Hong Kong Judo 香港柔道
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香港柔道

Hong Kong Judo

Want to learn judo in Hong Kong or find a Hong Kong judo club? hkjudo.com focuses on Kodokan judo, introducing judo club information in Hong Kong, judo fundamentals, judo history, Kodokan culture in Japan, children's judo, adult beginner training, competition news and the development of world judo. Whether you are a parent, student, adult beginner, or someone who wants to deepen their understanding of orthodox judo, you can start here to learn the techniques, etiquette, spirit and training value of judo.

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Judo News / JapanHitomi Ikeda watched Naori Hamada win Tokyo gold from an empty Budokan, and now coaches in OkinawaJudo News / World ChampionshipsFan zones, a symbolic judo passport and long meet-and-greet queues carried Baku 2026 beyond the tatamiJudo News / InclusionYoung judoka with Down syndrome took the world championships tatami for an adaptive judo demonstrationHong Kong Judo / Dojo CultureWhy children today need judo more than ever: the dojo's everyday routines are the life education many now missIJF / KodokanHabib Sissoko receives his IJF 8th Dan diploma in Baku, with the Kodokan high-dan path still a long oneJudo News / World ChampionshipsMixed teams: Japan beat the Russian Federation 4-1 for the world title, with China fifth

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Latest Judo Updates

World judo news leads the page, with official IJF and Japan judo updates alongside Hong Kong judo stories.

News Timeline

World and Hong Kong judo news

Kuma Dojo Dojo Newsroom

Kuma Dojo

Kuma Dojo Launches "Dojo Newsroom"

Kuma Dojo has launched its new "Dojo Newsroom," a television-style news programme covering dojo activities and training updates.

Editorial women corporate judo team image after a team contest

Japan

Park 24 reclaim women's division 2 title at All Japan Corporate Judo Championships

The All Japan Corporate Judo Federation announced the women's division 2 result of the 76th All Japan Corporate Judo Team Championships: Park 24 reclaimed the title for the first time since 2024. The competition was held over 13–14 June at Nobeoka Arena in Miyazaki Prefecture, with three men's divisions and two women's divisions contested in parallel using a three-person team relay format.

Source: eJudo (Yahoo! Japan News reporting)
Editorial image of judo coaches observing national team training beside tatami mats

Japan

AJJF appoints 2026 High Performance Directorate coaching staff

The All Japan Judo Federation on 15 June announced the 2026 High Performance Directorate coaching line-up, with former World Champion Ryuji Sonoda appointed head coach of the men's team and former Olympic gold medalist Hideto Yoshida appointed head coach of the women's team. The new coaching staff will serve from April 2026 to March 2028, coordinating Japan's preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Source: All Japan Judo Federation
Participants of the All Japan High Dan Holders Judo Tournament standing in the dojo

Japan

All Japan High Dan Holders Tournament held in Osaka in May

The 2026 Spring All Japan High Dan Holders Judo Tournament was held on 9 May (Saturday) and 10 May (Sunday) in Osaka, hosted by the Kodokan with participants all at fifth dan or above. The list of technically outstanding players was published by the Kodokan on 11 May.

Source: Kodokan
Editorial image of a men corporate judo team celebrating after competition

Japan

Asahi Kasei claim historic fifth consecutive men's division 1 title at All Japan Corporate Judo Championships

The 76th All Japan Corporate Judo Team Championships concluded on 14 June at Athlete Town Nobeoka Arena in Miyazaki Prefecture, with Asahi Kasei completing the first-ever five-peat in men's division 1. Asahi Kasei also won men's division 2, making the corporate team the dominant force of the tournament, which is split into three men's divisions by team strength.

Source: Yahoo! Japan News (Asahi Shimbun reporting)
Editorial high school judo championship image with teenage athletes competing on tatami

Japan

Tokai University Sagami retain Kanto High School Judo title in first 34-year rematch with Hakuoh Ashikaga

At the 74th Kanto High School Judo Championships, Tokai University附属相模高校 completed a consecutive men's team title defence, defeating Hakuoh University Ashikaga High School 3-2 in the first final rematch between the two schools in 34 years. In the women's event, Kasukabe Girls' High School from Saitama Prefecture took the title.

