9781422286654

A S P O R T A N D A N A R T

judo, but the skills you learn are just as effective and spectacular. As an art form, judo can enrich the lives of those who practice it through self- fulfillment, achievement, and the friendships gained throughout the worldwide judo family. As a sport, only soccer is practiced in a greater number of countries. At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, 135 countries fielded an athlete in judo, third most of any other sport. All over the world, in countries as diverse as Estonia in Northern Europe and Cuba in the Caribbean, judo champions are some of the national favorite sporting heroes. What makes judo truly special, however, is that it can fulfill a wide variety of needs. Whatever your age and whatever your level, there is always a place for you on the judo mat. And for the elite athletes, there is always the ultimate aim of Olympic glory. A BIT OF HISTORY Before you begin to study judo, it is useful to have an appreciation of its history and roots. Although judo literally means “the gentle way,” its techniques are derived from the battlefields of feudal Japan. Indeed, the term “martial art” really refers to skills used on the battlefield. The martial arts were developed from close-quarter fighting methods used during wartime. The Japanese martial arts were mostly developed during the feudal period (in the 17th century) by the samurai and warrior classes. One such art was jujutsu, one of the deadliest forms of open-handed com- bat. It was from this art that judo was born. Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, began as a student of jujutsu. He was born on October 28, 1860, in a small village in Japan called Mi-

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