Exploring Life & Business with Austin Hansen of Seijuku Dan Judo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Austin Hansen.

Hi Austin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have practiced martial arts since 2009, with my speciality being the sport of Judo. I hold a 4th degree black belt in Judo, a 4th degree black belt in Japanese Jujutsu, and a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I moved to Sanford, NC in 2020 on military orders. I started training at a local Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym, and later was asked to teach Judo part time. That part time coaching has grown rapidly! Since 2020, I’ve helped start 5 judo clubs. I currently network with 3 Judo gyms to help grow their programs and provide mentorship. I opened my own brick and mortar location in 2024, and currently have over 40 members. I purchased a home in NC and plan on staying for the foreseeable future!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Times have not always been easy. It is very difficult to find a location to rent that meets all the criteria: adequately sized location, within budget, and most importantly finding owners who are willing to rent to a martial arts business! City occupancy codes can be quite the challenge to navigate, and be costly too. Fortunately we have been able to work with a wonderful family to launch our location, and be a positive force for our community by and large. The other challenge is advertising, specifically organic content creation on social media. Making a catchy 1 minute or less video can be far more difficult than one would imagine!

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Seijuku Dan Judo?
Seijuku Dan Judo (pronounced “say-jew-koo,” SDJ for short) is a for profit LLC focusing on the grappling art of Judo. “Seijuku Dan” means “mature student” in Japanese. We offer adult and children’s recreational judo practices, emphasizing respect on and off the mat, and reinforcing lifelong learning models. We approach learning Judo in an unorthodox way, leveraging a blend of the constraints-led approach to coaching and traditional in class whiteboard lectures to give full spectrum Judo education. Judo is first and foremost a means of education, with an emphasis on physical education and Japanese culture. Secondly, Judo is a competitive art. Through our program, we are able to rapidly improve physical coordination and ability of participants of all ages (we have members from 3 years old to over 60) while giving the detailed and super cool background of japanese culture. Tying the two methods together has provided great feedback! Check out our website www.sdjjudo.com for more details, or follow Seijuku Dan Judo on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for regular postings.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Grappling is growing rapidly in America! The call for takedown specialists in grappling gyms is huge, and growing. Black belts in the niche art of Judo frequently find themselves being requested on a part time paid basis in brazilian jiu jitsu clubs, MMA gyms, or other martial arts locations. Judo is the art of throwing an opponent on their back from standing, so that’s right up our alley! The greatest part though is the potential for Judo focused gyms. There’s enough part time locations that have exposed people to Judo that the desire for Judo focused clubs has grown. I foresee my judo club opening to 6 days a week of Judo only. We currently have Judo on Tuesdays, Open mat on Saturday, and the other days have brazilian jiu jitsu- but the greatest demand is Judo!

Pricing:

• $60/month for Judo only
• $130/month for BJJ and Judo
• Saturday Open mat is always Free!
• 15% discount for 1st Responders, students, & Military
• No contracts!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sdjjudo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seijukudanjudo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SeijukuDanJudo
• Twitter: https://x.com/seijukudanjudo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@seijukudanjudo