What is Judo?
Brief History of Judo
Judo is a modern Japanese martial art, sport, and self-defense system. It was created in 1882 by Jigoro Kano (嘉納 治五郎, 1860–1938), who blended the principles of traditional Jujutsu with his own philosophy. The word Judo literally means "gentle way".
Kano began studying Jujutsu as a way to improve his physical strength and self-defense skills. However, he was not satisfied with traditional Jujutsu, which he felt was too violent and impractical. He began to develop his own system of Jujutsu, which he called Judo.
Judo emphasized the use of leverage and technique over strength. Kano would later describe this principle as "seiryoku zen'you" meaning "maximum efficiency, minimum effort". He also stressed the importance of self-improvement and character development. Judo quickly became popular in Japan, and Kano founded the Kodokan Judo Institute in 1882.
At the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo Judo became the first martial art included as an official Olympic sport. Judo has since become one of the most popular sports in the world, practiced in over 170 countries with tens of millions of practitioners worldwide.
Benefits of Judo
Judoka receive numerous benefits through their study of Judo. These benefits stay with them throughout their lives and ultimately allow them to contribute to society at the highest levels. The list of famous / successful Judoka is long and constantly growing. It includes Ronda Rousey, "Judo" Gene LeBell, Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Theodore Roosevelt, Pierre Trudeau, Kayla Harrison, and Jeremy Glick to name just a few. Benefits of practicing Judo include:
Physical Fitness - Judo is a physically demanding sport. Practicing Judo develops strength, flexibility, and improves cardiovascular health. It can lower stress, reduce excess weight gain and improve overall physical wellbeing.
Mental Health - The physical nature of Judo causes the body to release endorphins which can positively impact mood even hours after a good practice. In addition to positive chemical reactions in the brain; Judoka learn and develop a strong mental fortitude allowing them to more readily handle life situations that may cause concern, anxiety, or depression in others.
Self Defense - Judo is inarguably one of the most practical forms of self-defense. Using ones opponents size, strength, and movement against them allows much smaller, weaker Judoka to successfully off-balance and throw their attacker to the floor giving them space and time to escape or, if necessary, to then apply groundwork techniques to further subdue their opponent. This makes Judo an ideal form of self-defense for women and children.
Spiritual Alignment - Judoka learn the values of respecting others, modesty, perseverance, and the importance of contributing positively to the community and others around them. These values lead to a life of balance and continual self-improvement for many allowing them to feel more connected and impactful to the world around them.
Fun - Judo is just plain fun! The teamwork and comradery experienced through a Judo practice, the thrill of winning a medal at a tournament, or the satisfaction and confidence gained from learning and mastering a new technique make Judo unlike any other martial art.
Techniques of Judo
Judo is derived of various "Waza" or techniques. These include throwing and grappling techniques. Overall, the Kodokan recognizes 68 unique throwing and 32 unique grappling techniques. These waza are organized as follows:
NAGE-waza (throwing techniques)
Tachi-waza (standing techniques)
Te-waza (hand techniques)
Ashi-waza (foot techniques)
Koshi-waza (hip techniques)
Sutemi-waza (sacrafice techniques)
Ma-Sutemi-waza (back sacrifice techniques)
Yoko-Sutemi-waza (side sacrifice techniques)
KATAME-waza (grappling / ground techniques)
Osaekomi-waza (pinning techniques)
Shime-waza (choking techniques)
Kansetsu-waza (joint lock techniques)
Judo at its highest level.