The latest IJF JudoPod episode features Justin Flores, a former US national-team judoka and 2004 Olympic reserve whose career has moved between judo, wrestling and other martial arts.
Flores's route into sport was unusual: he began with competitive rope skipping before judo and wrestling shaped his career. Rather than choosing one discipline, he learned to combine them, turning opponents' strengths into openings for his own techniques — an approach he describes as making being different a competitive advantage.
Injury forced reinvention
That adaptability became essential as injuries reshaped his career. After 12 knee surgeries and seven ACL tears, Flores moved away from relying on physical power and towards efficiency, timing and grip fighting.
Some of his biggest disappointments, including the end of his Olympic dream, became lessons that shaped what came next. He went on to work with athletes including Ronda Rousey, Kayla Harrison and Molly McCann, and says each required a different approach — reinforcing his view that good coaching is about understanding the individual rather than imposing one system.
Passing it on
Flores later stepped away from the professional league after becoming increasingly concerned about the financial realities faced by fighters, and began thinking about how different martial arts develop and attract the next generation.
His focus now is on passing those lessons on. When his own son experienced disappointment in competition, Flores turned it into a lesson about accepting setbacks and understanding that losing is part of growth. He still dreams of being back in the fight.