Judo If you asked most people what they know about judo, they would probably say it’s a
Japanese sport that’s been around for hundreds of years. Well, they are correct that
it’s a Japanese sport, but it hasn’t been around since ancient times. In fact, it’s only
been around for one hundred years! Since it was first developed, however, it has
become quite popular. It’s even played in the Olympic Games today and has been
since 1964.
Judo was created in 1882 by a man called Jigoro Kano. Kano developed judo from
an older Japanese sport known as jujutsu, which was developed in the 1600s. Kano
was a teacher of jujutsu, but he wasn’t happy with the way it was played. He decided
to create a sport that was more formal than jujutsu. In other words, he wanted
players to move with more style and in a kinder way. In fact, the word ‘judo’ means
‘gentle way,’ and ‘gentle’ means ‘kind’. He also wanted to create a sport in which a
strong player could be beaten by a player who was not very strong. That fact is what
makes judo an interesting and popular sport.
The main idea of judo is like this: one player tries to throw another player onto the
ground. There are different ways to win. A player can throw the other player on their
back. If it is done quickly and with a certain style, then that player scores one point
and wins the match. The player can also hold the other player on the ground for
twenty-five seconds. The player then scores one point and wins the match. A third
way to win is to make the other player ‘fall asleep’. It takes a special move that
sounds dangerous and scary, but it’s actually safe. In judo, you only have to score
one point to win a match. It seems easy, doesn’t it? In fact, it’s very difficult. Players
have got only three to five minutes to score that one point. Each player is trained to stay on their feet. They’re also trained on how to fall in the right way. The actions in
judo are really like a form of art. It’s an interesting sport to play and an amazing sport
to watch.
People of all ages play judo today. Because the sport is ‘gentle’, most players don’t
get hurt while they’re playing it, so it’s not a very dangerous sport. However, players
get hurt sometimes. You might even break your arm while you’re doing judo, so you
really must train quite a bit if you don’t want to get hurt. In the beginning, students
learn how to fall – this can take weeks! And judo is certainly not just a sport for the
Japanese anymore. When judo was first played in the 1964 Olympic Games, a Dutch
man won the gold medal, the best prize in an Olympic sport. That’s pretty amazing,
isn’t it?
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2012 This page may be photocopied for use in class
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Laser A2
Final Test
1 How long has judo been around? A since ancient times
B one hundred years
C since the 1600s
2 In judo, strong players ... A always beat other players. B never beat other players. C are sometimes beaten.
3 A player can win by holding the other player down ... A for twenty-five seconds.
B for three minutes.
C for five minutes.
4 Judo is ...
A completely safe.
B safe, but players can get hurt. C very dangerous.
5 Students are first trained on how to ... A hit other players.
B fall on the ground.
C score points.
© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2012 This page may be photocopied for use in class
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