Judo is a traditional Japanese martial art derived from jiu-jitsu, the hand-to-hand combat technique of ancient samurai warriors. Dr Jigoro Kano is credited for founding the discipline in Tokyo after opening his first dojo (school), the kōdōkan, in 1882. In Japanese, the word “judo” means “the gentle way,” but the traditional wrestling sport can hardly be described as such—it requires considerable physical effort. Dr. Kano combined the philosophical principles of judo with physical, intellectual and moral education methods while simultaneously eliminating many of the more dangerous aspects of jiu-jitsu. Judo became popular in Europe and particularly France in the late 20th century, becoming the first martial art widely practised outside of Japan.
Brief overview of the rules
The objective of judo is to throw your opponent to the ground, immobilise them with a pinning hold or force them into submission with a joint lock or choke. There are two types of scores in judo:
An ippon is awarded when an athlete throws his opponent to the mat on his or her back with strength, speed and control. An ippon can also be awarded through submission or by pinning an opponent to the ground for 20 seconds. If a judoka achieves ippon, they immediately win the match.
A waza-ari is awarded for a throw that isn’t clear enough to be an ippon (either because it lacked speed or force, or the opponent did not land primarily on their back) or when an opponent is pinned down for less than 20 seconds (but longer than 10 seconds). Two waza‑ari in one match is the equivalent of an ippon and immediately ends the match.
Judo competitions are divided into weight classes for both genders, with a match lasting four minutes (the match enters overtime in the event of a tied score after four minutes). Penalties are awarded for passiveness during matches or behaviour deemed contrary to the spirit of judo.
Olympic history
Judo made its Olympic debut at Tokyo 1964, and has been a permanent fixture of the Olympic programme since the 1972 Games in Munich. The women's competition was introduced at the Olympics in 1988 as a demonstration sport, though it became an official medal event just four years later at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games.
Since its introduction to the Olympic Games, judo's popularity has flourished worldwide, with 128 National Olympic Committees competing in the judo competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Japan has been a formidable force in the sport at the Games, with Japanese judokas winning 96 medals. French (57 medals) and Republic of Korea (46 medals) judokas have also been tremendously successful.
