Rekishi

History

Judo was not invented as a sport. Kano stripped the lethal parts out of classical jujutsu and kept what could be practised at full intensity without injury — creating a method of physical, moral and intellectual education.

1. 1860

   Jigoro Kano is born in Mikage, Japan. Small and often bullied, he seeks out jujutsu masters as a teenager.

2. 1882

   Kano opens the Kodokan in a Tokyo temple with nine students and twelve mats.

3. 1886

   The Tokyo police tournament: Kodokan judo defeats the established jujutsu schools and wins national attention.

4. 1909

   Kano becomes the first Asian member of the International Olympic Committee.

5. 1938

   Kano dies at sea returning from an IOC meeting, having spread judo across Europe and the Americas.

6. 1964

   Judo enters the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Anton Geesink of the Netherlands wins the open category.

7. 1992

   Women's judo becomes a full Olympic medal sport in Barcelona.

8. Today

   More than 200 national federations; judo is among the most widely practised sports on earth.