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.
In Judo, the main objective is to find a way to knock your opponent to the ground and then use a lock or a choke in order to gain an advantage. Judo students do learn striking, however, throwing techniques and grappling skills are far more important. In fact, striking is not a part of either sparring practice or allowable in competitions. In the century or so since Judo was developed, there have been many figures important to the sport.
Obviously, Jigoro Kano deserves the first mention as he founded the art, which became the first martial art included in the Olympic Games. Kano, much like Helio Gracie, was a bit of an underdog. Small and physically weak, he turned to jiujitsu to increase his strength. Eventually, he added wrestling techniques and techniques from other martial arts that he found to be effective, and out of many arts, a new one was born.
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.
Many past and current MMA fighters are experts in Judo, and this is definitely one of the key skills those training in mixed martial arts should learn. Anderson Silva, Ronda Rousey and Yoshihiro Akiyama are just a few people who successfully incorporate Judo into their MMA arsenal. Rousey even has a bronze medal in Judo from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
In Judo, the main objective is to find a way to knock your opponent to the ground and then use a lock or a choke in order to gain an advantage. Judo students do learn striking, however, throwing techniques and grappling skills are far more important. In fact, striking is not a part of either sparring practice or allowable in competitions. In the century or so since Judo was developed, there have been many figures important to the sport.
Obviously, Jigoro Kano deserves the first mention as he founded the art, which became the first martial art included in the Olympic Games. Kano, much like Helio Gracie, was a bit of an underdog. Small and physically weak, he turned to jiujitsu to increase his strength. Eventually, he added wrestling techniques and techniques from other martial arts that he found to be effective, and out of many arts, a new one was born.
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.
Many past and current MMA fighters are experts in Judo, and this is definitely one of the key skills those training in mixed martial arts should learn. Anderson Silva, Ronda Rousey and Yoshihiro Akiyama are just a few people who successfully incorporate Judo into their MMA arsenal. Rousey even has a bronze medal in Judo from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
About the Author:
Rod Bourgoine likes writing about mixed martial arts benefits. For more information about a San Diego jiu jitsu gym or to find a San Diego martial arts gym, click here now.
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