This link will take you to the British Judo Education website
柔道
A brief history of Judo
Judo was originally invented by Dr Kano Jigoro in 1882, who used the styles of Jujitsu as a starting point. The safe and exciting sport of Judo eventually evolved. He went on to found the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo where he commenced teaching, and today it is the International Authority for Judo.
The word ‘Judo’ translates into ‘the gentle way’. Kano used the skills of attacking and defending as the foundation for his sport. It was to become a way of life that was accessible to all. The moves could be executed with full force, safely without hitting and kicking. Each fighter wins points by attempting to get their opponent flat on their backs. This is achieved by using specific throws and hold-down techniques.
Men’s judo became an Olympic sport in 1964. The women’s competition was added in 1992. Currently there are more than 1,000 Registered clubs in the United Kingdom where the sport is overseen by the British Judo Association.
