Kano had studied the many different styles of the Samurai art of Jujitsu and unified techniques under the concept of using momentum and leverage to defeat opponents with minimal effort. Kano called his art “the gentle way,” Judo.

“Judo” is defined as a way to optimally utilize the powers of both body and mind. The purpose of Judo training is to teach physical and mental discipline through the practice of attack and defense, leading to an understanding of the essence of the way.

Kanō Jigorō (1860–1938) collected the knowledge of the old jujitsu schools of the Japanese samurai and in 1882 founded his Kōdōkan School of judo (from the Chinese jou-tao, or roudao, meaning “gentle way”), the beginning of the sport in its modern form.

The sport was first introduced to the United States in about 1902 when then US President, Theodore Roosevelt, practiced in the White House. Judo began to develop in the 1950s when it became required for the US Air Force.

The Judo uniform consists of a tunic, pants, and a belt (sash). Both the tunic and the pants are white (*), and the belt color varies according to the wearer’s rank.

The focus of Judo compared to the focus of Jiu-Jitsu In Judo, much of the emphasis is weighted on standing techniques versus ground techniques. On the other hand, Jiu Jitsu is heavily focused on ground techniques with some standing techniques in the form of self-defense.

In terms of Judo, this is the same and most people will learn Judo with fighting in mind. Nonetheless, rest assured that if you do train Judo, you can sleep easily at night knowing your training is not a waste of time. Unlike some traditional martial arts, Judo is one of the toughest going and is no joke.

BJJ allows more submission techniques than Judo. This includes leg locks, chokes, varied armlocks, and more. Also, as long as competitors are moving on the ground, the match remains on.

Fees vary heavily I have seen $45 – $200 monthly. There is no way to know but to call and ask. Uniforms can go from $50 – $300. There is usually an additional fee to an organization like the USJF or USJA that provides some insurance while you’re on the mat for around $50.

The movements aren’t harder or anything, although I think that classic Judo has a slightly larger catalog of movements than classic BJJ. Simply because it covers more ground, no pun intended.

The most common injury in martial arts, in general, is sprains and muscle pulls. Judo is more dangerous in terms of injuries during matches and training, than not only BJJ but most other forms of martial arts as well. While the injury types for both are relatively similar, they happen more often in Judo.

The best age to start judo is between four and eight years old—enough for learning the judo basics. Most kids start to develop the cognitive and motor skills required for judo between eight and ten years, making it the perfect time for structured training and giving them the best chance of becoming world-class.