Brief Intoduction to Judo
Judo, meaning “gentle way”, is a modern Japanese martial art and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an opponent to submit by joint locking the elbow or applying a choke. Kicks, punches, and thrusts are also practiced, but only in pre-arranged forms. They are not allowed in judo competition or freestyle practice.
Ultimately, the philosophy and subsequent pedagogy developed for judo became the model for almost all modern Japanese martial arts that developed from "traditional" schools (koryu). Practitioners of judo are called judoka.
Judo is not only concerned with attack and defense techniques but the physical conditioning and total health that could be attained from its practice. The meaning of the word Ju (gentleness) denotes not resisting the strength of the opponent, adapting to it, and taking advantage of it by turning it to one's own advantage. The meaning of the word Do (way) denotes not just methods or techniques, but also signifies strict moral principles which are essential in striving for "Self-Perfection as a human being".