Judo is a traditional Japanese wrestling sport. The word ju-do means the "gentle way." The term first appears in the 1st century chronicles of Chinese emperor Kuang Wu. The first part of the word, ju, means gentleness or pliancy, and reflects the fact that judo emphasises yielding to an opponent's strength to overcome them, rather than attempting to defeat them by force. Do is a Japanese term meaning "the way" and is similar to the Chinese tao.

Judo was developed in Japan from the older schools of jujitsu, a term meaning "gentle technique." In the 19th century, various judo schools began to develop techniques differing from jujitsu. Dr. Jigoro Kano (1860-1938) combined the features of the various schools of the sport and codified the rules. Kano stressed the philosophical tenets of judo and eliminated many of the dangerous parts of jujitsu. Kano developed what is termed Kodokan judo, opening his first school, or dojo, in 1882. Kano was a long-time member of the International Olympic Committee.

Judo developed slowly in other nations, with the first international match taking place in 1926 between the Japanese Budokwai School and a German national team.

(BOCOG)