While some types of martial arts date back thousands of years, Judo is a relative newcomer to the martial arts world. Judo was developed in the 1880s by Jigoro Kano and translates to the "gentle way." In many ways, Judo is similar to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and the latter art actually derived from Kodokan Judo.
The two arts are similar in that your ultimate goal is really to get your opponent grounded and then inflict a chokehold or a joint lock. In Judo, students do learn striking techniques, but these are many taught as self defense, and not used for competitions or even fighting practice. The grappling and throwing techniques are much more important in Judo. In the 130 or so years since Judo has been created, there are have been many important fighters and here is a look at some of the most prominent.
Because he founded Judo, Jigoro Kano should be the first person mentioned. The father of Judo, Kano started out his martial arts studies as a small, week teenager. This is quite similar to the story of Helio Gracie, who sought a way to teach smaller, weaker opponents to overcome any larger opponent. At first, Kano trained in the art of jiujitsu, but he was dissatisfied with some of the teachings, so he developed his own philosophies and techniques and founded the Kodokan Institute, which taught this new art of Judo.
Mitsuyo Maeda is another important figure in Judo. Maeda was like many others who have turned to Judo and Jiu-Jitsu, a person who was physically weak looking for a way to build strength and defensive skills. Maeda eventually earned the rank of a 7th dan black belt, and he was the person responsible for introducing Kodokan Judo to the Gracie Family. This, of course, led to the metamorphosis of Judo into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, both of which are quite effective skills for mixed martial arts fighters.
Tomita Tsunejiro deserves a mention among the great legends of Judo. He was one of the first students of Judo and was one of the first to be awarded a black belt grade by Jigoro Kano. Tsunejiro is known as one of the "Four Guardians" of this martial art and is also important as he was the teacher of Maeda Mitsuyo.
Judo was displayed during the Olympic Games as early as the games of 1932 but did not become an official sport until 1964. During that first Olympics, it was not a participant from Japan who earned the gold medal, but Anton Geesink, from The Netherlands. Geesink was recognized as the 10th dan grade judoka by the International Judo Federation, but not by the Kodokan Institute, which is the center of the Judo world. No one outside of Japan has ever been named by the Kodokan as a 10th dan grade judoka, and only 15 people in history have ever earned this rank.
Many past and current MMA fighters are experts in Judo, and this is definitely one of the key skills those training in mixed martial arts should learn. Anderson Silva, Ronda Rousey and Yoshihiro Akiyama are just a few people who successfully incorporate Judo into their MMA arsenal. Rousey even has a bronze medal in Judo from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
The two arts are similar in that your ultimate goal is really to get your opponent grounded and then inflict a chokehold or a joint lock. In Judo, students do learn striking techniques, but these are many taught as self defense, and not used for competitions or even fighting practice. The grappling and throwing techniques are much more important in Judo. In the 130 or so years since Judo has been created, there are have been many important fighters and here is a look at some of the most prominent.
Because he founded Judo, Jigoro Kano should be the first person mentioned. The father of Judo, Kano started out his martial arts studies as a small, week teenager. This is quite similar to the story of Helio Gracie, who sought a way to teach smaller, weaker opponents to overcome any larger opponent. At first, Kano trained in the art of jiujitsu, but he was dissatisfied with some of the teachings, so he developed his own philosophies and techniques and founded the Kodokan Institute, which taught this new art of Judo.
Mitsuyo Maeda is another important figure in Judo. Maeda was like many others who have turned to Judo and Jiu-Jitsu, a person who was physically weak looking for a way to build strength and defensive skills. Maeda eventually earned the rank of a 7th dan black belt, and he was the person responsible for introducing Kodokan Judo to the Gracie Family. This, of course, led to the metamorphosis of Judo into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, both of which are quite effective skills for mixed martial arts fighters.
Tomita Tsunejiro deserves a mention among the great legends of Judo. He was one of the first students of Judo and was one of the first to be awarded a black belt grade by Jigoro Kano. Tsunejiro is known as one of the "Four Guardians" of this martial art and is also important as he was the teacher of Maeda Mitsuyo.
Judo was displayed during the Olympic Games as early as the games of 1932 but did not become an official sport until 1964. During that first Olympics, it was not a participant from Japan who earned the gold medal, but Anton Geesink, from The Netherlands. Geesink was recognized as the 10th dan grade judoka by the International Judo Federation, but not by the Kodokan Institute, which is the center of the Judo world. No one outside of Japan has ever been named by the Kodokan as a 10th dan grade judoka, and only 15 people in history have ever earned this rank.
Many past and current MMA fighters are experts in Judo, and this is definitely one of the key skills those training in mixed martial arts should learn. Anderson Silva, Ronda Rousey and Yoshihiro Akiyama are just a few people who successfully incorporate Judo into their MMA arsenal. Rousey even has a bronze medal in Judo from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
About the Author:
Rod Bourgoine enjoys writing about mixed martial arts advantages. For additional information about a San Diego jiu jitsu gym or to find a San Diego martial arts gym, click here today.
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