Judo is derived from Jujutsu. It was created by Professor Jigoro Kano  who was born in Japan on October 28, 1860 and who died May 4, 1938  after a lifetime of promoting Judo.

*Taken from judoinfo.com Neil Ohlenkamp

Mastering several styles of jujutsu  including Kito-Ryu and Tenjin-shinyo Ryu in his youth he began to  develop his own system based on modern sports principles. In 1882 he  founded the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo where he began teaching and  which still is the international authority for Judo.

The name Judo was chosen because it means the gentle or yielding way.  Kano emphasized the larger educational value of training in attack and  defense so that it could be a path or way of life that all people could  participate in and benefit from. He eliminated some of the traditional  jujutsu techniques and changed training methods so that most of the  moves could be done with full force to create a decisive victory without  injury. The popularity of Judo increased dramatically after a famous  contest hosted by the Tokyo police in 1886 where the Judo team defeated  the most well-known jujutsu school of the time. It then became a part of  the Japanese physical education system and began its spread around the  world.

The growth of Judo in its early years is demonstrated by the growth of the Kodokan itself:

• 12 mats (May 1882 Eishoji Temple)* 10 mats (Feb. 1883 Jimocho, Kanda)
• 20 mats (Sept. 1883 Shihan’s house, Kojimachi)
• 40 mats (Spring 1887 Mr. Shinagawa’s house, Kojimachi)
• 60 mats (April 1890 Hongo-ku, Masaga-cho)
• 107 mats (Feb. 1894 Koishikawa-cho, Shimotomisaka-cho)
• 207 mats (Nov. 1897 Koishikawa, Shimotomisaka-cho)
• 314 mats (Jan. 1898 Otsuka Sakashita-cho)
• 514 mats (Dec. 1919 1-chome Kasuga-cho, Bunkyo-ku)
• 986 mats (March 1958 2-chome, Kasuga-cho, Bunko-ku)

Other aspects of Kodokan Judo were introduced over time such as the  Kangeiko (winter training) in 1894, the Shochugeiko (summer training) in  1896, and the spring and autumn Red & White Contests which began in  1884. Today the Red and White tournament is the longest running  competitive sporting event in the world. The Kodokan Judo Kata, the  basic syllabus of techniques (Gokyo-no-waza), the Kodokan Cultural  Society, and research components were also added.

In 1928, after attending the Olympic Games of Amsterdam, Jigoro Kano  conceived the idea to get Judo in the Olympic Games. In 1936 in Berlin,  during the 35th session of the International Olympic Committee, the XII  Olympic Games were scheduled for 1940 in Tokyo, where Judo of course  would be added, but the war against China in 1937 forced Japan to  withdraw from the organization of these Games and Judo was included only  as a demonstration. In 1964 men’s Judo competition finally became a  part of the Olympics, the first asian martial art as an official medal  sport. In 1992 Judo competition for women was added to the Olympics.

Judo consists primarily of nage-waza (throws), along with katame-waza  (grappling), which includes osaekomi-waza (pins), shime-waza (chokes),  and kansetsu-waza (joint locks). Additional techniques, including  atemi-waza (striking), various joint locks, self defense and weapons are  found in the Judo katas. Judo is generally compared to wrestling, but  it retains its unique combat forms. As a daughter to Jujutsu these  techniques are also often taught in Judo classes. Because the founder  was involved in education (President of Tokyo University) Judo training  emphasizes mental, moral and character development as much as physical  training. Most instructors stress the principles of Judo such as the  principle of yielding to overcome greater strength or size, as well as  the scientific principles of leverage, balance, efficiency, momentum and  control. Seiryoku zenyo (maximum efficiency) and Jita kyoei (mutual  welfare and benefit) are the best known of the principles of Judo. Judo  is a good choice for most children to learn because it is safe and fun,  and because it emphasizes education and proper development of the body,  mind, and character.

Judo training has many forms for different interests. Some students  train for competition by sparring and entering the many tournaments that  are available. Other students study the traditional art and forms  (kata) of Judo. Other students train for self-defense, and yet other  students practice Judo for fun and recreation. Black belts are expected  to learn all aspects of Judo.

Because Judo developed in modern times it is organized like other  major sports with one international governing body for the sport, the  International Judo Federation (IJF). The Kodokan continues to be the  technical authority for the martial art of Judo. Unlike many other  martial arts, Judo competition rules, training methods, and rank systems  are relatively uniform throughout the world.