logosize	spc
imagecaption	Kyuzo Mifune (l) and Jigoro Kano (r).
name	Judo柔道
aka	Kano Jiu-Jitsu, Kano Jiu-Do, Kodokan Jiu-Do
focus	Grappling
country	Japan
hardness	Full Contact
creator	Kanō Jigorō
parenthood	Various ''koryū'' ''jūjutsu'' schools, principally ''Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū'' and ''Kito-ryū''
famous pract	Tomita Tsunejirō, Saigō Shirō, Mitsuo Maeda, Kyuzo Mifune, Keiko Fukuda, Masahiko Kimura, Anton Geesink, Yasuhiro Yamashita, Neil Adams, Hidehiko Yoshida, David Douillet, Kosei Inoue, Teddy Riner
descendant arts	Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kosen Judo, Sambo, Daido Juku, Nippon Kempo
olympic	Since 1964 (men) and 1992 (women)
website	International Judo Federation (IJF) The Kodokan }}

is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Kano Jigoro. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an opponent to submit by joint locking or by executing a strangle hold or choke. Strikes and thrusts by hands and feet as well as weapons defences are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata) and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori).

The philosophy and subsequent pedagogy developed for judo became the model for other modern Japanese martial arts that developed from . The worldwide spread of judo has led to the development of a number of offshoots such as Sambo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Practitioners of judo are called judoka.

History and philosophy

Early life of the founder

The early history of judo is inseparable from its founder, Japanese polymath and educator . Kano was born into a relatively affluent family. His father, Jirosaku, was the second son of the head priest of the Shinto Hiyoshi shrine in Shiga Prefecture. He married Sadako Kano, daughter of the owner of Kiku-Masamune sake brewing company and was adopted by the family, changing his name to Kano, and ultimately became an official in the Bakufu government.

Jigoro Kano had an academic upbringing and, from the age of seven, he studied English, and the under a number of tutors. When he was fourteen, Kano began boarding at an English-medium school, Ikuei-Gijuku in Shiba, Tokyo. The culture of bullying endemic at this school was the catalyst that caused Kano to seek out a at which to train. Several years passed before he finally found a willing teacher.

In 1877, as a student at the Tokyo-''Kaisei'' school (soon to become part of the newly-founded Tokyo Imperial University), Kano learned that many jujutsu teachers had been forced to pursue alternative careers, frequently opening . After inquiring at a number of these, Kano was referred to Fukuda Hachinosuke (c.1828–1880), a teacher of the of jujutsu, who had a small nine mat dojo where he taught five students. Fukuda is said to have emphasized technique over formal exercise, sowing the seeds of Kano's emphasis on in Judo.

On Fukuda's death in 1880, Kano, who had become his keenest and most able student in both ''randori'' and , was given the of the Fukuda dojo. Kano chose to continue his studies at another ''Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū'' school, that of Iso Masatomo (c.1820–1881). Iso placed more emphasis on the practice of kata, and entrusted ''randori'' instruction to assistants, increasingly to Kano. Iso died in June 1881 and Kano went on to study at the dojo of Iikubo Tsunetoshi (1835–1889) of . Like Fukuda, Iikubo placed much emphasis on ''randori'', with ''Kitō-ryū'' having a greater focus on .

Founding of the Kodokan

In February 1882, Kano founded a school and dojo at the , a Buddhist temple in what was then the Shitaya ward of Tokyo (now the Higashi Ueno district of Taitō ward). Iikubo, Kano's ''Kitō-ryū'' instructor, attended the dojo three days a week to help teach and, although two years would pass before the temple would be called by the name , and Kano had not yet received his in ''Kitō-ryū'', this is now regarded as the Kodokan founding.

The ''Eisho-ji'' dojo was a relatively small affair, consisting of a twelve mat training area. Kano took in resident and non-resident students, the first two being Tsunejiro Tomita and Shiro Saigo. In August, the following year, the pair were granted grades, the first that had been awarded in any martial art.

