Paralympic Judo
Judo is the only martial art on the Paralympic programme.
Did you know?
- The mats have different textures to indicate the competition area and zones.
- Each Judo match lasts for five minutes, unless one competitor scores an ‘ippon’ by throwing, holding or immobilising their opponent, which instantly wins the contest.
- Matches take place on a 10m x 10m mat, known as a ‘Tatami’.
Key facts
Venue: ExCeL
Dates: Thursday 30 August – Saturday 1 September 2012
Gold medals up for grabs: 13
Athletes: 140 (84 men, 56 women)
Judo is the world’s most popular martial art. Just like its Olympic equivalent, Judo at the Paralympic Games is a tense and exciting sport in which two opponents attempt to defeat one another by using recognised moves and holds. The only difference from other top-level Judo competition is that judoka (athletes), who all have visual impairments, are allowed to have contact with their opponent before each contest begins.
For more information on the history of the sport, visit the IPC website.
Judo at the the Games
Judo first featured on the Paralympic programme at Seoul 1988. Women’s events were introduced 16 years later, at the Athens 2004 Games. The programme now features seven medal events for men and six for women, covering a range of weight categories.
Get involved
If you’re keen to try judo, contact the British Judo Association. For more on the sport in general, see the website of the International Blind Sports Federation
Learn more about how to get involved at Parasport. See also Paralympic Sport TV and the International Paralympic Committee. The Active Places websites also allows you to search for facilities in England.
