Judo in Canada Sasaki's students went on to establish their own dojos across Canada. The Canadian Kodokan Black Belt Association was incorporated in 1956 and recognized by the International Judo Federation in 1958. Now known as Judo Canada, it is the national governing body and a federation of associations in each of the ten provinces and three territories. Today, an estimated 30,000 Canadians participate in Judo programs in approximately 400 clubs across Canada. Judo uses a hierarchical ranking system divided into "kyū" and "dan" grades that its founder, Jigoro Kano, adapted from the ranking system for the traditional board game Go. "Kyū" grades
Australian National Judo Championships Australian National Judo Championships The Australian National Judo Championships are the highest level of judo competition in Australia. The championships are held annually by Judo Australia, and qualified domestic and overseas judoka compete in their respective categories as representatives of their home states or countries. Both the women's and men's championships began in 1956, with the championships being held in Wollongong, New South Wales between 2012 and 2015. There have been a number of changes to the weight divisions over the life of the championships. There are currently 8 weight classes for each gender, based on the official International Judo