Meet Our Senseis

Sensei Ed Liddie is one of the most accomplished judoka and coaches in U.S. history. An Olympic medalist and USA Judo’s High Performance Director, he has guided generations of athletes at the highest level, from national champions to Olympians. In addition to coaching internationally, he dedicates time to developing young athletes in Colorado Springs through community judo programs.

Hometown: New York City, New York

Athletic Highlights:

• 1984 Olympic Bronze Medalist (60kg) — only the third American judoka ever to medal at the Olympics

• World Championship Team Member: 1983 (5th), 1989 (5th), 1991 (7th)

• Multiple-time U.S. National Champion and U.S. Olympic Festival Gold Medalist

• All-American, Cumberland College (1979–1983)

• Inducted into Cumberland College Athletic Hall of Fame (1999)

Coaching Experience:

• High Performance Director, USA Judo (2005–present)

• Head Coach, Olympic Training Center Judo Club

• Olympic & Paralympic Team Coach: 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024

• USA Judo National & Paralympic Team Coach (1995–present)

• Coach of multiple World and Pan American medalists, including athletes on the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Teams

• Finalist, USOC Paralympic Coach of the Year (2013)

• USA Judo Coach of the Year (2002)

Sensei Cliff started judo at age 5 and went on to represent the United States at the Olympic Games. He has earned multiple national and international medals. His coaching emphasizes discipline, technical mastery, and a love for competition.

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Athletic Highlights:

• Member, 1996 US Olympic Team

• 1991 Pan American Games Silver Medalist

• 4x US National Champion

• 1993, 1995, 1997 World Team Member

• Multiple International Medalist

• US National Judo Team Member

Sensei Miki started judo at age 11 and has competed nationally and internationally as part of the US National Judo Team and trained at the Olympic Training Center. She brings elite competitive experience to the dojo and is passionate about helping young athletes develop both skill and confidence on the mat.

Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Athletic Highlights:

• 1997 US Open Silver Medalist

• 1995 Junior Pan American Championship Silver Medalist

• 1996 Junior World Team Member

• 1995–1997 US National Championship Medalist

• Resident Athlete, Olympic Training Center (1997–1999)

• US National Judo Team Member

Sensei Toshi began training judo at age 9. He brings a unique blend of elite competitive success and high-level coaching experience, having coached and trained athletes at the Olympic Training Center and on the USA Judo National and Paralympic Teams. He is committed to building strong fundamentals in every student.

Hometown: West Chester, Ohio

Athletic Highlights:

• Junior National Champion

• Junior Pan American Medalist

• Senior National Team Member (2008–2012)

• Senior National Medalist

• World Cup Medalist

• Training Partner, 2012 London Paralympic Games (Athlete: Ron Hawthorne)

Coaching Experience:

• Assistant Coach, Olympic Training Center Judo Team (2012–2016)

• Assistant Coach, USA Judo National Team (2012–2016)

• Assistant Coach, USA Judo Paralympic Team (2012–2016)

Sensei Kiko trained at the prestigious Budokan Judo Club in Florida before moving to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, where he competed internationally as a U.S. National Team member. With experience on some of the world’s biggest stages, he shares his knowledge and competitive spirit with the next generation of judoka.

Hometown: Hialeah, Florida

Weight Division: 71kg

Athletic Highlights:

• 1991 Junior Olympics Champion

• 1996 U.S. Open Bronze Medalist

• 1997 World Cup (Warsaw, Poland) – 7th place

• 1997 World Cup (Munich, Germany) – 7th place

• 1995–2000 Resident Athlete, Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, CO

• U.S. National Judo Team Member

Sensei Seiji combines elite-level competitive experience with a strong background in both Judo and wrestling. He started judo at age 6 and is was a national and international competitor for Team USA, he later contributed to the sport as a coach at the Olympic Training Center.

Hometown: Thornton, Colorado

Athletic Highlights:

• Multiple Junior and Senior National Champion

• Member of Team USA for Junior and Senior International Competitions

• Division I Collegiate Wrestler

Coaching Experience:

• Judo Coach, Olympic Training Center

Sensei Taylor is a decorated competitor whose achievements span both Judo and wrestling. She has represented the United States at the Junior World level and holds national, Pan American, and U.S. Open titles, making her one of the most accomplished athletes of her generation. She started judo at age 7.

Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii

Athletic Highlights:

• U.S. Open Champion

• Pan American Champion

• Multiple-time U.S. National Champion (Junior & Senior Divisions)

• Junior World Team Member

• 6-Time State Champion (Judo & Wrestling)

Sensei Jody brings over three decades of discipline, leadership, and coaching excellence to the world of judo. After being coached by Olympian Ed Liddie in the early 1990s, Jody reunited with him in 2012 as his assistant coach, following a distinguished 15-year career in the U.S. Air Force. Since then, he has cultivated a legacy of success, producing multiple medalists at national tournaments and the State Games of America.

Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado

Coaching Experience:

• USA Judo National Coach (2012–present)

• Assistant Coach under Olympian Ed Liddie (2012–present)

• Six-time Pan American Championships Team Coach

• Coach of multiple national and State Games medalists

• Veteran Mentor, USA Judo

Sensei Sarah is a former Junior World Champion and Pan American Games gold medalist who spent years training as a resident athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. With deep roots in judo from childhood (started training at age 4), she brings both elite-level competitive experience and a lifelong passion for the sport to her teaching. 

Hometown: Santa Rosa, California

Weight Division: 52kg

Athletic Highlights:

• First Junior Nationals at age 5 (1983, Las Vegas, NV)

• 1996 Junior World Champion (Porto, Portugal)

• 1997 Junior World Champion (Florida)

• 1998 U.S. Open Bronze Medalist (Colorado Springs, CO)

• 1997–2002 Resident Athlete, Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, CO

• 2000 Olympic Training Partner, Team USA (Sydney Olympic Games)

• 2001 Pan American Games Champion (Puerto Rico)

• U.S. National Judo Team Member

Sensei Chris began training judo at age 13. He brings decades of experience as both an athlete and a coach, with a background in multiple martial arts. He trained with the National Judo Team at the Olympic Training Center and, after his active-duty Army service, he dedicated over two decades to coaching junior athletes while serving his community as a police officer.

Hometown: Colorado Springs, Colorado (originally from Illinois)

Athletic Highlights:

• National-Level Judo Competitor (late 1980s–early 1990s)

• Black Belt in Judo (1991), Taekwondo, and Vee Arnis Jiu Jitsu

Coaching Experience:

• Juniors Judo Coach, Olympic Training Center

• Wrestling Coach, Rocky Mountain Classical Academy

• Active Instructor in Judo, Wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Sensei Nikki grew up training in a family of competitive judoka. She was born and raised in Woodland Park, Colorado, where her parents, both nationally and internationally ranked competitors from the Olympic Training Center, owned and operated Suzuran Judo Club. During her competitive career, she became a two-time Junior Olympian and a National High School Champion before training at the Olympic Training Center under Ed Liddie.

Hometown: Woodland Park, Colorado

Athletic Highlights:

• 2x Junior Olympian (48kg and 52kg Divisions)

• National High School Champion (57kg)

• Member, National High School Team – Japan Exchange (2006)

• Member, Team Force under Jimmy Pedro and Buck Wessel (2006–2007)

• Trained at the Olympic Training Center (2007–2011)

• Competed under Jeff & Amy Laurell, Suzuran Judo

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