While some types of martial arts date back thousands of years, Judo is a relative newcomer to the martial arts world. Judo was developed in the 1880s by Jigoro Kano and translates to the "gentle way." In many ways, Judo is similar to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and the latter art actually derived from Kodokan Judo.
In Judo, the main objective is to find a way to knock your opponent to the ground and then use a lock or a choke in order to gain an advantage. Judo students do learn striking, however, throwing techniques and grappling skills are far more important. In fact, striking is not a part of either sparring practice or allowable in competitions. In the century or so since Judo was developed, there have been many figures important to the sport.
Jigoro Kano is the father of Judo, which also is known as Kodokan Judo, and the Kodokan institute is the arts' worldwide headquarters. Kano was small in stature and somewhat weak, but he wanted to remedy that by learning the art of jiujitsu. He found this art helpful, but added his own ideas and eventually created the fighting style and philosophy of Judo.
Like many who have sought out the teachings of Judo, Mitsuyo Maeda was not a particularly strong or large man, but he wanted to get stronger and he wanted a solid set of defensive skills. Taught by Jigoro Kano, he did so well that he was sent to other countries to spread the martial art. While visiting Brazil, he met Carlos Gracie, who was quite impressed with Judo and became a student. Eventually, Gracie opened his own school and with the help of brother Helio, the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was developed. Maeda was an impressive fighter and earned a 7th dan black belt from the Kodokan Institute.
Tomita Tsunejiro deserves a mention among the great legends of Judo. He was one of the first students of Judo and was one of the first to be awarded a black belt grade by Jigoro Kano. Tsunejiro is known as one of the "Four Guardians" of this martial art and is also important as he was the teacher of Maeda Mitsuyo.
Aside from boxing and wrestling, Judo was the first true martial art to be a part of the Olympic Games, and it was displayed as early as 1932 and became an official part of the summer games in 1964. The first gold medalist in the sport was not from Japan, but The Netherlands. Anton Geesink was the first Judo gold medalist, and although he eventually earned the rank of a 10th dan black belt from the International Judo Federation, this rank was unrecognized by the Kodokan Institute, which has awarded very few 10th dan black belts and none to anyone outside of Japan.
Many past and current MMA fighters are experts in Judo, and this is definitely one of the key skills those training in mixed martial arts should learn. Anderson Silva, Ronda Rousey and Yoshihiro Akiyama are just a few people who successfully incorporate Judo into their MMA arsenal. Rousey even has a bronze medal in Judo from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
In Judo, the main objective is to find a way to knock your opponent to the ground and then use a lock or a choke in order to gain an advantage. Judo students do learn striking, however, throwing techniques and grappling skills are far more important. In fact, striking is not a part of either sparring practice or allowable in competitions. In the century or so since Judo was developed, there have been many figures important to the sport.
Jigoro Kano is the father of Judo, which also is known as Kodokan Judo, and the Kodokan institute is the arts' worldwide headquarters. Kano was small in stature and somewhat weak, but he wanted to remedy that by learning the art of jiujitsu. He found this art helpful, but added his own ideas and eventually created the fighting style and philosophy of Judo.
Like many who have sought out the teachings of Judo, Mitsuyo Maeda was not a particularly strong or large man, but he wanted to get stronger and he wanted a solid set of defensive skills. Taught by Jigoro Kano, he did so well that he was sent to other countries to spread the martial art. While visiting Brazil, he met Carlos Gracie, who was quite impressed with Judo and became a student. Eventually, Gracie opened his own school and with the help of brother Helio, the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was developed. Maeda was an impressive fighter and earned a 7th dan black belt from the Kodokan Institute.
Tomita Tsunejiro deserves a mention among the great legends of Judo. He was one of the first students of Judo and was one of the first to be awarded a black belt grade by Jigoro Kano. Tsunejiro is known as one of the "Four Guardians" of this martial art and is also important as he was the teacher of Maeda Mitsuyo.
Aside from boxing and wrestling, Judo was the first true martial art to be a part of the Olympic Games, and it was displayed as early as 1932 and became an official part of the summer games in 1964. The first gold medalist in the sport was not from Japan, but The Netherlands. Anton Geesink was the first Judo gold medalist, and although he eventually earned the rank of a 10th dan black belt from the International Judo Federation, this rank was unrecognized by the Kodokan Institute, which has awarded very few 10th dan black belts and none to anyone outside of Japan.
Many past and current MMA fighters are experts in Judo, and this is definitely one of the key skills those training in mixed martial arts should learn. Anderson Silva, Ronda Rousey and Yoshihiro Akiyama are just a few people who successfully incorporate Judo into their MMA arsenal. Rousey even has a bronze medal in Judo from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
About the Author:
Rod Bourgoine likes blogging about mixed martial arts benefits. For more information about a San Diego jiu jitsu gym or to find a San Diego martial arts gym, click here now.
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