Judo versus Jujutsu

Central to Kano's vision for Judo were the principles of and . He illustrated the application of ''seiryoku zen'yō'' with the concept of :

Kano realised that ''seiryoku zen'yō'', initially conceived as a Jujitsu concept, had a wider philosophical application. Coupled with the Confucianist-influenced ''jita kyōei'', the wider application shaped the development of Judo from a to a . Kano rejected techniques that did not conform to these principles and emphasised the importance of efficiency in the execution of techniques. He was convinced that practice of Jujutsu while conforming to these ideals was a route to self-improvement and the betterment of society in general. He was, however, acutely conscious of the Japanese public's negative perception of Jujutsu:

Kano believed that "''Jūjutsu''" was insufficient to describe his art: although means "art" or "means", it implies a method consisting of a collection of physical techniques. Accordingly, he changed the second character to , meaning way, road or path, which implies a more philosophical context than ''jutsu'' and has a common origin with the Chinese concept of ''tao''. Thus Kano renamed it .

Judo ''waza'' (techniques)

There are three basic categories of in Judo: , and . Judo is most known for ''nage-waza'' and ''katame-waza''.

Judo practitioners typically devote a portion of each practice session to , in order that ''nage-waza'' can be practiced without significant risk of injury. Several distinct types of ''ukemi'' exist, including ; ; ; and

The person who performs a ''waza'' is known as and the person to whom it is performed is known as .

''Nage waza'' (throwing techniques)

''Nage waza'' include all techniques in which ''tori'' attempts to throw or trip ''uke'', usually with the aim of placing ''uke'' on his back. Each technique has three distinct stages: , the initial balance break; , the act of turning in and fitting into the throw; , the actual execution of the throw.

''Nage waza'' are typically drilled by the use of , repeated turning-in, taking the throw up to the point of ''kake''.

Traditionally, ''nage waza'' are further categorised into , throws that are performed with ''tori'' maintaining an upright position, and , throws in which ''tori'' sacrifices his upright position in order to throw ''uke''.

''Tachi-waza'' are further subdivided into , in which ''tori'' predominantly uses his arms to throw ''uke''; throws that predominantly use a lifting motion from the hips; and , throws in which ''tori'' predominantly utilises his legs.

A throw that places the opponent on his back with impetus and control scores , winning the contest. A lesser throw, where the opponent is throwin onto his back, but with insufficient force to merit an ippon, scores . Two scores of waza-ari equal ippon. A throw that places the opponent onto his side scores . No amount of yukos equal a waza-ari, they are only considered in the event of an otherwise tied contest.

''Katame-waza'' (grappling techniques)

''Katame-waza'' is further categorised into , in which ''tori'' traps and pins ''uke'' on his back on the floor; , in which ''tori'' attempts to force a submission by choking or strangling ''uke''; and , in which ''tori'' attempts to submit ''uke'' by painful manipulation of his joints.

A related concept is that of , in which ''waza'' are applied from a non-standing position.

''Kansetsu-waza'' is currently limited, outside of ''kata'', to elbow joint manipulation.

Ippon is scored in ''ne-waza'' for pinning an opponent on his back with a recognised ''osaekomi-waza'' for 25 seconds and by forcing a submission through ''shime-waza'' or ''kansetsu-waza''. A submission is signalled by tapping the mat or the opponent at least twice with the hand or foot, or by saying . A pin lasting for less than 25 seconds, but more than 20 seconds scores waza-ari and one lasting less than 20 seconds but more than 15 seconds scores yuko.

''Atemi-waza'' (striking techniques)

''Atemi-waza'' are techniques in which ''tori'' disables ''uke'' with a strike to a vital point. ''Atemi-waza'' are not permitted outside of ''kata''.

Pedagogy

''Randori'' (free practice)

Judo pedagogy emphasizes . This term covers a variety of forms of practice, and the intensity at which it is carried out varies depending on intent and the level of expertise of the participants. At one extreme, is a compliant style of randori, known as , in which neither participant offers resistance to their partner's attempts to throw. A related concept is that of , in which an experienced judoka allows himself to be thrown by his less-experienced partner. At the opposite extreme from ''yakusoku geiko'' is the hard style of randori that seeks to emulate the style of Judo seen in competition. While hard randori is the cornerstone of Judo, over-emphasis of the competitive aspect is seen as undesirable by traditionalists if the intent of the randori is to "win" rather than to learn.

