Three things to know before taking up judo

Judo is one of the most popular combat sports in the world today, loved by armchair fans, people wanting to learn the martial art with the aim of competing at competitions and those using the sport to learn self-defence. Judo is practised in major cities around the world, with a recent study showing record numbers participating in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and across Europe.

Judo is practised in major cities around the world, with a recent study showing record numbers participating in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and across Europe. If you have been considering getting involved and taking up judo or perhaps are looking for a club to send kids to, there are a few things to know before making the first step.

Judo can be used to help you achieve several different goals. It’s a great discipline for learning or improving self-defence. Just look at the top MMA fighters, and you’ll see many of them have a strong judo background. When making your UFC best bets on the next show live on television, you will be required to conduct a decent amount of research into the fighters if you are to stand any chance of landing a profit. 

Read the form of both fighters, their skills, strengths and weaknesses. You’ll notice top-level judo fighters who have competed internationally and at the Olympic Games often rank in the top 10 fighters in every weight category. In short, judo is a great martial art to learn, one that will push you to your physical and mental limits but teaches practical and reliable skills. 

If you are looking for a simple, easy to learn martial art, judo isn’t for you. It’s a multi-layered discipline that takes years to reach the top. If you are willing to commit to the training, judo is a skill you will have for life. Below we list three things you should know before taking up judo.

Finding the right club is crucial

There is no shortage of judo clubs in your local area, but it’s important to know some are better than others. Find the one that is right for you. Any decent judo club will have a website that you can investigate. You should also talk to the sensei or people who had class or are motivated to join the class. 

The more comfortable you are in your environment, the quicker you’ll learn and the happier you’ll be. Best results come from having a safe and stable learning environment. There shouldn’t be an issue visiting a class as a spectator and familiarizing yourself with how it all works, including times, schedule and structure.

You’ll be put to the test

Judo may look easy when you are watching from the sidelines or following a big competition like the World Championships or Olympic Games live on television, but it’s a tough and demanding sport. Regardless of how physically fit you think you are, perhaps from competing in other sports, judo will wear you out. The practice and sparring are relentless, proving a test of your physical fitness and character. 

You must be in good health to participate, so if you have any worries relating to that it’s worth speaking to your doctor or medical professional before you begin practicing judo. This is another reason why it’s important to join a judo class that is safe, insured and right for you. Roda Rousey said this week that judo was the most demanding sport in terms of condition compared to the activities she does now. It was a compliment to judo.

Injuries are rare

For as tough and competitive as judo looks on TV and is in practice, injuries are rare.Of course at top level there are always injuries, but it depends on your opponent as well. The better they are and the better they throw, the better you fall. Injuries are not unheard of as you must remember this is a contact sport with the aim of defeating your opponent, but the nature of judo means it doesn’t lead to as many injuries as some other sports, including boxing, MMA, motor racing, indoor soccer, hockey or football. When learning judo, one of the first lessons will explain how to fall properly, breaking your fall in different directions.

You will see this practiced at junior level all the way through. Safely breaking your fall will help keep you safe and injury-free when competing in judo but it will also improve your safety outside of the gym, should you ever find yourself in a position where you are under attack or slip by accident. In boxing or MMA, the aim is to hurt your opponent but in judo one of the primary goals is to safely stop your opponent from hurting you. Judo has precious values and cherishes those values in life. Teaching respect is the key value of starting a sport such as judo.