Ippon is the full score in judo: a throw onto the back with speed, force and control, a 20-second pin, or a submission, and it ends the contest. The judoinfo.com terms list translates it as "victory in one move, one point".
- Japanese name: ippon.
- In judo: the match ends the moment the referee calls ippon.
- In BJJ: there is no ippon; a throw earns takedown points and the match continues.
What is an ippon in judo?
The IJF Refereeing Rules name four criteria for an ippon throw: speed, force, landing on the back, and skilful control until the end of the landing. The technique must be one of the Kodokan classified throws or a recognised variation. On the ground, ippon comes from a pin held for 20 seconds after the call of osaekomi, from a tap of two or more times or the word maitta, or from a choke, armlock or pin that makes the opponent lose consciousness.
One safety rule surprises people: a thrown player who bridges on the head to avoid landing on the back gives away ippon, so nobody is tempted to risk the neck.
Is ippon an automatic win?
Yes. An ippon, or a second waza-ari, which the referee announces as waza-ari-awasete-ippon, ends the contest at once. A hansoku-make against the opponent also counts as a win by ippon.
Judoinfo.com's account of Masahiko Kimura gives the feel of it: at the Ten-Ran Shiai he won his first match "with Ippon using Ushiro-goshi", and other matches went to waza-ari and then to a pin.
What is the difference between ippon, waza-ari and yuko?
- Ippon: a full throw onto the back, or a 20-second pin. Ends the contest.
- Waza-ari: a landing past 90 degrees of the shoulder line short of the back, or a 10 to 19 second pin. Two make ippon.
- Yuko: a side landing and several other partial landings, or a 5 to 9 second pin. Yuko are counted but never add up to waza-ari.
Where does the idea come from?
The idea is old. The original Kodokan contest rules, reprinted on judoinfo.com from a 1905 book, declared a contestant defeated when both shoulders and hips touched the floor after being thrown, when they could not free themselves from a hold on the floor, or when they submitted. Modern ippon is the refined version of those three outcomes.
How is ippon different in BJJ?
In judo, ippon is the whole point of the standing game: one throw decides everything, which is why judoka commit so fully to each attack. In BJJ, the same throw scores points and the match goes on, so a BJJ competitor can afford to give up a takedown and work from the bottom. A submission ends the match in both sports.
Judo players collect ippon stories the way other athletes collect medals. Our judo gifts are built for exactly that crowd.
Sources
- Judoinfo.com terms list, JudoInfo
- Original Kodokan contest rules, JudoInfo
- Account of Masahiko Kimura, JudoInfo
- IJF Refereeing Rules, International Judo Federation
Related terms
Waza-ari, Yuko, Referee calls, Pins, Throwing techniques, Contest.