Judo

Judo evolved from the ancient Japanese art of jujitsu. Expanding upon jujitsu’s techniques of redirecting an opponent’s force and discarding those techniques that relied specifically on strength, Judo has become known for its grappling and throwing techniques based on energy leveraged from the opponent.

Sometimes referred to as “The Gentle Way,” Judo teaches that strength alone does not always conquer.  Judo can be compared to a small tree in a hurricane.  When the brutal winds blow, the lithe tree's branches sway and bend, and the tree survives.  A bigger, stronger tree, unable to adapt to the gusts, is snapped or blown out of the ground.  Similarly in judo, use of skill and speed can win out over brute force, and a smaller opponent can prevail through quickness, cunning and superior technique.

A practitioner of Judo is called a judoka and men, women, boys, and girls can be judokas.
Judo is practiced in two ways:

• Randori is a free-practice method that involves sparring.  Randori is the Olympic Judo style and is the most common method of competition, called Shiai.
• Kata is a pre-arranged, formal demonstration of technique.  Kata shiai are also held.
  In the practice of any method of judo, safety is always prominent.  Students are taught how to fall without getting injured on forgiving (but not soft) mats.  Children 13 and under are not allowed to apply a strangle hold and joint locks can only be used if a player is at least 17 years old.  In addition, flexibility, stretching and strength exercises are a part of every judo practice.

Part of the tradition of judo is the wearing of the judogi (often shortened to “gi,” which is pronounced GEE).  Students also wear a belt, with the belt color denoting the students' grade (level of advancement and expertise).  Students' progress in judo is at their own pace with a new belt color rewarded when they have perfected the required techniques.  Students begin with a white belt; a black belt signifies the highest level of judo.  Respect for oneself, the teacher, an opponent and order are primary in judo, whether it be a training session or contest.