Q 01/05

What does the word 'judo' literally mean?

A) Iron fist

B) Gentle way

C) Empty hand

D) Way of the sword

Answer · why

B) Gentle way

Gentle way refers to yielding: instead of meeting a stronger attacker's force head-on, a judoka gives way to it and turns that power against him.

Q 02/05

Why did judo's teenage founder first learn to fight?

A) Bullying

B) Army plans

C) Family duty

D) School rules

Answer · why

A) Bullying

Bullying drove him: small and picked on by classmates, he set out to learn to defend himself, and ended up reinventing the art he was taught.

Q 03/05

From which older Japanese fighting art was judo primarily developed?

A) Kendo (swordsmanship)

B) Sumo wrestling

C) Jujutsu (jiu-jitsu)

D) Okinawan karate

Answer · why

C) Jujutsu (jiu-jitsu)

Jujutsu (jiu-jitsu) had fallen so far out of fashion in westernising Japan that judo's founder struggled to find anyone still willing to teach it.

Q 04/05

What is judo's word for free sparring, which its founder emphasised over pre-arranged forms?

A) Randori

B) Kata

C) Kumite

D) Shiai

Answer · why

A) Randori

Randori lets both partners attack and resist for real, which only works because judo's most dangerous moves were removed so throws could be tried at f...

Q 05/05

Which two things, though present in some kata, are illegal in judo competition?

A) Chokes and pins

B) Throws and sweeps

C) Strikes and weapons

D) Armlocks and sacrifice throws

Answer · why

C) Strikes and weapons

Strikes and weapons survive only in kata, where partners rehearse set defences against punches, kicks, a dagger, a stick and even a pistol.