judo

IPA/ˈdʒuːdəʊ/
KK[dʒˈudˌo]IPA/ˈdʒuːdəʊ/

judo — noun

1. a fighting sport that began in Japan. Players use fast body movements and their

1.nounB1
Definition

a fighting sport that began in Japan. Players use fast body movements and their rival's own strength to knock them down and pin them to the floor.

Example

The Watanabe twins have been doing judo since they were seven years old.

collocation: do judo

Ravi's judo coach taught him how to turn an opponent's forward rush into a throw.

collocation: judo coach

Common collocations
  • do judo
  • practice judo
  • judo class
  • judo match
  • judo tournament
  • judo club
  • judo coach
  • judo throw
  • judo uniform

Grammar Patterns

judo as an uncountable noun

Usage Note

Judo is an uncountable noun and is usually preceded by do or practice, as in 'do judo' or 'practice judo.' It is not used with an article (a/an) except in fixed phrases like 'a judo match.'

Common Mistakes

I went to a judo last night.
I went to a judo class last night.
Judo itself is uncountable; use 'judo class' or 'judo practice' when referring to a session.

Word family

  • judoka
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Judo, jujitsu, and karate are all Japanese martial arts, but they differ in technique and emphasis. Judo focuses on throws, pins, and using an opponent's force against them — it is often called 'the gentle way.' Jujitsu, from which judo was derived, includes joint locks, strikes, and kicks in addition to throws, making it a broader combat system. Karate is primarily a striking art using punches, kicks, and knee strikes with less emphasis on grappling. Wrestling, though similar in its focus on takedowns and pins, is not a Japanese martial art and does not include the same philosophical principles of mutual benefit and maximum efficiency that judo values. For example, in judo you learn to fall safely (ukemi) and to submit with a tap, whereas in wrestling the match ends when a pin is held.

judo ↗jujitsukarate ↗wrestling ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • do judo
  • practice judo
  • compete in judo
  • take up judo
  • a judo black belt

Etymology

JapaneseEnglish

Judo comes from the Japanese word 柔道 (jūdō), which means 'the gentle way.' It is made of two parts: 柔 (jū, 'soft, gentle, flexible') and 道 (dō, 'way, path'). The martial art was created in 1882 by Jigoro Kano, who selected techniques from jujitsu and shaped them into a sport built on the principles of maximum efficiency and mutual benefit.