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In its accurate meaning, the word Judo means the way of the flexibility. The legend says that the principles of the Judo were discovered during one rough winter, by noticing that the branches of the trees reacted differently under the weight of the abundant snow. The largest ones were breaking down whereas the most flexible ones were folding and getting rid of "the attacker". This is how the way of the flexibility born. This discipline, which comes from Japan, was introduced by Master Jigoro Kano in 1882. But Judo finds its sources in Japan's history. | |
It is a result of several Martial Arts schools where the Samouraļ (Japanese warriors) learned the science of the combat through the Jujitsu techniques. Judo is widely practised in Japanese school and universities. There are more than 15 million Judokas in the world, of which 500.000 are black belts.
The 1st exhibition in France goes back to 1889 and it was executed by Jigoro Kano himself, during a tour in Europe. Later on, the Master Kawaishi arrived in France in 1935 and created the first club of Judo-Jujitsu (the Jujitsu France club); he is the founder of the French Judo. The first championships of Judo in France took place in 1943; the first men world championships in 1956, and women championships in 1980. Judo had been introduced at the Olympic Games of Tokyo in 1964..