Judo

Judo, which means “the gentle way” in Japanese, is a perfect example of how skill can overcome brute force, because it teaches a person to use an opponent’s weight against them. So, although a woman may feel intimidated by a taller male opponent, through the skilful application of throws and holds, she can overpower him. It’s easy to see why this sport produces self-confidence and is a great way of releasing tension. The sport of judo was invented in Japan in 1882 to combat bullying in schools. After years of studying other martial arts, Jigoro Kano founded a judo academy in order to discover the most efficient way of deterring his playground enemies. Initially, judo was not accepted by other martial artists, but in 1886, Tokyo’s police force held a martial arts tournament and judo techniques scored highly. Recently, judo has been the most widely practised of the martial arts outside China and Japan.