Author: admin
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Judo Weight Cutting: Health Risks and IJF Policy Explained
Weight cutting — reducing body weight in the days before competition to qualify for a lower weight category — is endemic in judo at the competitive level. Studies of elite judo athletes competing in world ranking events have found that 89 to 100% engage in rapid weight loss (RWL) practices before competition. The IJF has…
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How Do Elite Judoka Train: Weekly Training Schedule Revealed
Elite judo at the World Tour level demands a training load that surprises people outside the sport. A competitive judoka preparing for a Grand Slam does not train judo a few evenings per week — they train twice or three times daily, combining on-mat technical practice, randori sparring, and structured strength-and-conditioning work into a weekly…
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Essential Judo Glossary: Terms Every Fan Needs to Know
Judo competition is conducted almost entirely in Japanese terminology — every score, every referee command, every technique category, and every positional concept is named in Japanese, and these names appear in broadcasts, commentary, and official results without translation. This glossary covers the terms a fan encounters most frequently when watching IJF World Tour events, from…
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What Is Randori in Judo: Training vs Competition Explained
Randori is free practice — live sparring against a resisting partner under competitive rules but without competitive stakes — and it is the central training method that makes judo technique functional against real opposition. Jigoro Kano defined randori in a 1932 speech at the Los Angeles Olympics as “practiced under conditions of actual contest… the…
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Understanding Judo Penalties: How Shido Accumulation Changes a Match
The shido penalty system is one of the most tactically consequential elements of judo competition — and one of the most frequently misunderstood by new viewers. A shido is a minor penalty awarded by the referee for passive behavior or rule violations. It does not end the match immediately, but three accumulated shidos produce hansoku-make…
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How to Follow the IJF World Tour as a Fan: Complete Guide
Following the IJF World Tour as a fan requires knowing where the events are, where to watch them, how to track athlete rankings between events, and how the competition season builds toward its climax at the World Championships. The World Tour runs from January through October each year, with nine Grand Slams, four Grand Prix…
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What Is an IJF-Approved Judogi: Uniform Rules and Requirements
An IJF-approved judogi is a competition uniform that meets the International Judo Federation’s published technical specifications and has been tested and certified by the IJF’s equipment division. Since April 1, 2015, wearing an IJF-approved judogi — identified by its official red label — is mandatory at all IJF World Tour events. An athlete arriving at…
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Difference Between Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Explained
Judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) are more closely related than any other two major grappling sports — BJJ was literally built from judo, derived from teaching brought to Brazil by a Kodokan-trained judoka in the early 20th century. Yet the two sports have diverged so substantially in emphasis, rules, and technique library that practitioners of…
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Judo Belt Ranking System: From White to Black Belt Complete Guide
The judo belt system is not decorative — it is the sport’s oldest formalized measure of competence, established by founder Jigoro Kano at the Kodokan in Tokyo in 1883, making it the first martial arts grade system in history. Every belt color, from the white worn by beginners to the red worn by 10th-dan grandmasters,…
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How to Read a Judo Tournament Bracket: Format Explained
A judo tournament bracket determines who fights whom, when, and with what seeding protection — and understanding it transforms watching an event from confusing to transparent. IJF World Tour events use a specific elimination-plus-repechage format that differs from simple single or double elimination. This guide explains how the draw works, what repechage means and how…