Dundee Ippon Judo Club | Judo Dundee DD1 5AZ United Kingdom

udo was devised in 1882 by Dr Jigoro Kano, a recognised master of several Japanese jutsu martial arts. Dr Kano developed judo using a scientific approach, distilling much from other martial arts, both eastern and western. Techniques that did not work were ruthlessly thrown out and new ones were added.

Kano believed that the key to making Judo superior to other forms of marital arts was randori and it is this free-practice that underpins our regular judo practice to this date. Kano wished his art to be considered a way of devloping an individuals moral and physical wellbeing, making judoka valuable members of society. This attitude is one that we support at Dundee Ippon. Whilst training to be as good as we can be at judo we must remember some of Dr Kano’s philosophical edicts. Without these judo becomes merely a combat sport with a strange dress code.

Judo’s adoption by the Olympic Games has meant that a new style of judo has emerged, much of it based on power. However, many wish to continue with traditional Kodokan Judo and in 2010 in Britain Sampson Sampson, 8th Dan established Judo For All (UK) specifically to keep alive Kodokan Judo. At the same time, but independently, The World Judo Federation (WJF) was established on a World basis for the same purposes. In 2012 JFA affiliated to WJF, making it the national governing body for WJF in the UK. WJF has no desire to take over the franchise for Olympic Judo, instead wishing to develop a new set of contest rules that will reflect our attempts to keep traditional Kodokan Judo alive.