Federation: IJF
First Played: 1882, Japan
Team Members: 1
Equipment: Judo Uniform, Belt
Field: Indoor
Olympic Participation: 1964
Description:
Judo (柔道 jūdō) (jū: gentle; dō: way, teaching: the way of gentleness) is a martial art and sport originating from Japan. Judo was developed from Jujutsu and its fundamental principles were defined by Dr. Jigoro Kano in 1882. Judo became the first example of modern Japanese martial arts.
History:
Judo was developed by Jigoro Kano in 1860, inspired by the unarmed defense techniques taught in a fighting sport called Jiu-Jitsu. Kano, who had a weak and frail physique, sought ways to close the gap between himself and his peers. As a result of this search, he decided to attend Jiu-Jitsu classes at Tokyo University. After learning many techniques in the Jiu-Jitsu classes, Kano filtered and developed these techniques to create a new sport. He named this new martial art “Judo,” emphasizing the importance of both physical and mental development while aiming to throw his stronger opponents to the ground. In 1882, Kano established the Kodokan school to rapidly develop and spread this new sport worldwide.
Field Dimensions:
The competition area consists of mats with dimensions of 1×1 or 1×2 meters, covered with a non-slippery fabric or synthetic material, and should be 5-6 cm high. The mats are arranged side by side to create areas of 12×12 or 10×10 meters. The colors of the mats are designed in light pastel green and red. The playing area should be at least 6 x 6 m to 8 x 8 m, with the competition area colored in pastel green. Surrounding this area is a red zone measuring at least 8 x 8 m to 10 x 10 m, along with a safety area at least 12 x 12 m to 16 x 16 m in size, which is the same color as the competition area.
