How did judo originate?
Judo, or the gentle way, was developed by Dr. Jigaro Kano, a Japanese educator and martial artist, at the end of the 19th century. Dr. Kano modified an existing form of martial arts called Jujitsu, a hand-to-hand method of combat employed by Samurais when they lost their weapons. He eliminated the killing moves in Jujitsu to align it with his personal philosophy and to make judo more palpable to the western influences, which were infiltrating Japan at the time.