Moving to become a Sport
Although a fully featured martial art, judo has also developed as a sport.
The first time judo was seen in the Olympics was at the 1932 Games in Los Angeles, where Kano and about 200 judo students gave a demonstration. Judo became an Olympic sport for men in the 1964 Games in Tokyo. With the persistence of Rusty Kanokogi, an American, and many others, judo became an Olympic sport for women as well in 1988. It is often stated that the men's judo event in 1964 was a demonstration event, but according to the International Judo Federation (IJF) and International Olympic Committee, Judo was in fact an official sport in the 1964 games. Dutchman Anton Geesink won the first Olympic gold medal in the open division of Judo by defeating Akio Kaminaga of Japan. Judo then lost the image of being "Japanese only" and went on to become one of the most widely practised sports in the world. The women's event was a demonstration event in 1988, and became an official medal event four years later. Men and women compete separately, although they often train together. Judo has been a Paralympic sport (for the visually impaired) since 1988. Judo is also one of the sports at the Special Olympics.
Collegiate competition in the United States, especially between UC Berkeley and San Jose State, contributed towards refining Judo into the sport seen at the Olympic Games and World Championships. In the 1940s Henry Stone and Yosh Uchida, the head coaches at Cal and SJSU, developed a weight class system for use in the frequent competitions between the schools. In 1953, Stone and Uchida successfully petitioned the Amateur Athletic Union to accept Judo as a sport, with their weight class system as an official component. In 1961, Uchida represented the United States at the IJF meetings in Paris, where the IJF adopted weight classes for all future championships. The IJF was created largely based on the earlier European Judo Union, where weight classes had also been used for many years.
Weight Divisions
There are currently six weight divisions. Each are subject to change by governing bodies, and may be modified based on the age and skill of the competitors:
| Men Weight Divisions | Converted to lbs | Women Weight Divisions | Converted to lbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 60 kg 60~66 kg | 132.2~143.3 lbs | Under 48 kg 48~52 kg | 105.8~114.6 lbs |
| 66~73 kg | 143.3~160.9 lbs | 52~57 kg | 114.6~125.6 lbs |
| 73~81 kg | 160.9~178.5 lbs | 57~63 kg | 125.6~138.8 lbs |
| 81~90 kg | 178.5~198.4 lbs | 63~70 kg | 138.8~154.3 lbs |
| 90~100 kg | 198.4~220.4 lbs | 70~78 kg | 154.3~171.9 lbs |
| Over 100 kg | 220.4+ lbs | Over 78 kg | 171.9+ lbs |