Judo is a Japanese full contact martial art, developed in 1882 by Jigoro Kano from jujutsu. Japanese "ju" means "gentle" and "do" means "way" – so Judo translates as, "the gentle way". Judo contains no punches or kicks, but is about using the opponent's strength to your own advantage. The objective is to throw or trap the opponent, immodilise or otherwise pacify the opponent. A judo match starts standing, but often ends up on the mat. While standing, different throwing and leg or foot techniques are used, while different control techniques are used on the mat.

Judo places the greatest demands on technique, interaction and co-ordination. As you get older, you focus more on strength, speed and endurance. Judo is practiced worldwide and is the world's 7th largest Olympic sport with over 20 million active participants and has been an Olympic sport. since 1964.