Judo, a martial art in which judoka, or judo players, use movement, balance and leverage to gain advantage over each other, is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world. Both men and women, young and old, practise this sport, which helps create good posture, balance, physical fitness and increased mental alertness.
Competitive judo is widely practised throughout the world and many players practise and compete as a full-time occupation. Although the basic techniques are very simple and easy to learn, it takes many years of hard work and training to acquire the necessary experience to excel as a full-time professional.
Judo has been represented in the Olympics by men since the 1964 Games in Tokyo and by women since the 1992 Games in Barcelona. It is thus an ever-growing sport that is constantly being enhanced and adapted by judoka at international level.