Judo was introduced to Brazil by Japanese immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century, gaining popularity mainly in São Paulo and Paraná, where there were large Japanese communities. Today you’ll get to know the best judokas in Brazil today!
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Read on to find out about the best judokas in Brazil today.
The sport began to develop significantly after the arrival of Mitsuyo Maeda, also known as Count Koma, one of the main people responsible for spreading judo in Brazil.
Maeda began teaching judo in Belém do Pará around 1915, and from then on, the sport spread throughout the country.
In 1969, the Brazilian Judo Confederation (CBJ) was founded, which helped structure and organize national and international competitions.
Judo in Brazil began to make a name for itself globally in the 1980s, when it won its first Olympic medals and world titles.
Read on to find out about the best judokas in Brazil today.
Best judokas in Brazil today: rules, disciplines and curiosities
Judo is governed by strict rules designed to ensure the safety of athletes and fairness in competitions:
- Objective: the main objective is to take down the opponent, immobilize them or force them to give up with choke or armlock techniques.
- Points: scoring in judo is done through ippon (full point), waza-ari (half point) and yuko (former minor score, now extinct). The ippon ends the fight immediately.
- Duration: the fights last four minutes for both men and women. If there is no winner during regulation time, the fight goes to the Golden Score, where the first to score wins.
- Penalties: Fouls are penalized with a shido (warning). Three shidos result in disqualification (hansoku-make).
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Judo disciplines
- Individual Competition: the most common form, where athletes compete in weight categories.
- Team competition: teams of judokas compete representing clubs, states or countries.
- Kata: presentations of traditional techniques in pairs, valuing precision and respect for judo traditions.
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Curiosities about judo in Brazil and around the world
- Judo is the individual sport that has brought the most Olympic medals to Brazil.
- The first Brazilian to win an Olympic medal was Chiaki Ishii, with a bronze at Munich 1972.
- Aurelio Miguel was the first Brazilian to win Olympic gold in judo at Seoul 1988.
- Judo was the first combat sport of Asian origin to be included in the Olympic Games program. It made its debut in Tokyo 1964 and has since become one of the most popular and competitive sports at the Olympics.
- Judo is one of the few combat sports adapted for the visually impaired to be included in the Paralympic Games. Introduced at the Paralympics in 1988 for men and 2004 for women, the sport allows blind or low-vision athletes to compete at a high level.
- With more than 28 million practitioners worldwide, judo is the most widely practiced combat sport in the world. Its popularity is especially high in countries such as Japan, France, Russia and Brazil, where the sport is a fundamental part of the educational system and sports culture.
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Best judokas in Brazil today – Men
Rafael Silva (Baby)
- History: Rafael Silva, known as Baby, is one of the main names in Brazilian judo in the heavyweight category (+100kg).
- Titles: Two Olympic bronze medals (2012 and 2016) and several medals at world championships.
- Fun facts: In addition to his impressive size, Baby is known for his technical ability, which is rare in judokas of his class.
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Daniel Cargnin
- History: Daniel Cargnin is one of the promises of Brazilian judo in the light-middle category (66kg).
- Titles: Bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Pan American champion.
- Fun facts: Daniel is known for his speed and his attacking tactics, which take opponents by surprise.
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Felipe Kitadai
- History: Felipe Kitadai, a lightweight judoka (60kg), is known for his perseverance and mental strength.
- Titles: Bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics and several medals at Pan American championships.
- Fun facts: Kitadai is known for his sense of humor and humility, characteristics that make him popular with fans and colleagues.
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David Moura
- History: Another big name in the +100kg category, David Moura has made a name for himself internationally.
- Titles: World runner-up in 2017 and several Grand Slam and Grand Prix medals.
- Fun facts: The son of a former judo player, David grew up surrounded by judo, which motivated him to pursue a career in the sport.
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Best judokas in Brazil today- Women
Mayra Aguiar
- History: Mayra Aguiar is one of the greatest judokas in Brazilian history, in the middleweight category (78kg).
- Titles: Two Olympic bronze medals (2012, 2016) and two-time world champion.
- Fun facts: Mayra is known for her resilience and ability to reinvent herself after injuries.
Rafaela Silva
- History: Rafaela Silva is one of Brazil’s most iconic judokas, competing in the lightweight category (57kg).
- Titles: Gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and world champion in 2013.
- Curiosities: Rafaela’s story of overcoming the city of God to become an Olympic champion is one of the most inspiring in sport.
Sarah Menezes
- History: Sarah Menezes was the first Brazilian woman to win an Olympic gold medal in judo, competing in the lightweight category (48kg).
- Titles: Gold at the London 2012 Olympics and several medals at world and Pan-American championships.
- Fun facts: Sarah is known for her agility and tactical intelligence on the mat.
Maria Suelen Altheman
- History: Competing in the heavyweight category (+78kg), Maria Suelen is one of Brazil’s leading judokas.
- Titles: World and Pan-American Championship medalist, she is known for her physical strength.
- Fun facts: Suelen is admired for her dedication to the sport, overcoming serious injuries and remaining at the top of world judo.
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