October 28th is World Judo Day and the birthday of the founder of Judo Dr. Jigoro Kano. The motto of the day is “Judo For All”.
Here’s an excerpt from the European Judo Union Website…
This day is for all judoka. I hope that all practitioners, clubs, national federations and Continental Unions will rally to highlight the greatness of judo.
For the third year in a row, the IJF is organising and promoting the World Judo Day, which is a full day dedicated to the values of our sport all over the globe. I know that many of you across the planet will prepare a special event to celebrate the educational dimension of Judo. Actually, you are all working on a daily basis to promote the extraordinary values of judo.
The International Judo Federation, in its missions, has the duty to develop judo in all sectors, without any kind of distinction and/or discrimination. When Master Jigoro Kano created judo in 1882, he wanted to create a means of education and he did it. This is the foundation of our discipline.
Judo has fundamental values that grow naturally in the dojo and on the mat, particularly through the various exercises that all of us have learned in our clubs. These values must find a favorable echo in everyday life and beyond that, in our society.
Last year’s second edition was a fantastic success. Thanks to all of you and to your inventiveness, we were able to organise brilliant activities on all five continents. The theme of the second edition of the World Judo Day was ‘JUDO FOR ALL’, when it was ‘RESPECT’ for the first edition back in 2011. In 2013, we have chosen “PERSEVERANCE” as the main theme. This important value is symbolized by: “No matter how many times you may fall down, the important is to always stand up again.”
This year, we would like to see around the world, on the same tatami and at the same time, all categories training together: men and women, youngsters and adults, white and black belts… all sharing the PERSEVERANCE value.
Marius Vizer, IJF President, said: “Dear judoka and judo lovers, with the occasion of the World Judo Day I ask all judoka and judo communities in the world to follow, defend and promote the Olympic spirit and values which are also the values of our sport. I ask for unity and solidarity and through the energy and spirit of judo we can increase our community and build a better world.”
The complete article can be found here