Judo

Athlete Eligibility and Classification

Athletes who qualify for the B1 (no usable vision), B2 (low vision), and B3 (visually impaired) classifications are eligible to compete in IPC judo events. The criteria associated with the B1, B2, and B3 classifications are described on the IPC web site at http://www.paralympic.org. Click on "sports," then "classification," then "athletes with blindness."

Although athletes must satisfy the B1, B2, and B3 eligibility criteria, the actual competition is not divided by visual classification. Instead, weight classifications are used to define events.

Events

Judo events for blind athletes include men's and women's individual competition in each weight class, as well as men's and women's team competition. Men's teams are comprised of three athletes from different weight classes. Women's teams are comprised of three athletes who may be from the same or different weight classes. Currently, only men's individual events are offered at the Paralympic Games.

Playing Area

The competition area for judo is a mat that is 16m square. This playing area is divided into the contest area (8m square), a danger area (1m border around the contest area, and a safety area (3m border around the danger area). Colored tape marks about 10cm wide and 50cm long are fixed 50cm apart at the center of the contest area to indicate the positions at which the contestants must start and end the contest.

Judo Mat

The contest area of the mat is covered by tatamis made of pressed foam or pressed straw which help to absorb shock during falls. A tatami measures 1m x 2m. Tatamis must be aligned on the contest area so that there are no gaps in the playing surface, and must be secured in such a way that they will not be displaced during competition.

In Paralympic competition, the danger zone must be distinguishable by touch (e.g., texture or temperature) so that the blind judoka (athlete) can detect the boundaries of the contest area.

Rules

In judo, two players compete in matches of 5 minutes duration for men and 4 minutes duration for women. The athlete (judoka) is entitled to at least 10 minutes rest between matches. The judoka can win a match in one of two ways: 

The international governing body for judo is the International Judo Federation (IJF). Paralympic judo competition is governed by the IJF rules with some modifications specified by the International Blind Sports Association (IBSA). The IJF rules are posted at www.ijf.org/htmls/main.html - click on "rules" then "sports & organization." The IBSA rules are posted at http://www.ibsa.es - click on "sports," then "adapted sports," then "judo," then "go," then at the bottom of the page on "rules."

The most important rule difference between Paralympic and IJF rules concerns the start of the match. The referee claps once to signal the athletes to move forward until contact is made. After contact is made, athletes grip each other's uniforms (judogi). After the grip (and athletes know the position of the opponent) arms are dropped to the sides, and the athletes wait for the starting signal from the referee. Athletes may not move their feet until contact is made with the opponent. Another important rule difference is the use of verbal signals and touches to communicate commands and decisions of the officials. For more information about modifications of judo for blind athletes, go to the JudoInfo web site at http://www.judoinfo.com/virules.htm.

Equipment

The only equipment that an athlete (judoka) needs is the judogi (uniform). Athletes in the B1 classification have a 7cm red circle sewn onto the outer part of both sleeves, and athletes who are also deaf have a 7cm blue circle sewn onto the center of the back of the judogi. These markings assist officials in applying special rules for these participants.

Links