Judo Styles and Styles of Judo

How many Judo styles exist?

First we need to define what we’re calling a “style” and what makes it.

Since modern Olympic Judo is a popular sport discipline (according to known statistics it surpassed in world-wide popularity only by soccer, as European football known in the US) it’s not Japanese-only any more and developed into multiple national and regional schools that differ from each other in many aspects of technical, tactical, and psychological training. Russian, French, Japanese, Brazilian schools are for sure worth throughout discussion each on its own. However, that isn’t subject of this site.

The original Judo from Dr. Kano was just another development in the long heritage line of Japanese Jujutsu. Therefore, if Judo is a style of Jujutsu, should we include schools of old-style Jujutsu? If not, should we exclude everything that call itself “Jujutsu” or doesn’t retain word “Judo” in its name? Is everything that has word “Judo” in its name is a style of Judo? What defines a style?

Answers for those questions will vary.

Leaving throughout discussion of this theoretical subject aside, I’ll define what considered being “Judo” on judo-for-self-defense.com.

In the narrow definition, a style of hand-to-hand combat or combat sport discipline considered to be Judo style if it:

1.  Historically originated from Dr. Kano Kodokan Judo or served as a      source for it.
2.  Using Kano’s principals of sport competitions in its training methods.
3.  Using long sleeve gi-like jacket in training.

Styles of Judo:

1.  Kano’s Kodokan Judo

2.  Modern Olympic Judo

3.  Kosen Judo

4.  Brazilian jiu-jitsu

5.  SAMBO

•  Combat SAMBO

•  Why SAMBO is a Judo style when…?

•  SAMBO founding legend

6.  “Old” Jujitsu

In the broad definition, Judo as a study of how to get upper hand in hostile physical confrontation.

‘Non-judo’ Judo:

1.  Aikido

2.  Sumo

3.  Kung-fu, Kuntao, Chinese wrestling

4.  Indonesian Martial Arts, Silat, Kali

5.  Olympic Greek-Roman and Free-style wrestling

6.  Olympic and Professional Boxing

7.  Tai-Boxing, Kickboxing, Savate

8.  Karate, Taekwondo

9.  Hapkido

10.  Military hand-to-hand combat systems

11.  Folk wrestling

12.  Modern Mixed Martial Arts

(If you're looking for other definitions, this is the link to ' judo styles ' search on Google)

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