From Olympic events, movies and even Japanese animation, Judo as a sophisticated martial art form has garnered much fame and recognition throughout the world. Although Judo in comparison to some other schools of martial arts is relatively modern, the martial art form it originates from- jujutsu goes as far back as more than a millennium.

Jujutsu evolved as a system of close combat in the Nara Period (circa 710- 794), combining Japanese warfare techniques and techniques of sumo wrestling in its early days. 

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The Kodokan or the institution of Judo, an art which he had himself developed, was founded by Kano Jigoro in 1882. He hailed from an affluent family who provided him with Western as well as traditional Japanese education. He was of frail body, and when he was enrolled into an English medium boarding school he got to witness bullying first hand. This experience motivated him to set out and learn jujutsu. At this time, many in westernised Japan had become disillusioned with Jujutsu as an art form and therefore weren’t interested in learning or teaching it. At last, after much looking around, in the late 1870s he came under the wing of Fukuda Hachinosuke, learning the Tenjin Shinyo-ryu and Kito-ryu (traditional forms of jujutsu). His teacher Fukuda put greater emphasis on technique rather than formal exercise which is a principle that Kano would heed in his own practice as randori (or free practice). He learnt from many combat systems as well. After his teacher's death, he inherited his master's dojo (a place for learning martial arts). Here he started amalgamating what he saw as the positive points of different schools of martial arts to establish a body of martial arts that adhered to his principles and philosophy of ensuring the most efficient usage of human effort, strength and faculties.  

It was in 1899, that Kano chaired a committee that was responsible for coming up with the rules of the contest in Judo. The contest was to last for 15 minutes and contestants would be judged on their technique and contestants would get points in four different tasks of throwing their opponent to the ground, pinning them on their back to the ground, keeping them in such a position for a certain amount of time whereby the opponent would be forced to give in and submit.

The first time Judo was seen internationally in the Olympics was as a demonstration sport  hosted by Kano himself in the 1932 games. It was in 1960 that the 57th General Session of the International Olympic Committee decided to include Judo in the various sports events that would be contested at the Olympics. From 1964 onwards, Judo has been a sports event in practice, although there was much backlash which forced the committee to withdraw the Judo event from the Olympics in 1968 after which it was resumed. The women’s Judo event was introduced in 1988. 

Kano envisioned Judo not only as a martial art but as a martial way, and he believed that Judo had a wider philosophical impact on the whole of society, a whole way of life rather than just a fighting technique.