Source: Yahoo! Realtime Search (eJudo reporting)

Story

One of Hong Kong's Early Chinese-Language Judo Websites

Hong Kong began organising Chinese-language judo learning material in 1996, helping Chinese readers understand Kodokan Judo, etiquette, history and the spirit of practice in their own language.

hkjudo.com is one of Hong Kong's early Chinese-language websites dedicated to judo education.

Judo is the way to make the most effective use of the power of body and mind.
A saying of Jigoro Kano, the father of judo

Find Judo

Judo in Hong Kong and Around the World

Hong Kong may be small, but on the world judo stage, there is always a place for us.

Hong Kong

Kuma Dojo

KUMA DOJO is a judo dojo and Hong Kong judo club in Shek Tong Tsui, near HKU Station. It offers children's judo classes and adult judo classes taught by Coach Kuma, whose practice is rooted in Kodokan Judo.

Address
UG37, Kwan Yick Building Phase 1, 430-440A Des Voeux Road West, Hong Kong
香港西環德輔道西 430-440A 均益大廈一期 UG37
MTR
HKU Station, Exit B2, within walking distance
6892 4124 info@kumadojo.com Google Maps Instagram Facebook Website

World

Kodokan

An iconic landmark of world judo, and a spiritual home for judoka everywhere. The Kodokan is the birthplace of judo (founded 1882 by Kano Jigoro) and the origin of the dan-kyu grading system used worldwide today. For the full story, see the "History and Spirit of Kodokan Judo" section below.

Visit Kodokan official website View judo history

History

The History and Spirit of Kodokan Judo

The Birth and Development of Judo

In the early Meiji period, the late Master Jigoro Kano organized the many older schools of jujutsu into a rational martial art called Kodokan Judo. It later developed into the modern sport of judo.

Judo gathered together martial skills, methods of combat, body techniques and empty-handed arts. If its techniques were new, they were new mainly because they placed such strong emphasis on mental training.

In several major contests that have been passed down through history, Kodokan Judo proved its superiority by defeating other schools of jujutsu. This showed that Kodokan Judo had truly brought the older jujutsu schools under one broader system.

The spread and development of Kodokan Judo should also be understood within the atmosphere of civilization and modernization in the Meiji era. Older jujutsu, which had often aimed only at defeating an opponent, gradually declined. In its place rose Kodokan Judo, a practice suited to the new age: training the mind, studying the body and developing character. This spirit of mental training later spread from middle schools to higher schools and became widely respected across Japan.

The Origins of Kodokan Judo

At the end of the Tokugawa period, hundreds of jujutsu schools were active. With the arrival of the Meiji era and the influence of modern civilization, many of them began to decline. Other martial arts shared the same fate. This was one example of how the Meiji Restoration rejected older things in order to meet the needs of a new age.

Schools founded after the birth of Meiji tried, in the name of civilization, to provide healthy education for both body and mind and to promote physical education. Yet many people at the time did not understand physical education, and some even rejected it. As a result, study and physical training became unbalanced.

Hirobumi Kato, principal of Kaisei School, the predecessor of the University of Tokyo, saw this problem and felt that some method was needed to strengthen students' bodies and enrich physical education. He invited several remaining masters of jujutsu, including Totsuka Kansuke and Iso Mataemon, to demonstrate their arts at the school.

Among the students who saw these demonstrations was Jigoro Kano, who would later found Kodokan Judo. After studying jujutsu, Kano became deeply fascinated by its techniques and trained actively. During his years at Kaisei School, he studied the martial methods of different jujutsu schools, removed what was unnecessary, kept what was valuable and organized a practice focused on mental cultivation and physical development.

The Promotion and Breakthrough of Kodokan Judo

In Meiji 14, Kano graduated from the school. The following year he founded the Kodokan, with the Eisho-ji Temple in Tokyo serving as its early base, and devoted himself to spreading judo. At the time, older forces placed heavy pressure on this new judo, and actual judo practice was largely limited to officers of the newly established Metropolitan Police Department.

