Jigoro Kano, The Godfather of Judo in a vintage photo of himself wearing a judogi.

Judo 柔道 jūdō "The Gentle Way" is a grappling / throwing martial art originally created in 1882 by Jigoro Kano (嘉納治五郎) in Japan, itself derived from Japanese Jiu-Jitsu. It is generally categorized as a modern martial art, which later evolved into a combat and Olympic sport. A judo practitioner is called a judoka.

Judo also spawned a number of derivative martial arts across the world, such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, close-quarters combat (CQC), Krav Maga, and Sambo.