What is Judo?
You may already know that judo is a martial art originally created in Japan. What separates judo from other martial arts like karate or tae kwon do, however, is that judo is designed specifically with sport competition in mind. Whereas sparring in other martial arts generally requires use of pads and other protective equipment or light contact (pulling of punches or kicks), judo techniques can be performed at full speed and full force while maintaining safety. Judo in Japanese means “the gentle way,” and is known as such because many of the techniques in judo rely on giving way to the force of your opponent. Don’t be fooled, however, by the term “gentle.” Judo is an intense sport, a wonderful form of exercise, and can be adapted to serve as effective a powerful form of self-defense. Judo techniques include throws, the most spectacular and recognizable elements of judo, as well as grappling techniques such as pins, chokes and arm locks. Perhaps most importantly, judoka must learn to fal
Judo is a grappling art that was founded in 1882 by Dr. Jigoro Kano, an educator and martial artist in Japan. As a practitioner of jujitsu, Kano sought a martial art that could be used to teach discipline, self-defense, and as a physical education be practiced safely with a partner. He analyzed the techniques of jujitsu and selected the throws, pins, and submission holds that would not cause injury.
Judo is a martial art, a sport, a discipline, a recreational or social activity, a fitness program, a means of self-defense or combat, and a way of life. Judo is best known for it’s spectacular throwing techniques, but also involves considerable grappling on the ground utilizing painful hold-down techniques, joint locks, and choking techniques. Skill, technique and timing, rather than the use of brute strength, are the essential ingredients for success in Judo.
The Short Answer Why Should I Join Judo? Who Should Do Judo? Where Judo Began – Kodokan Judo An article by Neil Ohlenkamp –> [Click Here For Printable Version] The Short Answer • Judo is a martial art combining throws with submission techniques in its groundwork. Judo includes subtle but powerful techniques which include sweeps, hip throws, shoulder throws, arm throws, leg throws and sacrifice throws. The control/submission techniques include pinning your opponent, armbars and chokes. • Judo rules and well developed Ukemi (fall break techniques) together with the etiquette in the Judo tradition enable judokas to practice with full contact and utmost realism, without injury. • Judo became an Olympic sport in 1964 and is the most popular martial art worldwide, with millions of judokas regularly competing. • The Judo uniform is called a judogi which represents traditional Japanese clothing. Judo is practiced on mats (tatamis) necessary to absorb the impact of a throw. Large tournament ta