In mixed martial arts, there are many ancient sports that athletes study in order to become better fighters. These include Greco-Roman wrestling skills and boxing, both of which date back centuries. Judo, however, is quite important to MMA, but was only developed in the later part of the 19th century. You will find it similar to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in many ways, and that's not hard to understand, since BJJ actually developed out of the world of Kodokan Judo.
The two arts are similar in that your ultimate goal is really to get your opponent grounded and then inflict a chokehold or a joint lock. In Judo, students do learn striking techniques, but these are many taught as self defense, and not used for competitions or even fighting practice. The grappling and throwing techniques are much more important in Judo. In the 130 or so years since Judo has been created, there are have been many important fighters and here is a look at some of the most prominent.
Jigoro Kano is the father of Judo, which also is known as Kodokan Judo, and the Kodokan institute is the arts' worldwide headquarters. Kano was small in stature and somewhat weak, but he wanted to remedy that by learning the art of jiujitsu. He found this art helpful, but added his own ideas and eventually created the fighting style and philosophy of Judo.
Mitsuyo Maeda is another important figure in Judo. Maeda was like many others who have turned to Judo and Jiu-Jitsu, a person who was physically weak looking for a way to build strength and defensive skills. Maeda eventually earned the rank of a 7th dan black belt, and he was the person responsible for introducing Kodokan Judo to the Gracie Family. This, of course, led to the metamorphosis of Judo into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, both of which are quite effective skills for mixed martial arts fighters.
The system of black belts actually goes up to the level of 10th dan, but very few have ever received this level of belt. Tomita Tsunejiro was the first student of Judo to be awarded a black belt by the master Jigoro Kano. There are four men regarded as the "Guardians" of Kodokan Judo, and Tsunejiro is one of them. He was also Maeda's instructor, so his influence truly has been felt worldwide.
Judo has been an Olympic sport since the 1964 Summer Games, and actually was displayed as early as 1932. While you probably think the first gold medalist was from Japan, it was actually a gentleman from The Netherlands who won during those very first games. Anton Geesink not only holds the world's first Judo gold medal, he also has earned the rank of 10th dan black belt from the International Judo Federation. The Kodokan Institute, however, has never awarded a 10th dan black belt to anyone not from Japan, and has only awarded 15 people with this level of belt in history.
Judo increasingly is gaining popularity in the world of MMA, and many fighters are experts in Judo, such as Anderson Silva and Yoshihiro Akiyama, both of who are black belts. Ronda Rousey is a 4th dan black belt with a bronze medal in Judo from the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and her high level of Judo expertise is quite evident during all of her bouts.
The two arts are similar in that your ultimate goal is really to get your opponent grounded and then inflict a chokehold or a joint lock. In Judo, students do learn striking techniques, but these are many taught as self defense, and not used for competitions or even fighting practice. The grappling and throwing techniques are much more important in Judo. In the 130 or so years since Judo has been created, there are have been many important fighters and here is a look at some of the most prominent.
Jigoro Kano is the father of Judo, which also is known as Kodokan Judo, and the Kodokan institute is the arts' worldwide headquarters. Kano was small in stature and somewhat weak, but he wanted to remedy that by learning the art of jiujitsu. He found this art helpful, but added his own ideas and eventually created the fighting style and philosophy of Judo.
Mitsuyo Maeda is another important figure in Judo. Maeda was like many others who have turned to Judo and Jiu-Jitsu, a person who was physically weak looking for a way to build strength and defensive skills. Maeda eventually earned the rank of a 7th dan black belt, and he was the person responsible for introducing Kodokan Judo to the Gracie Family. This, of course, led to the metamorphosis of Judo into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, both of which are quite effective skills for mixed martial arts fighters.
The system of black belts actually goes up to the level of 10th dan, but very few have ever received this level of belt. Tomita Tsunejiro was the first student of Judo to be awarded a black belt by the master Jigoro Kano. There are four men regarded as the "Guardians" of Kodokan Judo, and Tsunejiro is one of them. He was also Maeda's instructor, so his influence truly has been felt worldwide.
Judo has been an Olympic sport since the 1964 Summer Games, and actually was displayed as early as 1932. While you probably think the first gold medalist was from Japan, it was actually a gentleman from The Netherlands who won during those very first games. Anton Geesink not only holds the world's first Judo gold medal, he also has earned the rank of 10th dan black belt from the International Judo Federation. The Kodokan Institute, however, has never awarded a 10th dan black belt to anyone not from Japan, and has only awarded 15 people with this level of belt in history.
Judo increasingly is gaining popularity in the world of MMA, and many fighters are experts in Judo, such as Anderson Silva and Yoshihiro Akiyama, both of who are black belts. Ronda Rousey is a 4th dan black belt with a bronze medal in Judo from the Beijing Olympics in 2008, and her high level of Judo expertise is quite evident during all of her bouts.
About the Author:
Rod Bourgoine enjoys writing about MMA advantages. For more information about a San Diego jiu jitsu gym or to discover a San Diego martial arts gym, click here today.
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