text: is judo a good form of martial arts to learn for fitness?   i think the answer to this question depends on the type of dojo you train at. i trained in judo and at my dojo, the first hour was nothing but cardio drills, footwork, push ups, abdominal work with medicine balls, calisthenics, stretching,etc. then the next hour was actual judo where we learned techniques with repositioning, throws (tachi waza) as well as ground fighting (ne waza), pins, joint locks, arm bars,etc. even the second hour was tough because it takes energy to grapple. that was my school. other judo schools, you will just see a bunch of fat guys standing around working on throws and what not. but overall, i think judo is great for fitness.