Judo History

Judo is a modern Japanese martial art and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century.
The founder of Judo, Jigaro Kano, studied Ju Jjutsu, alongside several other martial arts, and took what he considered to be the safest and best of these fighting techniques to integrate them into a sport where full combat could be fought with minimal risk of injury. Dr. Kano formalized his vision for Judo with this statement, 'Taking together all the merits I have acquired from the various schools of Jujitsu, and adding my own devices and inventions, I have founded a new system for physical culture, mental training and winning contests'.

The word Judo, translates as the "gentle" or "supple" way, Dr. Kano was interested in what he termed 'maximum efficiency with minimum effort.' The techniques he developed often involved using an opponent's size and strength against them. Jigaro Kano was a small man and when asked how it was possible for a man so small in stature to consistently best bigger and stronger opponents, he would reply, 'Trick your opponent to make his body rigid and out of balance, then when he is helpless and you attack.'
As a result of Judo being designed as an efficient competitive sport, in 1964, Judo became the first martial art to be sanctioned as a medal sport in the Olympic Games.

What is the aim of Judo when you train or compete?

Today, most Judo clubs follow Jigaro Kano's original principles, techniques and standard training regimens, which involve sparring/throwing (randori), grappling (newaza), forms (kata) and repetition drills (uchikomi).
Modern Judo tournaments including the Olympics, are mainly known for their spectacular throws but it also includes grappling positions similar to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Points are awarded for throwing an opponent, holding an opponent on his/her back while on the mat for a designated amount of time, or forcing an opponent to submit via "tapping out" to surrender, preventing an arm-lock or choke. A match can be won on points or is won outright with a "perfect throw" called an Ippon, two near perfect throws called Wazari, holding an opponent on his back on the mat for 25 seconds, a combination of one Wazari and holding an opponent down for 20 seconds, or submitting an opponent to a choke or arm-lock.

Who can do Judo?

A healthy person of any age can train in Judo however Eltham Martial Arts is presently focusing on beginners/intermediate Judo training classes that would be more relevant to:
Pre-teens and Teenagers
Judo is a good martial art for juniors to start with, in that its emphasis lies on applying good technique rather than physical size and strength. Judo can be an excellent physical outlet for pre-teens and teenagers. Another benefit in Judo is that you don't strike or kick each other and juniors cannot attempt strangle and arm-locks until they are over the age of 16.
Students also learn about good sportsmanship, discipline and personal mental control by participating in Judo training (and tournaments).
Training aims at building fighting technique, strength, flexibility, endurance, commitment, self-esteem, resilience and humility in a fun and controlled environment. Students that continue on in Judo earn belts as a reward for persistent work and improving skills in their training and/or through competitions.

Adults

Judo offers the adult participant an all-round workout, providing cardiovascular strength as well as balanced upper and lower body muscle development. A Judo fight is often compared to a rigorous chess match played with one's body. Each attack has a series of potential blocks and counter moves available. The response to an attack is governed by how well the person drilled their technique as well as their physical capabilities in the form of speed, strength and flexibility. People who train in Judo become "fighting fit" and can pursue their interest recreationally or in competitive tournaments at the regional, state, national, international or even Olympic level.

What you can gain from training in Judo?

People practice Judo for many different reasons such as exercise, self-defense, the challenge of fighting tournaments. Judo is a physically and mentally challenging sport. Judo can be enjoyed at many levels as one advances their skills and belt grades or just for the fun of having an interactive social activity.
Judo is a great exercise routine. It promotes flexibility, develops speed, co-ordination, balance, body awareness, strengthens the cardiovascular system and promotes balanced functional muscle strength. The judo "break fall" techniques trains the student how to adjust their body so they land without hurting themselves after a predicted or un-anticipated fall. These acquired physiological reflexes are useful on the mat as well as in many other sports and recreational activities.
The combinations of throws, takedowns, sweeps and grappling devices such as chokes, pins and arm locks makes Judo extremely effective for combat within the arena of the Dojo.
Many Judo techniques can also be employed as a means of self-defense. Techniques where you use your opponents force and momentum to throw them to the ground are particularly effective if one is forced to deal with an assailant. Once on the ground a skilled Judo player possess the grappling skill to control any threatening person.
Judo ranks are awarded for developing techniques and for regular practice. All judoka begin as white belts. Over time, they may earn a yellow belt, green belt, blue belt, brown belt, and finally a black belt.

Instructor: Jonas Gaversjo

Eltham Martial Arts Academy
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