Judo

Judo, meaning “the gentle way”, is regarded as a modern sport, derived from ju-jitsu. The essence of judo is the skilful application of a combination of techniques, such as the power of resistance and effective timing. The main focus of judo, however, is the utilization of your opponent’s body weight and strength against him or herself. There is some similarity in principle between judo and sumo wrestling, in that a small person can overcome a much larger opponent using skill, strategy, and technique, and not merely rely on strength. In keeping with this train of thought, throwing techniques form the basis of judo, as they aim to disrupt an opponent’s point of balance, and therefore do not rely on strength.

Professor Jiguro Kano, the founder of judo, graduated from the Imperial University of Tokyo, Japan, in 1881. He attended several ju-jitsu schools, in an attempt to develop a system of physical exercise. He pulled the best techniques from each ju-jitsu school and called his system judo, or “gentle way.”

Kano envisioned judo as the development of a lifetime art, and not a competitive sport. Unusual for his time, he spoke perfect English and had great respect for women, prompting him to take on a female martial arts student, which brought with it great criticism. Despite this criticism, Kano set up a dojo (training hall) for women in Koubun School, Tokyo, and judo was successfully being taught to women by the year 1935.

The first judo tournament took place in 1947 between Great Britain and France, and judo was being taught in many Japanese schools by 1956. Unfortunately, Kano was not to witness any of this, as he died in 1938 while at sea, returning from the Cairo International Olympic Conference. It is believed by some that he was assassinated because of his actions and manifest sympathies towards the West.

Kano never intended judo to be a public competition sport, as he felt strongly that it was a personal art to train the mind and body. He insisted that its mastery required an appreciation of the inherent philosophy that supports all aspects of judo, which is why it is interesting to read the oath that all judo students at the Kodukan dojo (the name given by Kano to his dojo) must make on admission: “Once I have entered the Kodukan, I will not end my study without a reasonable cause; I will not dishonor the dojo; unless I am given permission, I will not disclose the secrets that I have been taught; unless I am given permission, I will not teach judo; pupil first, teacher second, I will always follow the rules of the dojo.”

Today judo is one of the most wide spread martial arts, with reputedly more than 8 million students. Practitioners are referred to as judoka and competitions are conducted under the supervision of a referee and judge.

Judo is not merely about physical skill; it aims to teach good attitude and behavior and to instill a sense of decorum in its judoka. The mental attitude expected from a judoka is best summed up in two terms: hontai, demonstrating the state of permanent alertness and bonno, demonstrating a disciplined mind, serene and calm, controlling the body and being able to react to any situation.