What is judo?
Judo is a sport and a way of training the body and the mind. The word means "gentle way". A person called Kano Jigoro made it in Japan in 1882.
Two ideas guide judo: use your body and your partner's push in the best way (do not waste energy), and help each other to grow. Players wear a white judogi (uniform) and a belt. We practise on a soft tatami mat.
Each practice starts and ends with a rei, a bow.
Breakfalls (ukemi)
Ukemi means "receiving" a fall. You learn it first because every throw ends with a fall.
Four basic breakfalls
- Ushiro ukemi: falling backward.
- Yoko ukemi: falling sideways.
- Mae ukemi: falling forward.
- Mae mawari ukemi: a forward roll.
Rules of a safe fall
- Tuck your chin to your chest so the head does not touch the mat.
- Keep your body rounded. Do not put a stiff arm or elbow down to stop yourself.
- Slap the mat hard with the whole arm, about 45 degrees away from the body. The slap shares the force of the fall.
- Exhale as you land.
Start low (sitting), then go from a squat, then standing.
Throwing techniques (nage-waza)
A throw has three parts:
- Kuzushi: break the partner's balance by pulling or pushing.
- Tsukuri: step in and fit your body under the partner.
- Kake: finish the throw.
Judo throws are grouped by the part of the body that does the work:
- Hand throws (te-waza), for example seoi-nage, the shoulder throw.
- Hip throws (koshi-waza), for example o-goshi, the big hip throw.
- Foot and leg throws (ashi-waza), for example osoto-gari, the big outer reap.
- Sacrifice throws (sutemi-waza), where you fall too.
A good thrower controls the partner through the whole throw, so the partner can fall safely. At school we practise only the simplest throws, with a teacher watching.
Holding techniques (osaekomi-waza)
In holding techniques you keep the partner on the back, with their shoulders on the mat, and control them with your body. The partner tries to escape.
- Kesa-gatame: the scarf hold. You lie across the partner's chest, like a scarf over a shoulder.
- Yoko-shiho-gatame: the side four-corner hold, lying across the chest from the side.
When the referee says osaekomi the clock starts. About 10 seconds earns a half point and 20 seconds earns a full point, ippon. If the partner escapes, the clock stops.
Judo also has chokes and joint locks. These are not taught in school judo. Never try them without a qualified coach.
Scoring, rules and safety
- Ippon = a full point and the contest ends. A clean, controlled throw on the back with force and speed, or a 20-second hold.
- Waza-ari = a half point.
- If the partner taps the mat or your body twice (maitta), stop at once.
- Stay inside the mat area. Keep nails short and remove rings and watches.
- Never throw a partner who cannot yet fall safely.
- Bow to the partner and the teacher at the start and end.
Try it
In the 3D, use the slider to freeze the fall at the moment the arm slaps. Then do this at home on a soft rug or bed with an adult: sit on the floor, tuck your chin, round your back, roll back gently and slap the surface with both arms. Count 3 slow falls. Is your head touching? It should not.
Key formulas and definitions
- Judo = "gentle way" (founded 1882, Kano Jigoro)
- Ukemi = breakfall: chin in, round body, slap at 45 degrees
- Throw = kuzushi (break balance) + tsukuri (entry) + kake (finish)
- Osaekomi = hold-down: about 10 s waza-ari, 20 s ippon
- Ippon = full point; waza-ari = half point
- Rei = bow; tatami = mat; judogi = uniform; tap = stop
Worked examples
1. A hold-down has lasted 14 seconds. How many more seconds are needed for ippon (20 s)?
20 - 14 = 6 seconds more.
2. A player scores two waza-ari (half points). What do two half points make in a contest where two waza-ari equal ippon?
Two half points add up to one full point, so the contest ends with a win.
3. You are thrown. Put these in the best order: slap the mat, tuck chin, land, exhale.
Tuck the chin, land on the rounded back, slap the mat, and exhale as you land.
4. Which part of a throw is "kuzushi"? Why must it come first?
Kuzushi is breaking the partner's balance. A standing person who is balanced is heavy and hard to throw, but an off-balance person tips over easily, so no big strength is needed.
Common mistakes
- Putting a stiff arm down to stop a fall. This can hurt the elbow or wrist. Roll and slap instead.
- Not tucking the chin, so the back of the head hits the mat.
- Throwing with strength only. Judo throws work when the balance is broken first.
- Holding on after a partner taps. A tap always means stop.