Aikido vs Judo
Aikido and Judo side by side, from the facts recorded for each art.
| Aikido | Judo | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Japan | Japan |
| Created | — | 1882 |
| Founder | Morihei Ueshiba | Kanō Jigorō |
| Type | budō and martial arts | combat sport, martial arts and Olympic sport |
| Competition at the Olympics | — | Yes – 64 Olympic events recorded |
| Notable practitioners here | 90 | 3052 |
| Top countries of practitioners | Japan, United States and France | Japan, Russia and United States |
| Equipment and weapons | — | judogi and tatami |
| Belt ranks | Yes | Yes |
| Weight classes | — | Yes |
| Energy use (MET) | — | 11.3 MET (Judo) |
Aikido
Aikido (Shinjitai: 合気道, Kyūjitai: 合氣道, aikidō, Japanese pronunciation: [aikiꜜdoː]) is a modern Japanese martial art which is split into many different styles including Aikikai, Shodokan Aikido, Yoshinkan, Renshinkai, Iwama Ryu, Iwama Shin Shin Aiki Shuren Kai, and Ki Aikido. Aikido is now practiced in around 140 countries.
From the Wikipedia article Aikido (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Judo
Judo (Japanese: 柔道, Hepburn: Jūdō; lit. 'gentle way') is an unarmed modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), Paralympic sport (since 1988) and Commonwealth Games sport (since 1990). Judo is the most prominent form of Samurai throws and self-defense competed internationally. Judo was created in 1882 by Kanō Jigorō (嘉納 治五郎) as an eclectic martial art, distinguishing itself from its predecessors (primarily Tenjin Shinyo-ryu jujutsu and Kitō-ryū jujutsu) due to an emphasis on "randori" (乱取り, lit. 'free sparring') instead of kata (形, kata; pre-arranged forms) alongside its removal of striking and weapon training elements. Judo rose to prominence for its dominance over established jujutsu schools in tournaments hosted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (警視庁武術大会, Keishicho Bujutsu Taikai), resulting in its adoption as the department's primary martial art. A judo practitioner is called a "judoka" (柔道家, jūdōka), and the judo uniform is called "judogi" (柔道着, jūdōgi; "judo attire").
From the Wikipedia article Judo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Facts from Wikidata (CC0): Q43114, Q11420. Practitioner counts are the people with a profile on this site. Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.