The Hall of Fame of the Ju-Jitsu International Federation –JJIF– has become one of the highest institutional recognitions within international Ju-Jitsu, reserved for those figures who have contributed from management, refereeing or technical development to the global expansion of the sport.
Since its creation, this distinction has been awarded to profiles linked to the construction of the federation itself, such as its founding member and first president, Rinaldo Orlandi, or Dr. Paul Hoglund, who served as treasurer until 2000 and later assumed the presidency between 2000 and 2008.
A recognition linked to the growth of Ju-Jitsu
Other distinguished leaders include Herbert Frese, president of the German federation between 2000 and 2010 and of the Ju-Jitsu European Union between 2012 and 2014, as well as Heinz Lamade, JJIF vice president between 1987 and 2008 and 10th Dan recognized by the federation in 2022.
In the technical and refereeing field, names such as Roel van Ravens, international referee since 1980 and JJEU Referee Director for more than a decade, or Eugene Domagata, JJEU Sport Director and JJIF General Manager until his passing in 2017, have also been distinguished for their contribution to the organizational development of Ju-Jitsu.
No fixed calendar for new inductions
The JJIF does not establish a public or annual calendar for the introduction of new members into its Hall of Fame, as these appointments are usually formalized within the framework of federation congresses or decisions adopted by its internal bodies.
This lack of periodicity makes each new induction a particularly significant recognition within a structure that has evolved in parallel with the competitive and institutional growth of Ju-Jitsu in recent years.
The question over the next name
In a context marked by the internationalization of the sport and the consolidation of new areas such as social responsibility, professional protection or the fight against doping, attention now turns to who will be the next to become part of this hall of honour.
Former Board members such as Margarita P. Ochoa or Medha Goodary, responsible for initiatives such as Ju-Jitsu 4 Good or the Doping Free department, join a list of profiles whose impact goes beyond the tatami and reinforces the institutional role of the JJIF within the international sports ecosystem.
