Judo in the United States however, the lecture had little effect on mainstream judo growth. The first American to actually study judo was Prof. Ladd from Yale University, in 1889. He trained at the Kodokan in Japan for about ten years; by 1908 about 13 Americans were training there. In 1919, Prof. John Dewey of Columbia University came to visit Prof. Ladd and Master Kano, many years later he took his knowledge back to Columbia and began the first U.S. college judo program. While some students were training in Japan there was some action in the U.S. Perhaps one of the most important figures in
Judo in Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. This event marked the first time Brazil hosted a mixed-gender World Judo Championship. Brazil ranked second overall in medals behind Japan at the 2007 Championships, earning three gold medals along with a bronze. In 2013, Brazil once again hosted the World Judo Championships, this time placing fourth overall behind Cuba, despite surpassing Cuba in total number of medals. In this event, Rafaela Silva made history by being first Brazilian Judoka to claim gold in a women’s division. Judo in Brazil The practice of the Japanese martial art of Judo in Brazil dates back to 1914, and