What's it all about?

Judo is a modern Japanese martial art and combat sport that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element. The object is to either throw one's opponent to the ground, immobilise or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling manoeuvre, or force an opponent to submit by joint locking the elbow or by applying a choke. Strikes and thrusts (by hands and feet) - as well as weapons defences - are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata) and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori).

Judo is an Olympic sport and is practiced in almost every country of the world. Judo became an Olympic sport for men in the 1964 Tokyo games and became an Olympic sport for women in 1988.

Judo practitioners traditionally wear white uniforms called jūdōgi, which simply means ‘judo uniform’, for practising judo. Sometimes the word is seen shortened simply to gi (uniform).