Judo is a martial art that originated in Japan. Judo became a sports direction in the XX century. Since 1964, this sport has been included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games, and since 1992, women have begun to participate in the competition.
Judo is a very popular martial art in the east. Its origin was influenced by centuries-old traditions developing in various schools of jujitsu in medieval Japan. In addition, this type of martial art owes its formation to the spread of elements of Western culture in Japanese society at that time. The founder of judo is Jigoro Kano. He created a special system of physical education, combining samurai traditions with the ideas of Olympic sports.
The fight requires a special carpet called tatami. It is a square, ranging from 64 to 100 m2, surrounded by a three-meter security zone.
A judoka athlete has two main tasks. The first is to keep your balance during the fight. The second is to unbalance your opponent. It is very important to make the correct throw at the beginning of the match. In addition, in judo, the use of suffocation and painful receptions on the hands in relation to the opponent is allowed. Usually battles last no more than 5 minutes.
Athletes' outfit consists of a kimono, which is a loose sports jacket and pants. The duel clothing is made of high quality cotton fabric, which is developed using the latest technology. The International Judo Federation sets the standards and requirements that a given sports uniform must meet.
In Russia, judo became widespread largely thanks to Vasily Oshchepkov. He entered the Kodokan Judo Institute in Japan, and on his return in 1914 opened a judo school in his homeland.
Russian athletes showed good results at the Olympiads. Shota Chochishvili, an athlete representing the Soviet Union, received a gold medal in 1972. This was the first highest award for the country. Elena Petrova (bronze medal in 1992) and Lyubov Bruletova (silver medal in 2000 in Sydney) performed excellently in the women's championship.