Whether the police would adopt it became the key question for the future spread of Kodokan Judo. In Meiji 19 (1886), the Metropolitan Police Department organised a series of matches — the Metropolitan Police Martial Arts Tournament — pitting a traditional jujutsu coalition led by the Totsuka-ha Yoshin-ryu school against the new Kodokan team, to decide which tradition would be officially adopted.

Hansuke Nakamura, a master of Ryoi Shinto-ryu, was considered one of the strongest members of the coalition. The Kodokan fielded Sakujiro Yokoyama — nicknamed "Oni Yokoyama" (Demon Yokoyama) and one of the "Kodokan Shitenno" (Four Guardians of the Kodokan) — to face him. After an epic 40–55 minute contest, Yokoyama finally threw Nakamura to the dojo floor with o-soto-gari.

Matches at that time were not governed by today's referee rules. They continued until one side could no longer fight, making them true life-or-death contests.

Yokoyama was only 24 years old and had entered the Kodokan just four months earlier. He was also relatively small. Nakamura, by contrast, was a large man weighing more than 70 kilograms.

Following Kodokan's overall victory across the series of matches, the Kodokan was formally appointed as the Metropolitan Police Department's official jujutsu instructors. This overall victory in the series became a decisive turning point — marking judo's transformation from classical jujutsu into a modernised and educational discipline — and Kodokan's reputation spread widely from that moment on.

The Meaning of Learning Judo

1

Knowing Yourself

Judo has value as physical education, but its deeper value lies in its spirit. Through judo practice, a person first gains confidence and humility. By struggling directly with an opponent, one comes to understand one's own ability, learns patience and decisiveness and sees both strengths and weaknesses.

Judo leaves little room for accident or luck. It is one of the clearest ways to test a person's real ability and character.

2

Using Strength Rationally

Jigoro Kano taught the principle of seiryoku zenyo: the best use of energy. It means using one's power in the most effective way and combining it with the opponent's force to create the beauty of the throw. This is one of the deepest principles of judo.

3

A Practice for Everyone

Judo allows each person to make maximum use of their own physique and characteristics. Even people who may not progress in other sports can find achievement in judo, which is why it is such a broad and accessible practice.

Judo develops the whole body in balance and supports coordination across the hands, feet, hips and body.

4

Building a Disciplined Life

During judo practice, students naturally observe changes in their body and fitness. They begin to pay attention to daily routine, diet and sleep, gradually forming a more disciplined way of life.

Judo is the way to make the most effective use of the power of body and mind.
A saying of Jigoro Kano, the father of judo

FAQ · Common Questions

Judo FAQ

Common questions about judo history, getting started, training, etiquette and the Kodokan Dan ranking system — for beginners, parents and anyone who wants to understand judo more deeply.

Q1. What is hkjudo.com?

hkjudo.com has been one of the primary channels for Hong Kong people to learn about Judo for decades.

It provides information on introductory Judo, Japanese Kodokan Judo, Judo history, Judo culture, and world Judo, allowing teenagers, parents, and adults to gain a deeper understanding of the martial art.

Q2. What is Judo?

Judo is a modern martial art founded in Japan by Jigoro Kano in 1882. It takes Kodokan Judo as its core, with "Maximum Efficiency, Mutual Welfare and Benefit" (Seiryoku Zen'yo, Jita Kyoei) as its guiding spirit.

The predecessor of Judo is traditional Japanese Jujutsu. Jigoro Kano reorganized the techniques, training methods, and educational philosophies of classical Jujutsu to establish a safer, more systematic martial art that places greater emphasis on physical and mental education.

Judo encompasses Ukemi (breakfalls), Nage-waza (throwing techniques), Katame-waza/Ne-waza (ground techniques), Reihou (etiquette), and physical and mental training. Its goal is not simply to subdue an opponent, but to develop personal capabilities and steadfast goals through rigorous training.

Q3. Is Judo suitable for children?

Highly suitable. Learning Judo benefits children for a lifetime.