Randori is usually limited to either ''tachi waza'' (standing techniques) or ''ne waza'' (ground work) and, when one partner is thrown in ''tachi waza'' randori, practice is resumed with both partners on their feet.

''Kata'' (forms)

are pre-arranged patterns of techniques and in judo, with the exception of the ''Seiryoku-Zen'yō Kokumin-Taiiku'', they are all practised with a partner. Their purposes include illustrating the basic principles of judo, demonstrating the correct execution of a technique, teaching the philosophical tenets upon which judo is based, allowing for the practice of techniques that are not allowed in ''randori'', and to preserve ancient techniques that are historically important but are no longer used in contemporary judo.

There are ten ''kata'' that are recognized by the ''Kōdōkan'' today:

, comprising two ''kata'':

Fifteen throws, practiced both left- and right-handed, three each from the five categories of ''nage waza'': ''te waza'', ''koshi waza'', ''ashi waza'', ''ma sutemi waza'' and ''yoko sutemi waza''.

. Fifteen techniques in three sets of five, illustrating the three categories of ''katame waza'': ''osaekomi waza'', ''shime waza'' and ''kansetsu waza''.

. Twenty techniques, illustrating the principles of defence in a combat situation, performed from kneeling and standing positions. Attacks are made unarmed and armed with a dagger and a sword. This ''kata'' utilises ''atemi waza'', striking techniques, that are forbidden in ''randori''. . The most recent recognised ''kata'', comprising twenty-one techniques of defence against attack from an unarmed assailant and one armed with a knife, stick and pistol. This ''kata'' incorporates various jujutsu techniques such as wrist locks and ''atemi waza''. . Fifteen techniques, arranged in three sets of five, demonstrating the principle of ''Jū'' and its correct use in offence and defence. . One of the oldest ''kata'', comprising ten forms that illustrate the efficient use of force and resistance. Now rarely practiced. . An advanced ''kata'', illustrating the principle of ''seiryoku zen'yō'' and the movements of the universe. . Derived from ''Kitō-ryū jūjutsu'', this ''kata'' was originally intended to be performed wearing armour. Kano chose to preserve it as it embodied the principles of Judo. . A series of exercises designed to develop the physique for Judo.

In addition, there are a number of commonly practiced ''kata'' that are not recognised by the ''Kōdōkan''. Some of the more common ''kata'' include:

''kata'' of counter techniques developed at Waseda University in Tokyo, popularised in the West by Mikonosuke Kawaishi. Another ''kata'' of counter techniques, created by Kyuzo Mifune.

''Shiai'' (contest)

History of ''shiai''

is a vitally important aspect of Judo. Early examples include the Kodokan and the biannual , both of which started in 1884 and continue to the present day.

In 1899 a committee of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai chaired by Jigoro Kano drew up the first formal set of rules for Judo contests. Wins were by two ippons, awarded for throwing the opponent onto his back or by pinning them on their back for a "sufficient" amount of time or by submission. Submissions could be achieved via shime-waza or kansetsu-waza. Finger, toe and ankle locks were prohibited. Contests were set at 15 minutes long. In 1900, these rules were adopted by the Kodokan with ammendments made to prohibit all joint locks for kyu grades and added wrist locks to the prohibited kansetsu-waza for dan grades. It was also stated that the ratio of tachi-waza to ne-waza should be between 70% to 80% for kyu grades and 60% to 70% for dan grades.

In 1916, additional rulings were brought in to further limit ''kansetsu waza'' with the prohibition of ''ashi garami'' and neck locks, as well as ''do jime''. These were further added to in 1925, in response to , which concentrated on ''ne waza'' at the expense of ''tachi waza''. The new rules banned all remaining joint locks except those applied to the elbow and prohibited the dragging down of an opponent to enter ''ne waza''.

The were first held in 1930 and have been held every year, with the exception of the wartime period between 1941 and 1948, and continue to be the highest profile tournament in Japan. The first time judo was seen in the Olympics was at the 1932 Games in Los Angeles, where Kano and about 200 judo students gave a demonstration.

