Judo in Incheon

Judo is popular in Incheon as it is in the whole of Korea. The people of South Korea look upon judo as more than just another sport; for them it is an art which demands a certain level of fitness- both mental and physical- to achieve any proficiency in it.

Koreans pronounce judo as kudo and both the words are used us synonyms. In the recent years a number of judo players from Korea have emerged as world beaters in the world arena.

Many martial arts historians believe that it was from China that judo came to Korea before it found its way to Japan, where it enjoys unmatched popularity. During the days of monarchy in Korea, judo was one of the martial arts instructed to the royal army. The art of throwing the opponent was regarded as effective during confrontations that involved close contact. The techniques which constitute Judo are all aimed at minimum use of force; through a skilled employment of the technique even a strong adversary can be outsmarted by a weaker person. Over the years, the purists of the art have pointed out, but not without lament, the gradual ascendancy of power over technique in modern judo, leaving it with little difference from wrestling.

Judo in Incheon is taught in schools, colleges, universities and in many other private institutions. One of the greatest of Judo masters in South Korea was Jigaro Kano, a Japanese who gave fresh lease of life to the art after it had languished under ill-care in the wake of the first world war. Jigaro Kano brought with him his own set of styles which were extremely simplistic and could be easily imparted to others. He called his form Kodokan Judo and thereby introduced a different strand of judo which progressed almost parallel to the mainstream form of judo.