WHAT IS JUDO?

A Tremendous and Dynamic Sport

Judo (gentle way) was created by Jigoro Kano to be a non-violent fighting style and effective in shaping the character of the individual.

It's a combat method derived from Jiu-Jitsu which consists basically on holding, throwing and projection techniques, chokes and locks. It is based on two principles: lower resistance in the relation to the adversary and maximum efficiency with minimum effort. The goal is to use the force of the adversary, applying leverage to beat him with the least strength. The key of Judo can be summarized by the following sentence: "If my opponent pulls, I push. If he pushes, I pull."

Kano studied the various techniques of Jiu-Jitsu wich required physical strength but were not pratical for him, as he was short and frail. He decided to select the most effective and suppress the most dangerous techniques, created and improved throws and projections, and designed a special training uniform called Judogi along with a new kind of ranking to determine the graduation level.

The first Judo school, named Kodokan, was opened in 1882. Judo was officially recognized by the Japanese government in 1886.