, first under renown instructor Dave Camarillo,  and then Jon Friedland in Milwaukee. He currently trains under Leandro Vieira and is ranked as a purple belt in the sport.

Since moving back to Southern California, Joshua has search for the right opportunity to continue his path in judo. After careful consideration of several options, he decided to partner with Sensei Juan Montenegro to develop a new judo program in Long Beach.

He joins Orange County Judo Training Center head instructor Juan Montenegro as a judo coach at Fight Zone USA, located in the Signal Hill section of Long Beach, California. He brings a passion for judo, and enthusiasm for the development of his students to his teachings. He believes that working with Sensei Montenegro, and the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructors Professor Leandro Vieira and Kevin Howell, the students of Fight Zone USA will have an unrivaled opportunity to learn these time honored martial arts from highly qualified instructors.

Orange County Judo Training Center is proud to have an instructor with Joshua’s judo and educational credentials; and are pleased that he shares our goals of teaching and sharing  the highest quality judo in the Southern California area.