Judo was added to the Virtus programme in 2020.

The sport is derived from ‘Ju-Jitsu’ by Dr Jigaro Kano around 1882 intended to train the body and mind.  It involves a wide range of skills to overcome your opponent to achieve success in the form of:

Throwing – Gripping your opponents Gi (judo suit) and throwing to the ground to achieve a score

Pinning – Holding your opponent on their back for a period of time

Submissions – Applying armlocks and strangulation techniques for a submission (Not currently used in Virtus Competitions)

Translated, ‘Judo’ means ‘Gentle Way’ which to the onlooker, is far from gentle.  However, within the sport a wide range of physical, mental and personal skills are learned from participation in the sport.  Judo prides itself on a series of values that is expected by all participants: Discipline, Concentration, Respect, Friendship, Courage, Loyalty, Modesty, Courtesy, Honesty, Honour and Self-Control.

Internationally Judo is the 2nd most popular sport with the number of participant engagement throughout the world.

Judo has appeared in the Olympic Games in 1964, 1988 and 1992 and in the Paralympics in 1988 and 2004.

Recognition for athletes with Intellectual Impairment began in 2017 in Cologne – Germany with the 1st World Championships supported by the International Judo Federation and then the 1st European Championships in London, 2018 supported by European Judo Federation.

A new common judo rulebook for athletes with an intellectual impairment was adopted in 2019.

Virtus Judo Committee

  • Kerry Tansey (GBR) – Sport Director
  • Tomoo Hamana (JPN)
  • Wofgang Janko (GER)
  • Johan Orrbo (SWE)
  • Xavier Barker (AUS)
  • Aviv Raguan (ISR)
  • Rudi Verhagen (NLD)

Judo Sport Specification

Virtus is the brand name of the International Sports Federation for athletes with intellectual impairment and is a founding member of the International Paralympic Committee. Registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in the UK (1173901)

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