Budo App Debuts at San Fernando Valley Judo Tournament: Helping Dojos Run Smoother Events  

 

PACOIMA, C.A. (DECEMBER 5, 2025​) – ​ Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, San Fernando Valley Judo successfully hosted its in-house shiai using the new Budo App, a simple tournament management platform designed specifically for judo dojos.  

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The tournament welcomed 53 competitors from 9 different Los Angeles–based judo clubs, an impressive turnout during a holiday weekend. The use of the Budo App allowed the dojo to move away from same-day paper registrations and instead prepare everything ahead of time, including competitor registration and payments.  

 

“This was the best run in-house shiai we have ever done at SFV Judo,” said Sensei Glen Whitesell, head sensei of the children’s program at San Fernando Valley Judo and a respected leader in Southern California judo for over 40 years.  

 

With Budo, dojo staff were able to review registrations in advance, reduce long check-in lines, and focus more attention on running quality matches instead of handling paperwork. Parents were able to use the mobile-friendly web app to register their children from home, save their information for future events, and complete payment before tournament day.  

 

One parent shared their experience using the platform:  

“It was intuitive, straightforward and easy to understand. The waiver process especially was easy to use and sign compared to the confusing drop down process used in other tournament registration platforms.”  

 

San Fernando Valley Judo plans to continue using the Budo App for their upcoming Holiday Mini-Shiai on December 27, 2025, as well as their historic 96th Annual Kohaku Judo Tournament—the longest-running and last Kohaku-format tournament in the United States.  

 

The Budo App is part of ShotCaller’s growing portfolio of martial arts technology solutions, with a mission to help martial arts schools modernize tournament operations, improve the experience for families, and make events more enjoyable for everyone involved.

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About San Fernando Valley Judo

Judo has been taught by the San Fernando Valley Dojo since 1921, when the dojo was formed by Seigoro Murakami. Within its first year of existence, San Fernando Valley Judo grew to over 100 members, and hosted the first American Invitational Judo tournament in 1922. As one of US's oldest dojos, San Fernando Valley survives today with nearly 500 yudansha under it’s history, and continues to serve it’s students and community every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 6:00 p.m to 9:00 pm.

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About ShotCaller

ShotCaller is an AI-powered platform that helps sports organizations create interactive experiences fans can play, share, and support.

Mission: Bridging communities closer together through the power of sport & technology.​​​​