Judo became an Olympic sport for men in the 1964 Games in Tokyo. The Olympic Committee initially dropped judo for the 1968 Olympics, meeting protests. Dutchman Anton Geesink won the first Olympic gold medal in the open division of judo by defeating Akio Kaminaga of Japan. Judo then lost the image of being "Japanese only" and went on to become one of the most widely practised sports in the world. Following lobbying by Rena Kanokogi and others, the women's event was introduced in 1988 as a demonstration event, and an official medal event in 1992. Men and women compete separately, although they often train together. Paralympic judo has been a Paralympic sport (for the visually impaired) since 1988; it is also one of the sports at the Special Olympics.

Current international contest rules

The traditional rules of judo are intended to avoid injuries to the participants and ensure proper etiquette. Some later additions to the rules were motivated by a desire to make the sport more interesting to observers.

Penalties may be given for being inactive during the match, or for using illegal techniques. Fighting must be stopped if a participant is outside the designated area on the mat (''tatami''). If the referee and judges need to discuss something during groundwork, the referee will call ''sono-mama'' (used in the sense "do not move", literally "as-is") and both fighters must stop in the position they are in. When they are done, the referee says ''yoshi'' and the match continues.

All scores and penalties are given by the referee. The judges can make a decision that changes the score or penalty given by the referee.

There are slight differences to IJF rules to accommodate blind judo.

Competition scoring

The object in a judo match is to throw the opponent to the ground on his shoulder; to pin him to the ground principally on his back; or to force him to submit to a choke, strangle or an armlock. Any of these score ippon (一本), immediately winning the match.

Judo has three grades of score: ''ippon'', ''waza-ari'' and ''yuko''. An ''ippon'' literally means "one point" and wins the match. An ''ippon'' is awarded for (a) a throw that lands the opponent largely on their back in a controlled manner with speed and force; (b) for a mat hold of sufficient duration (twenty five seconds); or (c) for opponent submission. A ''waza-ari'' is awarded for a throw that does not quite have enough power or control to be considered ''ippon''; or for a hold of twenty seconds. A ''waza-ari'' is a half-point, and, if two are scored, they constitute the full point needed for a win.

''Yuko'' is a lower grade of score, and only counts as a tie-breaker; it is not cumulative with other yuko scores. Scoring is lexicographic; a ''waza-ari'' beats any number of ''yuko'', but a ''waza-ari'' and a ''yuko'' beat a ''waza-ari'' with no ''yuko''. A fifteen-second hold down scores ''yuko''. If the person who secured the hold down already has a ''waza-ari'', they only need to hold the hold down for twenty seconds to score ''ippon'' by way of two ''waza-ari'' (''waza-ari-awasete-ippon''). Throws further lacking the requirements of an ''ippon'' or a ''waza-ari'' might score a ''yuko''. So-called "skillful takedowns" are also permitted (e.g. the flying arm-bar) but do not score.

(There used to be a fourth score called ''koka'' but it was removed in 2009. When the koka was in use, it was a lower score than ''yuko''. Like ''yuko'', koka was purely a tiebreaker. It only counted when competitors had the same amount of ''waza-ari'' and ''yuko''. A ''yuko'' would beat any number of ''koka''.)

If the scores are identical at the end of the match, the contest is resolved by the ''Golden Score'' rule. ''Golden Score'' is a sudden death situation where the clock is reset to match-time, and the first contestant to achieve any score wins. If there is no score during this period, then the winner is decided by ''Hantei'', the majority opinion of the referee and the two corner judges.

Representation of scores

Judo scoreboards show the number of ''waza-ari'' and ''yuko'' scores scored by each player. (A score of ''koka'' was also displayed until its use was abandoned in 2009.) Often an ''ippon'' is not represented on the scoreboard, because upon award of an ''ippon'' the match is immediately terminated. Some computerized scoreboards will briefly indicate that an ''ippon'' has been scored.

