JUDO
In May 1882 Jigoro Kano was inspired by traditional forms of combat to create a method of physical, intellectual and moral education, which he named judo.
Initially considered as a personal defense system, judo is step by step recognized for its educational value, its benefits for the development of the body and the character.
Judo became an Olympic sport in the Tokyo Games in 1964, and thus became universal. The International Judo Federation today brings together 195 national federations and 5 continental unions.
Official sporting events start to take place in the early 20th century. It is in Germany on August 11th, 1932, that the European Judo Union was created. The first European Championships were held in Dresden in 1934. The Kano method was chosen as a demonstration sport for the Tokyo Olympics in 1940, which never took place because of the Second World War. It is not until the 1964 Games that judo officially entered the Olympic program.
