Judo

What is Judo?

Judo is a Traditional Martial Art that was created by the founder Jigorō Kanō, who was a Japanese educator and ‘sensei’ (coach) who trained in Ju-Jitsu. Judo was the first martial art to become an official Olympic sport. He also created the concept of colors of belts, and dan raking for black belts. Judo is governed by both the Kodokan, the school that Kanō founded, and the IJF (Internation Judo Federation), and at the local level by Judo Canada and Judo Saskatchewan. There are a few different areas of Judo, but the 5 major focuses are throws, hold-downs, supporting techniques, break falls, and kata.

Who can do Judo?

Anyone can do at least some parts of judo. If someone is motivated enough, they can do most parts of if not all. The only limitation is physical health. If there are any underlying concerns with getting your heart rate up, tumbling around such as doing somersaults, falling and getting back up, and grappling contact with others, or being prone to or suffering from concussions, then this sport might not be for you.

What is Judo used for?

Judo is used for fitness, body awareness, martial art combat (often MMA athletes are trained in some form of Judo or Jujitsu), confidence in oneself knowing how to hold yourself in any situation.

What is required to participate in the NW YMCA Judo Club?

A Can-do attitude! There are limited spaces in the program, and we are starting off with one night a week both to gauge the desire, and capabilities of the program.  You don’t have to be a pro or even a great athlete!

What are the Uniform Needs?

You will need a Gi–specific to judo or at least Jujitsu. There is also a requirement for athletes to wear a white t-shirt or undershirt with no visible writing on it. It is recommended to have at least a white gi, sport compression shorts, and a compression t-shirt on top for regular class.

What are the Personal Hygiene requirements for Judo?

Shoulder length or longer hair needs to be up in a bun, no metal on the mats – not even in a hair elastic, no hard plastic protection equipment (soft protection is perfectly fine!) long fingernails or toenails (fingers get jammed regularly and nails could get caught, bent, or torn off, or partners can get scratched).  It is recommended to wash the gi once a week or at least after two full sessions and air it out to dry on the
non-wash days.