The Paris 2024 Olympics are getting closer and closer and, also for the next edition there will be Judo, even if it will undergo some changes regarding the competition and the number of athletes competing. For this Japanese discipline, the athletes will be placed, according to the weight category, in a knockout round until the final. Here we will see a change from previous editions: athletes who are “eliminated” in the quarter-finals remain in the competition and two bronze medals will be awarded in each weight category via a repechage. Returning to Judohow much do we really know this discipline?
The origin of the name and its history
Judo was born in Japan, precisely in 1882 by the professor Jigoro Kano, who grew up during the time when the Samurai class ruled. In those years, however, there was a real reorganization of Japanese society which led to an opening to the uses and customs of the western world and to the overcoming of the feudal system of the Samurai. Kano then decides to create a new method, similar to Ju-Jitsu, called Judo. So at the age of just 22 he gave birth to Kodokan Judo, the martial art that has become the sport we know today.
The term and meaning of Judo in Japanese is way of adaptability and judokas are those who practice this martial art even if to be honest, originally, this title was reserved only for those who have attained at least the fourth dan, i.e. the black belt. The Judo master, on the other hand, is called senseifrom sen which means before and six which translates into life: in this case it means someone who has already lived the experience and precedes his pupils in this sense. Judo is presented at the Olympic Games in 1932, with a demonstration but we will have to wait for 1964, precisely in Tokyo, for it to become a real Olympic discipline.
The Seven Katas of Judo
In reality it is a discipline that is based on respect for oneself and for others, on generosity and benevolence and has the aim of improving the society in which we live as a result. Each martial discipline has its own kata, i.e. a sequence of movements that represent combat techniques, and learning the sequences is essential. THE Say they are pre-established formal exercises of attack and defense and are usually performed by a student, called Tori, together with a partner, called Uke, with the final aim of perfecting the techniques themselves.
Knowing the different Kata is important because they are used to pass the exams for the transition to the higher belts. Nowadays there are seven Kata recognized by the Kodokan:
- Nage No Kataalso called the shape of the projections
- Katame no Katacalled form of control
- Kime no Kataform of the decision
- Ju no Kataform of compliance
- Itsutsu no Kata, called the five Forms
- Koshiki no Katawhich provides for the ancient forms
