A sensei is a judo teacher.  With the western culture, the teachers are referred to as a “dan grade sensei”.  It used to be used only for a certain group, but now it can be used for anyone that teaches judo.

Practitioners wear a judogi, which is a white uniform that is worn when performing judo.  There were uniforms that looked similar that came along after the first one came out.  The uniform is made of cotton and the pants are usually white and blue.

The pants come with a drawstring so the waist can be adjusted.  The top is actually a white or blue cotton jacket that is quilted and is accompanied by a belt.  The belt is used to close the jacket.  The belt will be a certain color to signify rank.  The jacket is used to endure grappling, which is why the uniform has more thickness than a uniform used for karate.

During a competition, a blue judogi is worn by one of the competitors.  This helps to distinct one from the other for the spectators, referees and judges.  The Japanese judoka use a white judogi and a red sash.  For minor competitions, a colored sash can be used.  If this is a regional or higher level competition, only the blue judogi can be used.

Techniques

Judo has two categories of combat, the ground and the standing phase.  Both phases use different techniques, conditioning and strategies.  In order to close the gap, training is implemented for changing techniques.  There are some judoka that may know more in one area than they do in others.

With the ground and standing phases of combat, the judoka can bring opponents down, pin and submit them on the ground.  Since this is considered a balanced method, judo is a martial art that people want to learn.