Most Americans, influenced by Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan martial arts movies, assume Judo is about hitting, kicking and the total destruction of the opponents.  Judo is far from that.  Although Judo has its roots in martial arts, it has structured rules, strict safety regulations and adheres to the ethical philosophies of an educator and founder of Judo, Professor Jigoro Kano. 

In 1882, Professor Kano founded the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo, Japan, which still is the international authority for Judo.

There are four basic ways to win in Judo, by throwing the opponent on their back, pinning the opponent for 25 seconds, submission by chokes, and submission by locks to the elbow

joint.  Chokes and joint locks are prohibited for junior participants.

Judo has been an Olympic sport since 1964.  As with all Olympic sports, it takes many years of dedication and hard work to be competitive.  More than competition and hard work, Judo is a way of life. 

The philosophy in judo is “Maximum, Efficient use of Energy of Mind and Body and Mutual Welfare and Benefit.”  The practitioners of Judo not only apply these principals to Judo but to everyday life.

At Sawtelle Judo Club, we strive to educate our

students based on these founding philosophies of

Judo.