“Randori” (乱取り) literally translated as “free exercise” was conceived by Jigoro Kano for the Kodokan as a method of practicing hard while minimizing the risk of sustaining injuries. Kano defined the purpose of his randori method as “enticing interest in students through free-form technique application focused on safety, physical strength development and balance development”. To simplify the concept, it is basically sparring, where two competitors at a time are trying to implement legal Judo techniques with varying levels of resistance and exertion on either side, according to the rules of a regular competitive match. It is one of the most effective training mechanisms for preparing for each of the sport, martial art & self-defense sides of Judo.

There are many different ways to do randori though, and it should not always be two people going at one another fighting as hard as possible (in fact it should rarely be). Here are the top 25 most common, from lower to higher exertion & intensity levels:

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