FAQ 1

What is judo?

Judo was created in 1882 by Professor Jigoro Kano. As an educational method derived from the martial arts, judo became an official Olympic sport in 1964. Judo is a highly codified sport in which the mind controls the expression of the body and is a sport which contributes to educating individuals. Beyond competitions and combat, judo involves technical research, practice of Kata, self-defence work, physical preparation, sharpening of spirit. Judo is the way of the highest or most efficient use of both physical and mental energy.

Through training in the attack and defence techniques of judo, the practitioner nurtures their physical and mental strength, and gradually embodies the essence of the way of judo. Thus, the ultimate objective of judo discipline is to be utilized to achieve self-perfection, and henceforth to make a positive contribution to society. As a discipline derived from ancestral traditions, judo was designed by its master founder as an eminently modern and progressive activity.

Values of judo

There are 8 judo values which are taught throughout judo lessons and into transferable skills to day to day life:

Courage
Respect
Modesty
Friendship
Honour
Honesty
Self-control
Courtesy

What are the main principles of judo?

The principles of judo, such as ‘maximum efficiency’ and ‘mutual welfare and benefit’, can also be used in our dealings with others in life. The ultimate goal in judo is to develop oneself to the maximum extent possible, always striving for perfection, so that you can contribute something of value to the world.

What is the purpose of judo?

The founder of judo, Jigoro Kano himself said that the purpose of judo is to strengthen the body by practicing attack and defence, to complete the personality by training the mind, and finally to devote oneself to society.

Kodokan Judo

Judo techniques were divided into three categories: throws or nage waza, controls or katame waza and kicks or atemi waza. In competition, atemi waza are not allowed.

Judo is taught through randori, free practice, kata, imposed forms, and mondo, exchanges based on the values, the philosophy or any subject related to judo, between the students and their teacher.

The emblem of the Kodokan is an octagonal mirror, the symbol of truth, the central red circle expressing a right and sincere spirit.

In 1922, Kano created the Cultural Society of the Kodokan. He writes the two maxims that define the philosophy of his method: Seiryoku zenyo (‘the best use of energy’) and Jita Kyoei (‘mutual welfare and benefit’).

In 1909, Kano was appointed to the International Olympic Committee. He became the first IOC Asian member and devoted his life to the development of education through judo and through sports in Japan and around the world.

Read more: https://www.ijf.org/history

Judo in the world

Thanks to the efforts of Kano and his disciples, Kodokan Judo, developed within the Japanese emigrant communities (USA, Brazil, Canada) as well as in Germany, Britain and the British-influenced countries.

In France, from 1940, a westernised variant of the Kano method was developed by professor Kawaishi, with the assistance of an engineer, Moshe Feldenkrais.

The Kawaishi Method is very successful in Europe and throughout the French-influenced countries.

Read further via: https://www.ijf.org/history/from-martial-art-to-olympic-sport/1153

Women’s Judo

In 1923, Jigoro Kano opened a women’s section of the Kodokan. He focused on the technical study and on kata but did not allow the practice in competition which was considered dangerous to the health of future mothers. Keiko Fukuda, granddaughter of Hachinosuke Fukuda, who taught Jujutsuto Kano, dedicated her life to spreading women’s judo worldwide.

Judo as a Sport

Official sporting events started to take place in the early 20th century and it was in Germany on August 11th, 1932, that the European Judo Union was created. The first European Championships were held in Dresden in 1934. The Kano Method was chosen as a demonstration sport for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1940, which never took place because of the Second World War. It was not until the 1964 Olympic Games that judo officially entered the Olympic programme.

European Judo Union

The European Judo Union (EJU) was founded on 28th July 1948 in London. It is a non-political and a non-profit organisation, currently established under Austrian Association Law, that represents one of the five continental unions inside the International Judo Federation (IJF). The EJU is composed of 51 Member National Federations or Associations officially recognized through their National Olympic Committees. As a continental union inside IJF, the EJU in charge of implementing the policies of the IJF and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and it does not discriminate on the grounds of race, religion, gender or politics.

International Judo Federation

The European Judo Union was reconstituted after World War II. On July 11, 1951 in London, its representatives (Great Britain, France, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland) received the candidacy of Argentina and the International Judo Federation was created. The Italian, Aldo Torti became the first President of the IJF.

