A scoping review on Para Judo

Abstract

This scoping review aimed to summarize the literature on Para judo comprehensively. A systematic search on WOS, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus was carried out up to July 2022, combining the key words “judo” and “visual impairment,” “visual disability,” “visual deficiency,” “visually handicapped,” “low vision,” “sight loss,” “blind,” “disability,” “deficiency,” and “Paralympic.” The research question was focused on athletes with visual impairment who practiced judo at a competitive level. The following five methodological phases were followed: (1) identifying the research question, (2) identifying relevant studies, (3) study selection, (4) charting the data, and (5) collating, summarizing, and reporting the results. A total of 44 studies were analyzed. Three lines of research emerged: physical fitness (n = 18), performance and/or sport class (n = 15), and physical and mental health (n = 11). Findings indicated that judokas with visual impairment showed a similar fitness level to able-sighted judokas. In addition, it was observed that Para judo shows a considerable injury incidence, which is not influenced by the degree of visual impairment. The temporal structure of the combats, together with the studies focused on the optimal cutoff points between sports classes, confirmed the appropriateness of the recent changes in the regulations by which partially sighted judokas and functional blind judokas compete separately.

Intergenerational Judo: Synthesising Evidence- and Eminence-Based Knowledge on Judo across Ages

“…Considering their focus on self-discipline, balance, the mind-body connection, and adaptability to different populations, martial arts offer a unique blend of physical and mental health, making them well suited as physical activities fostering solidarity and holistic wellbeing in both younger and older generations [9,[16][17][18]. As a modern martial art and inclusive combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano, judo (jū: gentle; dō: way) has been recognised for its multifaceted nature, including physical and mental benefits [19][20][21][22][23]. Judo promotes physical efficiency and mutual respect through gymnastics (i.e., taiku), free practices (i.e., randori), prearranged techniques (i.e., kata), and combats (i.e., shiai) [24,25].…”