Judo in Nigeria

Judo in Nigeria

A fast-rising Olympic martial art

Judo is one of the major fast-rising martial Olympic sports in Nigeria. The combat style sport was initiated in Nigeria during the 70s and was officially established in 1973 the same year the Nigerian Amateur Judo Association was formed.

The sport was invented by a Japanese man named Jigoro Kano in 1882 as a system of moral, physical and mental education, and it is universally considered a modern form of martial art.

The naturally competitive judo martial art sport which is universally considered as combat style sport involves gripping, throwing, pinning, strangleholds and joint locks to take down and control an opponent.

The sports game which involves direct physical attack and weapon defence usage only in pre-arranged form has been listed among the basic sports in Nigeria with thousands of judo game lovers recorded since its establishment in the country.

The country has established many judo associations after the insight was welcomed in Nigeria, the main Professional bodies guiding and managing the judo sport are the Nigerian Judo Association (NAJA) and Nigeria Judo Federation (NJF), these professional bodies solicits the promotion of the judo game publicly among the habitats of the country.

The Nigeria Judo Federation a group driven nonprofit society was instituted to oversee the management of the judo sport with the sole aim of uplifting the judo game to a higher stage by stimulating the interest of other sports lovers in the game.

Benefits of judo

Judo is an official Olympic sport that has its basic goal as throwing or taking down the opponent to the ground. It has been an Olympic sport since 1964; it is a martial art, an extremely physical sport and an influential means of self-defence through throws, holds and locks.

Judo relies on flexibility and the efficient use of balance, leverage and movement in the performance of throws and other skills.

It is a game that involves full body workouts that improves cardiovascular fitness and endurance. It’s a kind of exercise that basically points towards relaxation and meditation that contributes greatly to stress management.

It has many benefits which include helping individuals to grow their strength and flexibility as well as develop physical fitness. Judo is an exercise that also demands agility and excellent coordination.

Judokas gain good dynamic and static balance through this Olympic sporting activity. It is also a great means of gaining self-defence and related skills as stated earlier.