The Kodokan was founded in 1882 by the late Prof. Kano who himself had established Judo.

 Judo was derived from Jujitsu which had many names and schools. Jujitsu is an art for either attacking others

 or defending oneself with nothing but one's own body. Prof. Kano adopted the superlative parts of

 all the Jujitsu schools, got rid of precarious parts, and established the new Kodokan Judo

 based on his own insight and arrangement.It started with only nine disciples and

 a twelve-mat dojo. The Kodokan Judo was recognized in a few years to be excellent since its students      overwhelmed the Jujitsu athletes at the Police Bujitsu Contest.This really was the first step for its future rapid    progress. Prof. Kano promoted judo as a physical exercise from a wide national point of view. Proceeding with the organization of the Kodokan and enacting the regulations of Judo, he became the first Asian member of

the International Olympic Committee in 1909 and worked for the spread of Judo world-wide.

Judo became an official event in the Olympic Games of 1964, backed by Judo fans and sport promoters all over the world. It is now a very popular sport

almost anywhere in the world.

This content was found at www.kodokan.org