Judo is a sport that involves a lot of moving parts. We can shorten them to three. First, you have to be in shape. No matter how many techniques you know, if you do not possess the attributes to do them, you would not fare well in judo. Second, you need to be an active competitor. This is the only way to develop the balance that you will need to use your smarts in conjunction with your skills. Third, you need to have the self-discipline to never be lazy in training, never back down from competition, yet always be aware of your limits.
These 8 great fighters have proven to be the greatest and worthy to be idolized by aspiring judo Manassas VA fighters.
- RyokoTani
Country: Japan
Medals: 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze
Also known as Ryoko Tamura, Tani is considered by many to be the best female Olympic judoka to ever walk the earth. This is due to her longevity in a grueling sport where your prime years could be bottled up into two Olympic appearances. By participating in and winning Olympic medals within 16 years, she is proven her case to be the greatest.
- David Douillet
Country: France
Medals: 2 Gold, 1 Bronze
You could not make a claim that David only used his physical prowess to win as the footage would show that he used finesse more than anything.
- Tadahiro Nomura
Country: Japan
Medals: 3 Gold
Winning 3 consecutive gold medals is no easy feat. In fact, it is so tough to do that no other judoka has done it other than Tadahiro Nomura. When it comes to all-time greats of judo, you cannot make a list without him in the top 3.
- Hitoshi Saito
Country: Japan
Medals: 2 Gold
One could argue that the road to the World Championships is tougher if you are from Japan. Saito is a competitor that always set out to compete whether it is in the Asian Championships, Asian Games, or World Championships.
- Driulis Gonzalez
Country: Cuba
Medals: 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 2 Bronze
As you get older, your athleticism wanes. You will definitely feel it more if you are competing against younger fighters. Driulis Gonzalez proved her longevity by competing in 5 Olympic Games and winning medals in 4.
- Masato Uchishiba
Country: Japan
Medals: 2 Gold
Consistency is one key in becoming a great judo fighter. Uchishiba showed that honing your craft, even if some of the things you do seem redundant, is important in developing consistency. His two gold medals serve as his proof.
- Masae Ueno
Country: Japan
Medals: 2 Gold
If you are looking for a winner, you do not have to look further than Masae Ueno. A winner not only in the Olympics, but in the World Championships, Asian Championships, and Asian Games as well, she always delivers on the big stage.
- Xian Dongmei
Country: China
Medals: 2 Gold
Winning 2 gold medals is not a guarantee that you get to call yourself the greatest. However, the competitive drive of Xian showed that she deserves to be in the top lists.
Dominion BJJ offers judo Manassas VA program that teaches the discipline of this modern martial art. Contact us today for more information!