Judo as Self-Defence Training

Judo grew out of the no-nonsense schools of Jiu-jitsu, which were methods of fighting to the death against enemies and arresting criminals.  Jigoro Kano's major contribution to Jiu-jitsu was the focus he put on randori.  Randori, however, was not supposed to be seen as a 'sport', but as a way to train for handling the unpredictable elements of real fighting.  Randori was kept as realistic as possible, as close to real combat as could be, while at the same time being safe.  Kano, quite regrettably according to those who were close to him, had to eliminate striking techniques from randori, since these can commonly cause injury.  He also gradually and reluctantly reduced the kinds of joint locks allowed in randori until only elbow locks remained.  Leg locks, for example, were once a common part of Judo randori.  However, the great importance of what is left is proved again and again in real fights and also in Mixed Martial Arts competitions, such as UFC and Pride.  Throws, pins and submissions are key elements in winning these almost real fights.  Kano preserved the striking techniques of Jiu-jitsu in kata form.  He recommends daily training in striking techniques.  He believed that the movements involved in randori also create awareness for dealing with kicking and punching attacks.  His revamping of Judo's rules to re-emphasize the standing aspect of fighting was from a self-defence perspective.  There is no doubt that Judo is an excellent preparation for self-defence fighting, and it accomplishes this with a very low risk of injury, much lower than most ball sports even.  Judo, essentially, teaches you how to knock other people down, and if necessary, finish them off on the ground.  That is a pretty powerful skill-set for self-defence.