Judo is a popular combat sport and martial art that originated in Japan. It is now widely practices across the world and is also an Olympic sport. It features a mixture of explosive throwing techniques as well as grappling techniques. It is derived from the traditional Japanese martial art of jujutsu.
Origins
Judo was created by Japanese jujutsu expert Jigoro Kano. Kano was a jujutsu master who believed that the traditional training methods and philosophies of jujutsu were no longer relevant in the changing Japanese society. The ritualized practice methods and lethal self-defence techniques were no longer necessary. He sought to create a martial art that could be practiced to strengthen the body and the competitive spirits without the need to focus on outdated killing techniques.
Judo
Kano's new art was named "judo." The change in suffix from "jutsu" to "do" reflected the changing philosophy. "Do" signifies a way, a martial philosophy, whereas "jutsu" is more indicative of a practical fighting style or technique. Kano believed that by removing the lethal techniques, such as the strikes, eye gouges and other crippling techniques, the resulting art would be a sport that could be practiced at full speed and power. The art focused equally on nage-waza, or throwing techniques, as well as ne-waza, or ground fighting techniques. Traditional Kodokan judo also includes kata, or set patterns, that also featured striking techniques. Modern judo omits the striking techniques, and the focus is mainly on randori, or free sparring, with the emphasis on nage-waza rather than ne-waza.
The Kodokan
Kano's headquarters for his new art was the Kodokan institute in Tokyo, which was founded in 1882. It served as a base of learning, a symbol for his new style, although many of Kano's best students, such as Mitusyo Maeda, travelled the world spreading the new discipline. It continues to be a center of excellence, with many of the best foreign and Japanese juodka training there, either as visiting students or as full-time students.
Modern Judo
Over time the nature of judo has changed. Originally focused as much on the ground fighting aspects as the throwing aspects, the modern Olympic sport is much more heavily focused on the standing phase of the fight, with time limits introduced on the amount of time the fight can continue when the bout hits the floor. This is partially as a result of attempts to create a more spectacular, spectator-friendly sport. Today, the sport is focused on securing points from throws or through pinning your opponent.
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