History Of Judo
The sport was created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Until the rise of Jiu Jitsu, Judo reigned as the master of the submission arts. Judo is primarily a throwing art; however its ground base is enough to be a threat to anyone that attempts to grapple with a Judo practitioner (Judoka). Judo is known for owning the birthrights to Sambo Wrestling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. By 1899, Judo had become so popular in Japan; Kano was summoned to write a rulebook that would later be used in competition. Jigoro Kano was very interested in making Judo stand out from JuJitsu, and so, he regarded the throwing techniques a bit more than the grappling techniques. The earliest records of Judo competitions recorded the matches to be a throw-land-and reset to feet again. Hardly any grappling was ever done by either competitor. In 1932, Jigoro Kano made Judo’s initial demonstration at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. But to everyone’s surprise, Kano opposed to the introduction of the sport in the Games. Until its official introduction in 1964 in Tokyo as a man-only sport. The women team was introduced as a demonstration for the 1988 Games and later officially added in 1992. The most notorious aspect of Judo was that since Judo is a 100% contact sport, it became the first sport to be added for the Special Olympics and very popular among the visually impaired competitors. Some would argue, a visually impaired judoka is a force to reckon with. They rely on touch only and their techniques are extremely perfected.
Judo In MMA
Judo has influenced the arena of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in great lengths. The original introduction of Judo to MMA, especially to the UFC, is accredited to Karo Parisyan. Karo came to be known in MMA as a very talented mixed martial artist purely on his ability to apply his Judo knowledge without relying on a Judo Gi. During his prime in the UFC, most takedowns were influenced by wrestling. It was very difficult to figure out how Karo was able to take their opponents down when his approach was completely different to anyone else’s. As Judo became more popular within the octagon, other Judokas started to use Judo in NoGi form. To include: Fedor Emelianenko, Hector Lombard, Antonio Silva, Dong-Sik Yoon, and of course Olympic medalist Ronda Rousey. The birth of MMA is usually associated with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and their direct influence in the creation of UFC. However, one thing that is hardly mentioned is that the Gracie family suffered very few losses, most of which were against Judo practitioners. It is said that BJJ and creator Grand Master Helio Gracie adopted the Kimura Lock from a match he lost to Masahiko Kimura as an honor to his loss by such an amazing technique.
Our Judo Program
We understand that not everyone is interested in competing or making a career out of Judo. In many cases, people choose to train Judo as a weight management tool or self-defense. We will never encourage or require from any of our students to engage in an actual fighting event. If the student so chooses, we will take according action and tailor the program for that student to help him win. For most students, Judo will be taught purely as a self-defense system and athleticism.
Basic Judo Equipment You Will Need
- A Judo White or Blue Gi and belt. White if you"ve never taken Judo before or appropriate color if you were promoted before. Be ready to answer questions as to your previous afiliations and how you obtained your rank.
- A mouthguard - although, it is not necessary, it could help you in an accidental hit to the mouth.
- A protection cup (males) - Not manadatory, but good to have if you are worried of being hit accidentally.