As a martial art, Judo is often associated with beautiful throws and quick submissions, but this praise often omits what I assert are the main benefits of Judo as a martial art. Judo is far more than a martial art that focuses on takedowns, an Olympic sport, or any other praise that it typically receives, although it is very warranted praise. Judo has a number of key features that make it an ideal martial art for anyone willing to try it, and it translates well into other disciplines such as American collegiate wrestling, international wrestling styles, and mixed martial arts. I believe that Judo and the techniques that comprise this martial art are well positioned to experience a resurgence in popularity compared to things like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and also make a lasting impact in Mixed Martial Arts.
To understand why Judo is so positioned to serve the needs of everyone from beginners to seasoned athletes, it is important to understand the person who laid down the first principles. The founder of Judo, Kano Jigoro, was a brilliant man in his own right, serving as a professor of economics and having many achievements in academia. He is often credited with being the first person to use belts (black belt, white belt, etc.) to distinguish between a novice and an advanced practitioner. This is important because it allows beginners to readily identify people who can assist them during practice, and also establishes a hierarchy in the evaluation of athletes. Essentially, Kano’s belt system is another form of structure for practitioners by helping to define roles and expectations. This belt system would eventually be expanded by Judo in Europe to include a belt progression system (White-Yellow-Orange-Green-Brown-Black), and adopted by other martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Judo itself was the basis for two other major martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Russian Sambo, which took the techniques and rules of Judo and expanded them to create a new martial art. Aside from his concrete contributions to martial arts more broadly, Kano’s achievements in founding Judo can be attributed to several personality traits and unique personal characteristics.
Kano’s personal philosophies on learning are clearly evident in his influence on Judo. Aligning with his background in economics and pedagogy, he believed in a structured approach to learning. To this day, Judo has measurable outcomes associated with each advance in rank. Judo has a set list of techniques, and techniques are assigned to each belt level and must be mastered in order to progress to the next belt. The techniques a beginner must learn are often easier for beginners and can set the foundation for more advanced techniques that will be introduced as the athlete progresses. Judo programs often use a set syllabus and have a set number of techniques that are appropriate for beginners, and others that are required for advancing into more senior ranks. His philosophy is most evident in his discussion of “Judo as a culture” (1). Essentially, Kano’s personality and experiences contributed to the martial art that is practiced by millions worldwide. He created a very systematic approach to learning and competition, which still influences practitioners worldwide in the modern era.
The system and rules that Kano created foster an environment that influences Judo athletes unconsciously. Judo rewards skilled grip fighters (dominant gripping and posture on the opponent’s gi) and short, explosive, and efficient bursts of energy to execute techniques that take an opponent to the ground while remaining in control. Judo also rewards grappling exchanges that are fast, effective, and controlled. Beyond specific techniques, Judo rewards some habits that practitioners take into other martial arts. Judo shapes how an athlete moves, responds, and initiates contact with others. Watching Judo practitioners in MMA, this is evident, as athletes like Rhonda Rousey, Kayla Harrison, and Karo Parisyan often apply Judo techniques to turn a brief moment in the clinch into an advantageous position.
In MMA particularly, Judo athletes are positioned to succeed through the skillset Judo provides. In a ruleset like MMA, where conditioning and cardiovascular conditioning are paramount, a takedown system that prioritizes “maximum efficiency, minimum effort” is particularly valuable for getting takedowns and not burning a ton of energy in the middle of a round. Compared to an average wrestling takedown, Judo takedowns exert much less energy and help improve your position without involving a lot of sustained effort from multiple muscle groups. Additionally, the pace of Judo on the ground and inclusion of pinning provides a valuable sense of urgency for MMA athletes in terms of rapid grappling transitions and quick submissions.
Ultimately, Judo’s greatest contribution is not a specific technique, individual throw, submission, or pin, but the habits it develops and nurtures in its practitioners. Kano created a system in which athletes recognize split-second opportunities, control their opponents’ balance, and apply force efficiently under pressure from their opponents. These are not skills that are unique to Judo, nor do they go away if an athlete transitions to other sports. Instead, I believe that they become a part of how an athlete approaches grappling in general. This is what makes Judo so valuable. Judo extends beyond the techniques themselves and into the instincts of its practitioners. As MMA and grappling continue to evolve, I believe Judo will be at the center of the conversation as a system of training that produces technically skilled grapplers and intelligent athletes.
(1). Kano, Jigoro. “Judo: The Japanese Art of Self Defense”, Japan Advertiser, 29 July 1922, reprinted in The Living Age, Volume CCCXIV, 1922, pp. 727-731.
- Direct Link to the Book I pulled this from: https://books.google.com/books?id=SgM4AQAAIAAJ&dq=living%20age%20volume%20314%20kano&pg=PR7#v=onepage&q&f=false
