The European Judo Union continues its monthly celebration of judo’s core values, highlighting Sincerity for the month of August. This value is exemplified by double World medallist and Olympian Nekoda Smythe-Davis, who serves as this month’s ambassador.
Sincerity is one of the core values of judo, reflecting honesty, authenticity, and integrity both on and off the tatami. It means acting with genuine intent, showing respect for one’s training partners, coaches, opponents, and oneself. In judo, sincerity is not just about telling the truth, it’s about being true to the spirit of the sport: training earnestly, competing fairly, and embodying the values that judo teaches every day.
As Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, believed: progress in judo and in life is only possible when we act with sincerity of purpose and purity of heart.
“To me, sincerity means being a kind and considerate person, someone who leads with their heart rather than their head when making decisions that involve others. It’s about acting with genuine care and always putting the best intentions for others before anything else. That’s what sincerity means to me.” – shared Smythe-Davis.
Author: Szandra Szogedi