It's a Japanese word that can mean many things. For what we are dealing with, it means beginning, the beginning of a fight that goes far beyond what many people think.

READ our article about the relaunch of the judo season.

Hajime is the beginning of everything in a sport that is not a sport and, for us the profane, it is time to discover that behind this sport, inside and all around there is something else that breathes, moves, feeds, in a word, there is life.

Judo is a whole, more balanced than a philosophical current, more complete than an ideology. Judo is the fight between good and evil, it is the perfect balance between theory and reality. Everything begins and ends on the mat, this tatami that serves as a school of life to everyone who agrees to live according to a code.

Judo is the sum of all the qualities required to triumph in life, not from a material point of view, nor from a Western or bourgeois sensibility. No, this is a human journey where the person who complies with the rules grows morally at the same speed as his body. A healthy mind in a strong body.

Yes but now, for the body to be strong, it must be trained, hardened, accustomed to pain. This is in the image of life. Of course, the body is nothing, in any case nothing interesting, just a living matter without interest if it is not accompanied by a strong spirit.

Respect for oneself and the others. Have the courage to face the problems, to find the appropriate solutions. Showcase absolute courtesy without hypocrisy as a way of life. Keep your calmness in all circumstances. Make a vow of honesty and never compromise in the face of lies.

It is being humble and never believing yourself to be superior, it is showing the way by the example and never complaining but correcting and learning from your mistakes. It is a code of honor that is practiced at any age, which adapts to all. It is a state of mental rest in the midst of chaos, a weapon of mass destruction against absolute evil. It is s the lifeline against boredom and loneliness.

After comes the challenge, the fight against your equal. It is difficult, it is physical but also mental because all the senses are sharpened. It is spectacular and pretty, it is a poem of purity.

Judo is all of that and even more. The more we discover it, the more we become hooked. It is a creator of smiles, it is the definition of the respect of the difference, the integration and the quiet force, the individual strength in the service of a group.

It is the discipline that expresses the free will without disturbing. It is the supreme freedom, this stage where all are equal without amalgams, without grudges, without borders.This is Judo !

See also
Baku World Championships 2026
Grigalashvili and Kaju Confirm Their Greatness

07. Oct. 2026 / The Baku World Championships reached the halfway mark ...

Baku World Championships 2026
-81 kg: Tato is Back on the Top Tier

07. Oct. 2026 / It could not be a more perfect end to this fourth day ...

Baku World Championships 2026
-63 kg: Kaju Claims Second World Crown

07. Oct. 2026 / Kerem Primo (ISR) had an absolutely outstanding morning ...

Baku World Championships 2026
Preview -90 kg: Murao’s the Man to Beat

07. Oct. 2026 / As the heavier categories enter the World Championships, ...

Baku World Championships 2026
Preview -70 kg: A World Title Within Reach

07. Oct. 2026 / World number one Lara Cvjetko (CRO) arrives in Baku ...

Baku World Championships 2026
Highlights From the Men’s Preliminaries - Day 4

07. Oct. 2026 / What an incredible day it has been so far! The -81 ...

Baku World Championships 2026
Highlights From the Women’s Preliminaries - Day 4

07. Oct. 2026 / Let’s begin with moments of fantastic judo that came ...

IJF
IJF and FIDE Presidents Meet in Baku

07. Oct. 2026 / On the margins of the 2026 Baku World Championships, ...

Baku World Championships 2026
Catching the Win Against the Run of Play

07. Oct. 2026 / We say it often that judo is a sport of instants, moments ...

Baku World Championships 2026
Nadia Comăneci Sends a Message to the Judo World in Baku

07. Oct. 2026 / Nadia Comăneci is one of the greatest legends in the ...

YOG Dakar 2026
DAKAR 2026: The Road to an Historic Youth Olympic Games Begins

07. Oct. 2026 / As the 2026 Baku World Championships reach their halfway ...

Athlete Stories
Takeshi Takeoka: Ready to Keep Improving

07. Oct. 2026 / Takeshi Takeoka is among the most exciting judoka on ...

Baku World Championships 2026
A Day of Debutants and Emotion in Baku

06. Oct. 2026 / Following a day of celebration on day 2 was always ...

INTERVIEW EXPRESS
Shishime Ai (JPN)

08. Jun. 2018 / The next reigning world champion to be invited to answer ...

News
5 Key Takeaways from judo’s first Tokyo 2020 qualifier

06. Jun. 2018 / Highlights from Hohhot Grand Prix 2018

VIDEO
Judo for the World in Iran

07. Jun. 2018 / In April 2018, the International Judo Federation and ...

Meeting
JUDO: A Beneficial Cause

07. Jun. 2018 / 'Society should believe in sport as a beneficial cause ...