Changing judo in changing Europe On the identity of combat sports in the era of integration and globalisation

Judo of the 21(st) century keeps changing in diverse areas. First of all, it has gained prestige and popularity upon having entered the Olympic programme. Then, it has transformed from a martial art into elite sport, evolving in various directions: the number of weight categories increased, the contest duration decreased, two colours of judogi, as well as some changes in contest rules and regulations of international tournaments were introduced. Japanese dominance in world championships and Olympic Games has been fading with time. Nevertheless, Japanese judoists are still at the top of all international events. The growing popularity of judo throughout the world contributed to its quality. A mixture of various combat styles, use of modern training methods, taking advantage of applied science, etc., resulted in Olympic and world championship medals becoming the domain of the most talented individuals instead of countries regarded as the strongest in judo.