In modern life, under the heavy influence of smartphones, algorithms, and AI, learning Judo helps children regain control over their bodies and minds. It instills etiquette, discipline, physical coordination, self-protection, and boosts self-confidence.

Judo competitions do not just focus on match results. For children, it is far more important to learn respect, focus, how to control their strength, and how to face setbacks.

Q4. Can adults start learning Judo?

Of course. No matter how much time has passed, one should always encourage oneself to keep trying and learning new things. The Kodokan in Japan even has students who stepped onto the Judo mat for the very first time at the age of 70. As long as there is determination and focused practice, anyone can start from Ukemi (breakfalls), basic movements, and safety training, and progress step by step.

It can be said that Judo is suitable for anyone who refuses to give up easily.

Q5. Is Judo dangerous?

Any combat sport carries risks, which is why the very first lesson in Judo is learning Ukemi (breakfalls).

This means learning how to fall safely, which is one of the most vital fundamentals of Judo. One must first learn to protect oneself before being able to protect others.

Official Judo training places immense emphasis on safety. Ukemi and other fundamentals must be practiced repeatedly, rather than throwing people right from the start.

Q6. What is the relationship between Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo?

The two share deep historical roots.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is often understood as focusing heavily on ground offense and defense, but ground techniques are not unique to BJJ. Kodokan Judo includes a complete system of Ne-waza (ground techniques), including Osaekomi-waza (pinning techniques), Shime-waza (choking techniques), and Kansetsu-waza (joint-locking techniques). Judo is not just about throwing an opponent from a standing position; it also encompasses how to control, pin, and execute submissions after the throw.

In other words, BJJ is a highly specialized development of a specific subset of Judo techniques. In contrast, Kodokan Judo places standing techniques, throws, breakfalls, ground techniques, etiquette, Kata (forms), and educational philosophy into a single, comprehensive system.

If you wish to learn complete body control — from standing, breaking balance (Kuzushi), throwing, and breakfalls, to ground control — Kodokan Judo already provides a complete, well-defined pathway.

Q7. What is Kodokan Judo?

Kodokan Judo is the origin of Judo. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, it is the educational core established by Jigoro Kano after he founded Judo.

To understand the roots, etiquette, Kata, Dan rankings, and educational spirit of Judo, Kodokan Judo serves as an essential reference.

Q8. Do you have to compete in Judo?

No. Competition is a part of Judo, not the entirety of it.

Judo can also be a form of fitness, physical education, etiquette learning, technical cultivation, and a lifelong sport. People of different ages and with different goals can elevate and perfect themselves through studying and practicing Judo.

Q9. Why does Judo place so much importance on etiquette (Rei)?

Because Judo involves physical contact, wins and losses, and a contest of power. Without a strict emphasis on etiquette, it could easily degenerate into a brutal brawl.

The etiquette of Judo serves as a constant reminder for practitioners to respect their opponents, their teachers, and the rules, while also learning self-control.

Q10. What is the Kodokan Dan ranking system?

Judo is both a modern martial art and a sport. What makes Kodokan Judo unique is that it integrates technique, competition, etiquette, Kata, and mental cultivation into a single, cohesive educational system.

Kodokan Judo was the earliest modern martial art to systematize the Kyu (grade), Dan (degree), and black belt ranking system. The ranking structures adopted by many Japanese martial arts today trace their primary historical origin back to Kodokan Judo.

This system is not merely used to distinguish ranks, nor does it exist solely for tournament results. It provides practitioners with a clear path of growth, allowing them to gradually deepen their understanding of Judo through technical learning, sparring practice (Randori), the study of Kata, the practice of etiquette, and character development.

A truly meaningful Kodokan Dan rank represents the culmination of long years of dedicated cultivation. It reflects not only technical proficiency but also a mastery of Judo principles, a deep understanding of Kata and etiquette, and the comprehensive capability demonstrated through evaluation and practice.

High-ranking Kodokan practitioners are not merely titleholders; they are living proof that the century-old spirit of Judo continues to thrive in the modern era.