Judo

Judo is the most modern of Japanese martial arts. Its creation dates back to the late 1890’s. Founder Kano Jigoro studied Jiu-Jitsu as a boy but many of his instructors either died or he did not stay with them for long periods of time. Going from school to school, his knowledge grew and he eventually began to add his own techniques. Jigoro took nine Jiu-Jitsu students and formed the Kodokan School in the early 20th century, which became the first judo school ever.

The style, like Jiu-Jitsu, looks to counter aggression from opponents. The Jiu-Jitsu techniques that required force were replaced with techniques that put opponents off balance, and used leverage. Jiu-Jitsu was designed for killing but judo is a tamer system that promotes physical, mental and moral improvements, allowing an individual to win a match through a point system.

Each judo match has a standing stage (tachi-waza) and a ground stage (ne-waza). A good judo fighter will strive to be well-rounded in both stages, but most fighters become more proficient at only one. The main form of training is free-style sparring (randori) so fighters can improve reaction time and cardiovascular fitness. Fighters practice how to take down their opponent and then either control, submit or pin them once they have them on the ground.

Points are awarded for takedowns, and depending on the impact of the move, one or one-half point will be rewarded. Any hold down of 10 seconds or more will score, and a hold down of 25 seconds will be an automatic win. If the score is the same at the end of the time limit, then the scores will go back to zero and the first point awarded will win the match.

Fighters wear a judogi which is essentially a gi. Belts are used as ranking but tournament fighters don’t always pursue higher belts. It’s common to see lower-ranked belts defeat higher ones in competitions. The black belt has ten degrees one can achieve, but only 15 individuals have ever achieved it; three of which were just awarded last January, the first in 22 years.