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Paralympic Judo - London 2012

The only martial art on the Paralympic programme, the gripping, grappling sport of Judo will offer plenty of action at London 2012.

Did you know?

There are 3 categories of visual impairment – B1, B2 and B3. B1 athletes are blind and are identified by a red circle on the sleeves of their judogi (judo kit). Deaf competitors are identified by a blue circle on the back of their judogi.

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.

The mats have different textures to indicate the competition area and zones.

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
Medal events: 13
Athletes: 132 (84 men, 48 women)

Developed from jujitsu and established as a sport in the late 19th century by Dr Jigoro Kano, Judo requires athletes to employ an intricate mix of attack and defence. Contested at the Paralympic Games by visually impaired athletes, the sport’s one-on-one battles can be tough, tense and explosive, as competitors grapple for command against determined opponents.

The basics

Judo contests last five minutes, with scores awarded for different throws and holds. However, a contest ends immediately if a competitor is awarded ‘ippon’ – the maximum score. If the scores are tied after five minutes, the contest enters a golden score period, when the first score of any sort wins. At the Paralympic Games, the main 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.
All of the Judo events at the London 2012 Paralympic Games will be played in a knockout format with double repechage, and will end with two finalists going head to head in the gold medal contest. Athletes who have previously been defeated by these two finalists will compete in repechage contests, with the winners of the repechage table finals fighting the losers from the opposite tables for the two bronze medals.

Paralympic Judo, past and present

Judo first featured on the Paralympic programme at Seoul 1988, with women’s events introduced 16 years later in Athens. The programme now features seven medal events for men and six for women, covering a range of weight categories.

At London 2012, the Paralympic Judo competition will be held at ExCeL, a multi-purpose events venue that will also host a number of other Olympic and Paralympic sports.

Jargon buster

- Hajime: The referee's command to start a contest.
- Judogi: A judo uniform.
- Judoka: A competitor.
- Tatami: The mat.

Get involved

Judo can be enjoyed by participants of all skill levels and abilities. To find out how and where to get started, contact the British Judo Association, or see the Parasport website. For more on the sport in general, check the website of the International Blind Sports Federation.