In Judo more than in any other sports blind people can compete with fully sighted sportists, because for Judo sportist it;s importsnt to feel not to see.

Competitions of Judo for blind and visually impaired sportists happens with IBSA help and with rules who asks for a little bit changes comparing with International Judo Federation rules. Lenght of fight is 5 minutes and weight categories are the same like in fully sighted sportists Judo.

Weight categories is the following:

Mens till: 60 kg, 66 kg, 73 kg, 81 kg, 90 kg, 100 kg, and over 100 kg.

Womens till: 48 kg, 52 kg, 57 kg, 63 kg, 70 kg, 78 kg and over 78 kg.

In IBSA continental and in world championships are team and individual competitions , buti n Paralympic Games only individual competitions.

Start position

Judge is the one who indicates start positions for sportists. They bows down to each other and gets the “Kumi kata” grip position. Judge announces the start of fight with “Hajime” (start). For judists all the time of fight need to be arm streched of each other.

Field

Field is the same like in fully sighted Judo. It can be 14×14 metres till 16×16 metres big and it have two zones, which seperates endangered zone.

Fight zone:

Usually- green color and can be 8 till 10 square metres big.

Endangered zone:

Usually- red color, about 1 metre wide

Security zone:

Usually – green color, and at least 3 metres wide

Equipment:

Equipment for Judo is the same like for fully sighted Judists, except two neccesary difference signs.

B1 (fully blind) category: B1 fighters have red points to the both outer edges of brassards. Thats why judges can apply special rules for them.

Deaf or blind: for those sportists are blue point to the backs of their equipment.