Although the martial arts industry is best described as a collection of independent groups, the art of judo has remained standardized. This is mostly due to judo's status as an Olympic sport. Even if individual organizations and teachers disagree on particulars, all competitive programs must teach the same rules. This has led to an uncommon consistency among judo uniforms.
Judo History
The principles of judo are as ancient as any martial arts, and since they are based on the laws of physics and physiology, they could be said to predate human beings. Judo as a particular style was founded in 1992 by jujitsu student Dr. Jigoro Kano. It became a recognized Olympic sport in 1964, the first Asian martial art recognized as such. Competition in judo is a popular pastime in more than 100 countries and it is this competition that fosters similarity in different programs.
Traditional Uniform
The traditional judo uniform consists of a pair of high-cut karate pants and a loose jacket. Unlike traditional karate gis, these uniforms are reinforced to protect against the rigors of judo practice. The jackets are thick and quilted to stand up against twisting and pulling on the lapels and collar. The pants generally have reinforcing patches on the knees. Traditional judo gis are white, top and bottom, with the only permitted color being the student's belt and a patch to identify which school he belongs to.
Competition Uniforms
To make identification easier, judo competitors bring both a blue gi and white gi to competition. The blue gi is identical to the white in all respects except color. Although traditional programs generally require a white gi during practice, some modern programs are forgiving if a student accidentally brings only the blue gi.
Belt Ranking
As with other Japanese martial arts, judo uniforms include a colored belt that indicates skill and time of study for a particular student. Judo ranking recognizes six grades below black belt and 10 degrees of black belt. Individual programs will have different colors associated with each grade, and some will grant belts only for a few of the grades. In general, it will take between three and five years to reach black belt rank in judo.
References
- Judo Info: History of Judo
- Judo Info: The Judo Rank System
- "U.S. Judo Association Basic Judo Manual"; Philip Porter; 1994
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