Scoreboards normally also show the number of penalties imposed on each player, and sometimes the number of medical visits for each. (Only two "medical" attentions are allowed for each competitor during a match—most often for minor bleeds.)

Electronic scoreboards also usually include timers for measuring both competition time and ''osekomi'' time.

Weight divisions

There are currently seven weight divisions, subject to change by governing bodies, and may be modified based on the age of the competitors:

Men
Under 60 kg	60–66 kg	66–73 kg	73–81 kg	81–90 kg	90–100 kg	Over 100 kg
Women
Under 48 kg	48–52 kg	52–57 kg	57–63 kg	63–70 kg	70–78 kg	Over 78 kg

Penalties

The first penalty is a warning, which is noted on the scoreboard. The second penalty is scored as "yuko" for the opponent. The third penalty is scored as "waza-ari". The fourth penalty is called "hansoku make," and is scored as an "ippon" for the opponent. With a "hansoku make" the match ends permanently. One can also get a direct "hansoku make" for serious rule violations. In this case, the player who got "hansoku make" is disqualified from the tournament.

In mixed martial arts

Related arts and derivatives

Kano Jigoro's Kodokan judo is the most popular and well-known style of judo, but is not the only one. The terms judo and jujutsu were quite interchangeable in the early years, so some of these forms of judo are still known as jujutsu or jiu-jitsu either for that reason, or simply to differentiate them from mainstream judo. From Kano's original style of judo, several related forms have evolved—some now widely considered to be distinct arts:

''Olympic judo'': This is the predominant form of Kodokan judo.

*''Paralympic judo'': modified for blind and visually impaired competitors.

''Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)'': In 1914, Mitsuyo Maeda introduced judo to Brazil. Maeda taught judo to Carlos Gracie (1902–1994) and others in Brazil. Gracie named their development of judo 'Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu' (one view is that at the time, in both Japan and Brazil, judo was sometimes known as 'Kano Jiu-Jitsu'). Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, considering itself independent of judo, did not follow later changes in international judo rules that were added to emphasize the standing phase of the fight, nor those rules that were introduced to ban the more dangerous techniques. Further, it evolved to greatly emphasize the ground aspect of judo, Judo Newaza, while disassociating itself with karate (see Gichin Funakoshi's friendship with Jigoro Kano) and various other forms of striking or attacking a vital point in favor of takedowns from both Judo and later from universal grappling moves such as double legs and virtually any form of takedown to get to the judo-newaza technique variations outlined by the Grace family. Maeda had other students in Brazil, e.g. Luis Franca who did not receive their black belts from any Gracie family member and who practised a very similar if not identical version of Judo, but certainly the art has been popularized internationally by the Gracie family.

''Judo-do'': In Austria, Julius Fleck and others developed a system of throwing intended to extend judo that they called "judo-do".

''Kawaishi-ryū jujutsu'': Teaching in France, Mikonosuke Kawaishi developed Kawaishi-ryū jujutsu as an alternative approach to instruction that continued to teach many techniques banned in modern Olympic/Kodokan judo competition.

'''': As a sub-style of Kodokan judo that became popularized in early 20th century Japanese inter-scholastic competition, Kosen style has the same range of techniques but greater latitude is permitted for ground technique. This style of judo—noticably similar to BJJ groundwork—is closer to the original early 1900s judo than current Olympic judo is.

''Russian judo'': This distinctive style of judo was influenced by Sambo. It is represented by well-known coaches such as Alexander Retuinskih and Igor Yakimov, and mixed martial arts fighters such as Igor Zinoviev, Fedor Emelianenko and Karo Parisyan. In turn, Russian judo has influenced mainstream judo, with techniques such as the flying armbar being accepted into Kodokan judo.

''Sambo'' (especially Sport Sambo): Vasili Oshchepkov was the first European judo black belt under Kano. Oshchepkov went on to create Sambo partly from judo's influence, integrating native Russian wrestling and other combative techniques into his new system. Oshchepkov died during the political purges of 1937 for refusing to deny his education and dan-rank in Japanese judo under Kano. In their ''History of Sambo'', Brett Jacques and Scott Anderson wrote that in Russia "judo and SOMBO were considered to be the same thing"—albeit with a different uniform and some differences in the rules.

