Best Martial Arts and Combat Sports Classes in Clacton-on-sea

Jigoro Kano The father of Judo is Professor Jigoro Kano (1860-1938). He studied jujutsu at an early age and founded the Kodokan to teach the art of Judo.

Hands: pushing and pulling. Feet: for example, blocking the opponent from stepping forward. Body: bending, pivoting, twisting or bumping the opponent to unbalance. Voice: distracting, or mentally unbalancing, the opponent.

Judo, the only martial art that is a full Olympic medal sport, was an official competition for men in 1964 and has been in every Olympics since. Olympic Judo competition for women was added in 1992.

Judo is many things to different people. It is a fun sport, an art, a discipline, a recreational or social activity, a fitness program, a means of self-defense or combat, and a way of life. It is all of these and more. Kodokan Judo comes to us from the fighting system of feudal Japan. Founded in 1882 by Dr. Jigoro Kano, Judo is a refinement of the ancient martial art of Jujutsu. Dr. Kano, President of the University of Education, Tokyo, studied these ancient forms and integrated what he considered to be the best of their techniques into what is now the modern sport of Judo. Judo was introduced into the Olympic Games in 1964 and is practiced by millions of people throughout the world today. People practice Judo to excel in competition, to stay in shape, to develop self-confidence, and for many other reasons. But most of all, people do Judo just for the fun of it.

Achievement in Judo is recognized by awarding different color belts. The six student ranks are called kyu. The ten black belt, or expert, ranks are called dan. Juniors under 17 years old earn different color belts than seniors.