‘JUDO’: A Brief Introduction

Judo, which means gentle way in Japanese, is a martial art which was created as a physical, mental and moral subject  in Japan by Jigoro Kano in 1882. It was derived from the ancient techniques of jiu-jitsu, which is one of the oldest self-defense techniques. It is the most widely-practiced martial art in the world also known as modern martial arts, and the second-most practiced sport worldwide behind soccer which further developed into a combat and Olympic sport.

The combat sport develops self-discipline and lays its foundation on respect for one's self and others. Till present Judo along with taekwondo is the only Asian martial art sports which is known to be included in the Olympic Games. Men's judo debuted in the Olympics in 1964 whereas the women's judo followed in 1992. A judo practitioner is called a judoka. A judo match takes place on a mat with three referees eyeing on it. The main objective is to score an ippon which is a word for one full point, which can be achieved in only four ways and seceding it the match ends on side. One way is by pinning down the opponent on the back, maintaining control of the head and shoulder for 25 seconds. Whereas the another way to win is by arm lock and thereafter applying pressure directly on the elbow of a straight arm or twisting an arm bent at a right angle until the opponent accepts it and submit down. A third way is to win is by choke, applying pressure to the sides of the opponent's neck, but not the windpipe, until the opponent gives in the signal to leave as it is unable to bear the pressure. And foremost the final way to achieve an ippon is by throwing an opponent so that the landing is hard on the back. If no point by submission occurs, one of the sides can win by penalties or showing control over the opponent. Referees give penalties for stepping out of bounds, stalling, taunting and performing dangerous acts. Athletes can display control by remaining on the offensive side. Points are earned for waza-aris or yukos. A waza-ari, or half-point, is earned by a near-perfect throw or by holding an opponent down for 20 seconds. Two waza-aris are scored the same as an ippon and ends the match. Judo practitioners traditionally wear white uniforms which are known as practice clothing or jūdōgi.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judo