''Daido Juku'': A hybrid mixed martial art which incorporates elements of both judo and Kyokushin.

Safety

Research shows that judo is a particularly safe sport for youths, though adult competitive judo has a higher incidence of injuries compared to non-collision or non-contact ball-sports for example, but similar to other competitive contact sports. In Judo, a majority of the time Judoka are taught to fall properly, although not many players actually use breakfalls in competitive judo (at a competition) as it is basically slamming your hand on the mat indicating to the referee that there has been an ippon scored.

Chokes

Although chokes are potentially lethal techniques, a properly applied choke hold, if released soon enough after submission or unconsciousness, causes no injury. Judo chokes are generally taught to the more experienced Judoka to help ensure the safety of the students. There is ample data demonstrating the safety of applying chokeholds, and training includes emergency care and resuscitation (''kappo'').

Throws

A properly applied throw performed in a controlled way should protect the opponent from injury. However injuries may result if, for example, the thrower (Tori) lands on the opponent (Uke) as a result of a sloppy or intentionally malicious throw, or if the tori performs a sloppy throw with disregard for uke's joints (e.g., improper Osoto gari or Tai otoshi applied with lateral force to the knee; or sloppy Soto makikomi or "drop" Ippon seoi nage resulting in excessive forces into uke's shoulder). To best prevent throwing injuries, proper throwing techniques should be thoroughly drilled by senseis before entering students into competition—via "fitting-in" drills (Uchi-komi's), prearranged forms (e.g., Nage-no-kata), and intense but controlled & supervised free-practice/sparring (Randori).

Judoka (practitioner)

A practitioner of Judo is known as a , though traditionally only those of 4th ''dan'' or higher were called "Judoka". The suffix , when added to a noun, means a person with expertise or special knowledge on that subject. Other practitioners below the rank of 4th ''dan'' used to be called . The modern meaning of Judoka refers to a Judo practitioner of any level of expertise.

A Judo teacher is called . The word ''sensei'' comes from ''sen'' or ''saki'' (before) and ''sei'' (life) – i.e. one who has preceded you. In Western dojo, it is common to call any instructor of ''dan'' grade ''sensei''. Traditionally, that title was reserved for instructors of 4th ''dan'' and above.

''Jūdōgi'' (uniform)

Judo practitioners traditionally wear white uniforms called , sometimes the abbreviated as ''gi''. The ''jūdōgi'' was created by Kano in 1907, and similar uniforms were later adopted by many other martial arts. The modern ''jūdōgi'' consists of white or blue cotton drawstring pants and a matching white or blue quilted cotton jacket, fastened by an , coloured to indicate rank. The jacket is intended to withstand the stresses of grappling and, as a result, is much thicker than that of a . ''Jūdōgi'' are designed to allow an opponent to hold onto it, while karategi are made from slicker material so that an opponent cannot get a grip on the material.

The modern use of the blue ''jūdōgi'' was first suggested by Anton Geesink at the 1986 Maastricht IJF DC Meeting. For competition, a blue ''jūdōgi'' is worn by one of the two competitors for ease of distinction by judges, referees, and spectators. In Japan, both ''jūdōka'' use a white ''jūdōgi'' and the traditional red ''obi'' (based on the colors of the Japanese flag) is affixed to the belt of one competitor. Outside Japan, a colored ''obi'' may also be used for convenience in minor competitions, the blue ''jūdōgi'' only being mandatory at the regional or higher levels, depending on organisation. Japanese practitioners and traditionalists tend to look down on the use of blue because of the fact that Judo is considered a pure sport, and the replacing the pure white ''jūdōgi'' for the impure blue, is an offence.

For events organised under the auspices of the International Judo Federation (IJF), ''jūdōgi'' have to bear the IJF Official Logo Mark Label. This label demonstrates that the ''jūdōgi'' has passed a number of quality control tests to ensure it conforms to construction regulations ensuring it is not too stiff, flexible, rigid or slippery to allow the opponent to grip or to perform techniques.

