What Makes Judo so Popular All Across the Globe Judo, Japanese for gentle way, is a form of martial

art that is practiced by millions of people. Judo is not only a martial art, it is also a discipline, an art, a fitness program and for some, even a way of life. Kodokan Judo traces its history back to feudal Japan and was developed by Dr. Jigoro Kano from the ancient art of Jujutsu. Dr. Kano studied and practiced Jujutsu and incorporated the best of it, into a new martial art he developed, which he called Judo. A prominent feature of Judo is the competitive element. The objective is to bring an opponent to the ground, subdue or immobili e him by pinning him or force him to submit with a choke or a joint lock. Thrusts and strikes with the feet as well as hands and defending with weapons are also included in Judo, though in pre!arranged forms (kata) only. "ou cannot use them in free practice or in judo competitions. A person who practices Judo is known as a judoka. #rom its simple beginning in Japan, Judo has now spread across the world and has also caused the development of other forms of martial arts like $ra ilian jui!jitsu and %amba. The principles behind Judo The main principle behind Judo is ma&imum efficiency with minimum effort. Another principle is mutual welfare and benefit. Kano said that if you try to resist a powerful opponent, you will be defeated, but if you adjust and evade his attacks, he will lose his balance, his power to attack you will reduce and you will be able to defeat him. 'e said that with this principle, a weaker opponent can defeat significantly stronger opponents. 'e emphasi es that techni(ues should be e&ecuted efficiently. Techniques in Judo Judo basically has three techni(ues or waza- throwing techni(ues )nage-waza*, striking techni(ues )atemi waza* and grappling techni(ues )katame waza*. +nly throwing techni(ues and grappling techni(ues are allowed in Judo competitions. ,any Judo practitioners devote a portion of their training sessions to ukemi or learning how to respond to a throw )break!falls*, so that they can practice throwing techni(ues without risking injury )the person who is thrown is called uke*. There are several kinds of ukemi such as rear break!falls, front break!falls and rolling break!falls. Throwing techni(ues are further divided into standing techni(ues, where the thrower is in an upright position or sacrifice techni(ue, where the thrower has sacrificed his position to throw the uke. -rappling techni(ues are divided into pinning or holding techni(ues, joint techni(ues and strangulation techni(ues. Randori in Judo Judo also places emphasis on randori or free practice. There are many kinds of randori and its intensity depends on the participant.s level of e&pertise and intent. /n pre!arranged practice, neither of the participants resists the others attempts to throw. Another is throw!away practice, where an e&perienced judoka allows a less e&perienced partner to throw him. Kata in Judo

Kodokan Judo recogni e ten types of kata or forms. These consist of prearranged patterns and e&cept for one type of kata )development of physi(ue*, all need a partner for practice. The purpose of the kata is to illustrate the basic principles, demonstrate how to e&ecute a techni(ue and to teach the philosophical techni(ues of Judo. Did you know that the system of ranks was first created in Judo, which was later adapted by other forms of martial arts. These ranks recogni e the person.s ability, leadership and knowledge. Juniors and seniors have separate ranks. 0olored belts are used to identify these ranks. Simplicity +ne of the reasons for Judo1s popularity is that unlike the other martial art of karate, it does not involve striking, kicking or punching. The fact that the game is simple has drawn a lot of people to it, increasing its popularity. Spreading the ord 'istorically, the credit of spreading Judo1s appeal outside of Japan1s shores should go to Jigoro Kano. 'e visited 2urope and the 3nited %tates several times to draw the attention of foreigners to the sport by way of demonstrations. 4hen the Japanese Diet )5arliament* passed a bill in 6789 making it mandatory for all middle school students to learn either Kendo or Judo, the popularity of the sport shot up. Around the same time, Kano1s school, the Kodokan, started to see a lot of students. ,any of them eventually travelled abroad to teach the sport. After Kano joined the /nternational +lympics 0ommittee as a member, he strived hard to help Japan host the +lympics. 'owever, the %ino!Japanese war and Kano1s death meant Japan had to wait longer. 2ventually, the Tokyo +lympiad was held in 679:, and Judo became an +lympics event. +ver the years, Judoka from ;8 nations have won medals in the +lympics, which goes to show the popularity of the sport across the globe. !ontests Judo tournaments are regularly held across the globe, the 4orld Judo 0hampionships being the most significant among them, apart from the +lympics. The 4orld 0hampionships are organi ed by the /nternational Judo #ederation, and brings together participants from all over the map. /f you are interested in learning Judo, you can find a school around your area on -o<Karate.