International Judo Federation (IJF) is the hub for all the national judo federation members. Today, IJF brings together more than 200 national federations and 5 continental unions. The headquarters are based in Budapest, Hungary.

What do you do in judo?

While judo includes a variety of rolls, falls, throws, hold downs, chokes, joint-locks, and strikes, the primary focus is on throwing (nage-waza), and groundwork (ne-waza). Throws are divided in two groups of techniques, standing techniques (tachi-waza), and sacrifice techniques (sutemi-waza).

Are jiu jitsu and judo the same?

Whilst judo is rooted in jiu-jitsu the techniques are a bit different. The scoring is also different, for example, whilst you can win by throws in judo, you cannot in jiu-jitsu. Though, judo and jiu-jitsu athletes often train together and learn from each other.

Rules of judo

The rules regarding safety in judo are as follows;

Intentionally harming an opponent is abandoned.
One cannot punch or kick his opponent.
You cannot touch the opponent’s face.
Attacking the joints other than elbows is not allowed.
Head dives are also not permitted.
Some techniques likeKawazu gake and Kami basami are not allowed.
Neither of the competitors are allowed to wear any hard metallic object during the competition.

Find out more via https://www.ijf.org/history/judo-what-is-it-all-about

How long does it take to get each belt in judo?

It depends on where in the world you are practicing judo. Each country has their own rules and regulations on how fast you can progress with your belt exams. In some countries, adults can do their grading [belt exam] every 3 months.

Children tend to have different procedures for belt examination; therefore, the timeline is different too. Find your national federation via the following link and contact them to find out how often they hold belt exams: https://www.ijf.org/countries

What does the word judo mean?

The word judo consists of two Japanese characters, ju, which means ‘gentle’, and do, which means ‘the way’. Judo, therefore, translated into ‘the gentle way’.

Why is judo called ‘the gentle way’?

Judo is ‘the gentle way’ because the result is maximum efficiency with minimum effort. As a sport, rather than simply a combat form, judo includes a code of sportsmanship, a sense of mutual respect, and a system of ethical and moral development. Judo is both an art and a science.

Where is judo the most popular?

Judo is remarkably popular around the world. There are more than 50 million judoka across more than 200 nations. Some of the most popular judo nations are Japan, France, Canada, Russia and Brazil.

What is judo known for?

Judo is a highly codified sport in which the mind controls the expression of the body and is a sport which contributes to educating individuals. Beyond competitions and combat, judo involves technical research, practice of katas, self-defence work, physical preparation and sharpening of spirit.

Judo is also an education and science with its’s remarkable core values: courage, respect, modesty, sincerity, friendship, honour, politeness and self-control.

What is a judoka?

A person who is practicing judo called the judoka.

How do you tie judo trousers?

The key points are:

Pull each string out to the side first
Pull it tight first then pull it through by putting them through the loops
At the end, tie it like you are trying to tie a shoe lace

Video for more support on how to tie judo trousers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrDjbxMeGIU

Why is judo so popular?

Judo is remarkably popular around the world. There are more than 50 million judo players across 200 nations.

Judo is also an education and science with its’s significant core values: courage, respect, modesty, sincerity, friendship, honour, politeness and self-control.

How many throws are there in judo?

There are 100 judo techniques that makes up the Kodokan List of Judo Techniques, 68 of those are Nage-waza (judo throws) and 32 are Katame-waza (groundwork).

In 1920 the Kodokan revised the Gokyo No Waza to include 40 principle throwing waza. You can find a complete guide and list of ‘moves’ via the Kodokan Judo Institute website: http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/waza/list/

Judo belts rankings

Each country has their own grading [belt exam] system, however, the traditional coloured grading system as follow:

White belt – 6 kyu grade

Yellow belt – 5 kyu grade

Orange belt – 4 kyu grade

Green belt – 3 kyu grade

Blue belt – 2 kyu grade

Brown belt – 1 kyu grade

Black belt – 1 dan grade

Further to the first black belt, there are several levels up to the maximum of 10^th degree. Judoka who has attained the 6th Dan may also use a red-white panelled belt, and judoka who have attained the 9th Dan may wear a solid red belt.

What is the highest belt in judo?

10^th degree black belt is the highest rank in the judo world.

How do judo throws work?

A judo throw requires establishing a firm grip (Kumi Kata), getting your opponent off-balance (Kuzushi), getting into position (Tsukuri), and executing the throw (Kake).

FAQ 1 - ABOUT JUDO