Organizations

:'''' The international governing body for Judo is the International Judo Federation (IJF), founded in 1951. Members of the IJF include the African Judo Union (AJU), the Pan-American Judo Confederation (PJC), the Judo Union of Asia (JUA), the European Judo Union (EJU) and the Oceania Judo Union (OJU), each comprising a number of national judo associations. The IJF is responsible for organising international competition and hosts the World Judo Championships and is involved in running the Olympic Judo events.

Numerous non-IJF affiliated organisations exist, often having a more traditional focus than some of the IJF-affiliated organisations, which are sometimes criticised for over-emphasising the competitive side of ''jūdō''.

Rank and grading

Judoka are ranked according to skill and knowledge of judo, and their rank is denoted by a system of ranks in modern systems these ranks are reflected by their belt colours. Ranks are split into ''kyū'' grades and ''dan'' (Black belt grades. This kyu/dan ranking system was introduced into the martial arts by Kano and has since been widely adopted by modern martial arts as was. As initially designed, there were six student grades ranked in descending numerical order, with 1st ''kyū'' being the last before promotion to ''shodan'' (first degree black belt) ''jūdan'' (tenth degree black belt) has no formal requirements and is decided by the president of the Kodokan, currently Kano Jigoro's grandson Yukimitsu Kano (''Kano Yukimitsu''). Only fifteen individuals have been promoted to this rank by the Kodokan. On July 28, 2011, the promotion board of USA Judo awarded Sensei Keiko Fukuda the rank of 10th ''dan'', she is the first woman to be promoted to judo's highest level.

Although ''dan'' ranks tend to be consistent between national organizations there is more variation in the ''kyū'' grades, with some countries having more ''kyū'' grades. Although initially ''kyū'' grade belt colours were uniformly white, today a variety of colours are used. The first black belts to denote a Dan rank in the 1880s, initially the wide obi was used; as practitioners trained in kimono, only white and black obi were used. It was not until the early 1900s, after the introduction of the judogi, that an expanded colored belt system of awarding rank was created.

See also

Judo techniques, partial list of judo techniques

The Canon Of Judo, a book by Kyuzo Mifune (1960)

The Principle of Ju

World Judo Championships

Judo at the Summer Olympics

List of judoka

List of celebrity judoka

List of Olympic medalists in judo

Paralympic judo

U.S. intercollegiate judo champions

Footnotes

Bibliography

External links

IJF International Judo Federation. The worldwide governing body for judo

Kodokan Judo Institute – Headquarters of judo (Kano Jigoro's school)

Category:Combat sports Category:Gendai budo * Category:Olympic sports Category:Japanese martial arts Category:Sport in Japan Category:Grappling Category:Zen art and culture

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name	Ronda Rousey
other names	Rowdy
birth name	Ronda Jean Rousey
birth date
birth place	Riverside County, California, United States
residence	Santa Monica, California, United States
nationality	American
height
weight
style	Judo
fighting out of	Santa Monica, California, United States
team	Team Hayastan
rank	''Olympian and 4th dan black belt in Judo''
mma win	3
mma subwin	3
mma loss	0
url	http://www.rondarousey.net/
sherdog	73073
updated	}}

}}

Ronda Rousey (born February 1, 1987 in Riverside County, California) is an American judoka and mixed martial artist. She formerly trained at the Olympic Training Center in Wakefield, Massachusetts under guidance of Jimmy Pedro and is now part of Team Hayastan in Santa Monica, California. Rousey trains under Gokor Chivichyan, Leo Frincu, and Gene Lebell along with Team Hayastan fighters such as Manny Gamburyan, Karen Darabedyan, Sako Chivitchian and Sevak Magakian.

Rousey is currently the #9-ranked 145-pound female MMA fighter in the world according to the Unified Women's MMA Rankings.

Olympic judo career

At just 17, Rousey qualified for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, becoming the youngest judo player in the entire Games.

Also in 2004, Rousey won a gold medal at the 2004 World Junior Judo Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

In April 2006, she became the first U.S. female athlete in nearly 10 years to win an A-Level tournament as she went 5-0 to claim gold at the Birmingham World Cup in Great Britain. Later that year, the 19-year-old won the bronze medal at the Junior World Championships, becoming the first U.S. athlete ever to win two Junior World medals.

