The foundation of Judo
Judo was created in 1882 by Kanō Jigorō as an eclectic martial art, distinguishing itself from its predecessors jujutsu due to an emphasis on "randori" (free sparring) instead of "kata" (pre-arranged forms) alongside its removal of striking and weapon training elements.
Judo rose to prominence for its dominance over established jujutsu schools in tournaments hosted by the Tokyo Police Department, resulting in its adoption as the department's primary martial art.
Kano's vision for judo was one of a martial way that could be practiced realistically. Randori was a central part of judo competition a crucial test of a judoka's understanding of judo.
Various throwing techniques that were judged to be too dangerous to practice safely at full force, such as all joint-locking throws from Jujutsu, were also prohibited in competition. To maximise safety in nage waza (throwing techniques), Players trained in ukemi (break falls) and practiced on tatami (rice straw mats).
The foundation of Respect Judo
Respect Judo was founded in 2018 by Adrian Harding, who ran judo classes in schools and at ingleton village. during this period he was helping run Darlington Koizumi Judo club (founded in 1970). Adrian has now retired from work and semi retired from judo.
In 2021 After Covid following the death of beloved coach and treasurer Ian Raine (also running Koizumi judo club) 3 new coaches Max, Richard and Chris were trained alongside Rachel and Bex (club welfare officers) to keep the club running.
In 2022 Adrian assisted Richard with opening a Judo Club at Bishop Auckland.
In early 2023 with News of Adrian's Retirement from the area, Respect Judo was offered to Richard to be kept going. Richard (Darlington Koizumi's secretary) pitched a 10 year plan to the Darlington committee to merge the 3 Venues Under 1 banner and make our volunteer based Clubs as Efficient and professional as possible, whilst striving to always offer excellent judo classes to as many people as possible.
Respect Judos Ties to the Past
Koizumi Judo Club was founded in 1970 by Alan Dodds and Named after Gunji Koizumi.
Gunji Koizumi (8 July 1885 – 15 April 1965), known affectionately by colleagues as G.K, was a Japanese master of judo who introduced this martial art to the United Kingdom and came to be known as the 'Father of British Judo.' He was the founder of the Budokwai, a pioneering Japanese martial arts society in England. Koizumi helped establish the British Judo Association and founded the European Judo Union. He held the rank of 8th dan in judo. Koizumi's apparent suicide in 1965 shocked the worldwide judo community.
If any one knows of any ties between Alan Dodds and Gunji Koizumi please contact the club as we are trying to trace as much of our history as possible. Also if anyone knows anything else or wants to share stories from koizumi judo clubs early days please get in touch as well.
How Judo has spread
Kano visited Europe in 1889 to introduce judo outside of Japan. There is a famous episode that occurred aboard a ship during his voyage: when a foreigner made fun of Jigoro, he threw the man down but put his hand under the man's head to prevent him from getting hurt. This illustrated how judo combined practical fighting techniques with thoughtfulness for one's enemy. Jigoro always maintained a global point of view, serving as a member of the International Olympic Committee, and worked tirelessly to spread judo around the world.
Jigoro's dream of the "internationalization of judo" came true at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. Only men's judo was recognized as an official Olympic event and bouts were held by weight class. Japanese competitors swept the gold in all except the open division, where a non-Japanese champion was crowned. This was a sign that judo had already taken root in countries outside Japan. Women's judo was introduced as a demonstration event at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and was added to the official program at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
Currently (as of March 2023), 204 countries and regions are members of the International Judo Federation. The sport is particularly popular in Europe. In fact, many more people in France practice judo than in Japan.
Judo within mixed martial arts
Judo is definitely an effective martial art for MMA. In fact, many of the greatest MMA athletes of all time are black belts in judo. Of course, these judokas will have to cross-train in other arts and be able to adapt their judo for it to be truly effective and best utilized in MMA.
There are a few fighters that have brought attention to judo’s effectiveness in MMA. Among the most popular would have to be Rhonda Rousey and Khabib Nurmagomedev. This is for good reason too, I mean she did use judo to become one of the biggest MMA stars of all time. That said, there are actually a handful of judo black belts that have done great in MMA that people often forget about. Or they at least forget they got their start in judo.
"Judo is like different level. If I have chance to take like Judo Olympic gold medal or Freestyle wrestling, of course Judo."
khabib nurmagomedev
UFC 29 wins 0 losses, retired undefeated.
Judo for self defence
Judo is one of the most effective martial arts for self-defense. It focuses on using an opponent's strength against them, making it an excellent choice for people of all sizes and strengths. Judo is also a great way to improve your physical fitness, coordination, and overall well-being.
Learning Judo for self-defense has many benefits, both physical and mental. Physically, Judo is a great workout that can help you improve your strength, endurance, and flexibility. It also teaches you how to control an opponent using leverage and technique, rather than brute force. Mentally, Judo can help you improve your focus, discipline, and confidence.
One of the biggest benefits of learning Judo for self-defense is that it teaches you practical techniques that are effective in real-life situations. Judo focuses on throws, takedowns, and submissions, which are all useful skills for self-defense. Additionally, Judo training includes sparring and competition, which can help you develop the skills and confidence you need to defend yourself in a real-life situation.
Sports Judo basic rules
While there is a deep tradition of Eastern philosophy underpinning the martial art, as a competitive sport the aim is simply to beat your opponent, albeit with honour and grace. To win a bout a player must score more points than their opponent, with points being awarded for throws or holds, and penalties being given for various infringements.
There are two types of score an athletes can achieve in a judo match. Ippon is the best in that it results in immediate victory and can be achieved by throwing an opponent in such a way as to make then land on their back. Alternative methods of scoring ippon include trapping an opponent in an armlock or stranglehold to the extent that it forces them to submit or pinning an opponent on the floor for 20 seconds.
The next best score is a waza-ari, which is a half point in that the award of two waza-ari in a bout is the same as ippon, and hence the winner is declared. Waza-ari is awarded for lesser throws than those scoring ippon, and for pinning the opponent for 10 seconds.
Respect Judos future
Respect Judo has laid out some ambitious goals for the short term and long term. All our Plans coincide with Jigoro Kanos ethos, and we aim to provide the benefits of judo to all regardless of any background or affordability.
Over the next few years we hope to develop players to a point where they can develop not only their own judo but also start developing others.
We aim to train more coaches and grow more venues out into surrounding towns and villages, and really get judo back on the map.
