Judo is a tremendous and dynamic combat sport that demands both physical prowess and great mental discipline. From a standing position, it involves techniques that allow you to lift and throw your opponents onto their backs. On the ground, it includes techniques that allow you to pin your opponents down to the ground, control them, and apply various chokeholds or joint locks until submission.
Safety is paramount in all aspects of training. Students are taught from the beginning, with continual reinforcement, that you must at all times treat the art and your fellow Students with respect. Students are taught how to fall and how to apply the various holds safely.
The uniform is called a Gi. There are rules governing the size of the uniform so as to prevent a competitor gaining an advantage from an incorrectly sized uniform. The Gi is also different from many other Martial Arts uniforms in terms of its strength to resist damage from the pulling it receives during competition.
Judo means “gentle way” in Japanese. This unarmed style of fighting is distinguished from other martial arts by its hand-to-hand fighting throws to the ground. The underlying principle of judo is that the judoka never resists his opponent’s force, but rather turns it back on his attacker. Judo is recognized as an Olympic sport.