In February 2007, Rousey moved up to 70kg where she is currently ranked as one of the top three women in the world. She won the silver medal at the 2007 World Judo Championships in the middleweight division and the bronze medal at the 2007 Pan Am Games.

In August 2008, Rousey competed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. She lost her quarterfinal to the Dutch ex-world champion Edith Bosch but qualified for a Bronze medal match through the repechage bracket. Rousey defeated Annett Boehm by Yuko to win a bronze medal (note: Judo offers two bronze medals per weight class). With the victory, Rousey became the first American to win an Olympic medal in women's judo since its inception as an Olympic sport in 1992.

Mixed martial arts career

Rousey made her mixed martial arts debut as an amateur on August 6, 2010. She defeated Hayden Munoz by submission due to an armbar in 23 seconds.

She entered the quarterfinals of the Tuff-N-Uff 145 lbs women's tournament on November 12, 2010 and submitted promotional veteran Autumn Richardson with an armbar in 57 seconds.

Rousey faced Taylor Stratford in the Tuff-N-Uff tournament semi-finals on January 7, 2011 and won by technical submission due to an armbar in 24 seconds. She then announced plans to turn pro and was replaced in the tournament.

Rousey made her professional mixed martial arts debut on March 27, 2011 at King of the Cage: Turning Point. She submitted Ediane Gomes with an armbar in 25 seconds.

Rousey faced kickboxing champion Charmaine Tweet in an MMA bout at Hard Knocks Fighting Championship: School of Hard Knocks 12 on June 17, 2011 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She submitted Tweet with an armbar in 49 seconds.

Rousey was scheduled to make her Strikeforce debut against Sarah D'Alelio on July 30, 2011 at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The fight was pushed back and eventually took place on the Strikeforce Challengers 18 main card on August 12, 2011 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rousey defeated D'Alelio by technical submission due to an armbar early in the first round. The victory was controversial as referee Steve Mazzagatti only stopped the fight because Rousey said "She said tap! She said tap!" In the replays it was proven that D'Alelio never submitted or verbally submitted.

Personal life

Ronda is a vegan and has a pet Dogo Argentino. Ronda's mother, Ann Maria Rousey DeMars, also has quite a decorated Judo career--including being the first person to represent the United States and win a World Judo Championship.

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record

|- | Win | align="center" | 3-0 | Sarah D'Alelio | Technical Submission (Armbar) | Strikeforce Challengers 18 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:25 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |- | Win | align="center" | 2-0 | Charmaine Tweet | Submission (Armbar) | HKFC: School of Hard Knocks 12 | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:49 | Calgary, Alberta | |- | Win | align="center" | 1-0 | Ediane Gomes | Submission (Armbar) | King of the Cage: Turning Point | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:25 | Los Angeles, California | |}

Amateur record

|- | Win | align="center" | 3-0 | Taylor Stratford | Technical Submission (Armbar) | Tuff-N-Uff: Las Vegas vs. 10th Planet Riverside | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:24 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |- | Win | align="center" | 2-0 | Autumn Richardson | Submission (Armbar) | Tuff-N-Uff: Future Stars of MMA | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:57 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |- | Win | align="center" | 1-0 | Hayden Munoz | Submission (Armbar) | Combat Fight League: Ground Zero | | align="center" | 1 | align="center" | 0:23 | Oxnard, California | |}

References

External links

Official Website

USA judo - Ronda Rousey bio

IOC - Ronda Rousey bio

Pedro's Judo Center

Ronda's blog

Video clips with Ronda on judovision.org

Interview with Ronda Rousey at JudoInfo.com

Category:1987 births Category:People from Santa Monica, California Category:American judoka Category:American vegans Category:Judoka at the 2007 Pan American Games Category:Judoka at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic judoka of the United States Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States Category:Living people Category:Olympic medalists in judo Category:Female mixed martial artists

fr:Ronda Rousey pl:Ronda Rousey pt:Ronda Rousey uk:Ронда Роузі zh:龙达·鲁西