Kudo in Ladakh

Reviewed profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and FAQs on this page are compiled by hand from federation, government and press reporting, drawing on The Week — KIFI National Kudo Championship coverage, Sportskeeda — Sohail Khan profiles and 2023 Kudo World Cup self-funding coverage, Karnataka Kudo (karnatakakudo.com), KIFI Association (kudoindia.org). These are not cited to individual documents: we hold no per-claim source for them, so treat dates, counts and career records here as a summary rather than a reference. Sections we hold nothing for are left empty. Sport pages last reviewed as a set: September 2026.

Overview

Origin: Japan, 1981
Category: Combat
Olympic discipline: No
Paralympic discipline: No
Central pathway: Federation and state pathway
Athlete profiles on SportSupport: 0

Governance and status

Each field below is shown only where we hold a source for it; anything else reads “Not currently verified” rather than a guess. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition is granted year by year, so it is only ever shown with the year it applies to. Last reviewed: September 2026.

Indian governing/organising body: Kudo International Federation India
Ministry recognition: Kudo International Federation India — Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — as at 2026Source: Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports — List of recognised National Sports Federations
International federation: Not currently verified
Khelo India inclusion: Not currently verified
TOPS eligibility: Not currently verified
Olympic status: Not on the Olympic programme
Paralympic status: Not a Paralympic discipline

Kudo is listed on SportSupport in the combat category. Its recorded origin is Japan, 1981. It is not on the Olympic programme. We list Kudo International Federation India as the Indian governing/organising body for the sport.

Kudo has a federation and state-level pathway in India, and athletes selected through Kudo International Federation India may be eligible for state sports-quota employment and state cash awards where their state notifies the discipline. TOPS does not apply, as the discipline is outside the Olympic programme.

Scholarships & Funding

Central, state and private scholarships available for kudo athletes in India.

Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID)
Stipend, boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for talent identified through the Khelo India selection process (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports). Applies only to disciplines on the official Khelo India Games list, and only to athletes it selects.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment. Allocations are made case by case; we hold no record of NSDF support specific to kudo.
Pension for Meritorious Sportspersons
Lifetime monthly pension for retired internationals who meet the scheme's medal criteria at Asian, Commonwealth or World Championship level — Government of India. Whether a given kudo event counts depends on the scheme's notified list.
State sports quota and government employment
Many states reserve government and public-sector posts for national-level medallists. Which kudo events and which certifying bodies a state accepts varies by state, so check your state's current notification.

Explore all government schemes →

Indian Players

No profiles yet

No athlete profiles are recorded for kudo yet. We only list athletes we can source, so this section stays empty until verifiable profiles exist.

Browse the full athlete directory →

Rules

Kudo (Daido Juku) is a Japanese mixed martial art combining full-contact karate strikes with throws, grappling and submissions. Bouts are fought in a bogu-style helmet with a clear faceguard, allowing punches, kicks, elbows and knees to the head and body, headbutts, throws, and limited ground fighting (usually capped at around 30 seconds before a standing restart). Competitors are matched by a 'tai-sa' index that adds height in centimetres to weight in kilograms rather than weight class alone. Points are scored as koka, yuko, waza-ari and ippon depending on effect, with a knockdown, submission or accumulated advantage ending the contest; grabbing the faceguard, attacks to the groin, spine or joints against the hinge are penalised. Grades run through kyu and dan ranks.

Authoritative rulebook: Kudo International Federation India. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Typical roles across combat sports. These are category-level descriptions, not a sourced kudo squad list.

Fighter / competitor
Contests bouts inside the ring, mat or cage in a set weight category.
Corner / second
Coach in the corner during the bout — allowed to instruct between rounds.
Referee & judges
Officiate the bout, score rounds and enforce safety rules.
Cutman / medical
Manages cuts, swelling and immediate medical needs between rounds.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in kudo at a federation-recognised event.

Kudo helmet (Neo Head Guard) with transparent faceguard
Open-finger gloves
Groin guard and shin/instep protectors
Mouthguard; chest protector for juniors and women
Dogi (white or blue) with rank belt
Matted competition area

Governing/organising body

Body listed on SportSupport

Kudo International Federation India

Kudo International Federation India is the body we list as the Indian governing/organising body for Kudo. Its recognition status as we hold it: Annual recognition renewed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (as at 2026). Recognition is granted year by year, so read the federation profile for the source.

Origin: Japan, 1981
Olympic: No
Paralympic: No
Category: Combat

KIFI profile →All federations →

Major Indian Events

Domestic competitions we hold a source for in kudo.

National Kudo Tournament
Organized by the Kudo International Federation India (KIFI, established 2011, chaired by actor Akshay Kumar with Soshihan Mehul Vora as president, and reported as recognised by MYAS for Kudo — the year of that recognition is not recorded in our source, and Ministry recognition is granted year by year, so no current-year status is claimed), now in its 16th edition (2025-26). A separate 1st National Kudo Championship (2023, Pune) drew over 600 participants from 28 states and union territories.

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions we hold a source for in kudo.

Kudo World Cup / World Championship
Sohail Khan ('Golden Boy of Madhya Pradesh,' 21 national gold medals) reached the quarterfinals of the Senior World Championship in Tokyo (2023) after being crowned Junior World Champion in 2017; he later won bronze at the 2024 Eurasian Kudo Cup (Armenia) and qualified for the 2025 Kudo World Cup in Bulgaria. An 18-member Indian team competed at the 2023 World Cup in Tokyo.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for kudo. The national championship under Kudo International Federation India remains the top domestic competition.

All leagues →

International Players

Globally recognised kudo athletes to know outside India.

The international federation for kudo maintains the current world ranking — check the federation site for the up-to-date top names.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in kudo — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Despite MYAS recognition, KIFI receives no government financial assistance — the 18-member team travelling to the 2023 World Cup in Tokyo had to self-fund travel, accommodation and meals, with athletes personally negotiating local sponsorships
Sohail Khan has publicly advocated for Kudo's inclusion in the National Games, noting the sport was left out of the 2025 edition even as fellow indigenous/martial disciplines like Mallakhamb, Kalaripayattu, Rafting and Yogasana featured as demonstration sports
KIFI claims over 10 lakh (1 million) active athletes across Indian villages, districts and states; playing pathway through KIFI's national selection trials and state-level competitions

Explore sports careers →Coaches directory →

Related academies

0 listed

No kudo academies are catalogued in the directory yet. Browse the full academy list or list your academy to appear here.

All academies →List your academy →

Government Schemes

1 listed

Central and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for kudo athletes and academies.

Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Recruitment of Meritorious Sportspersons to Group C Posts in the Central Government (DoPT Sports Quota)
Under instructions of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), central government ministries and departments can directly recruit meritorious sportspersons to Group C posts (including erstwhile Group D) that are filled by direct recruitment, in relaxation of the normal recruitment procedure. The list of qualifying sports has 65 disciplines (63 listed in 2020, with Tennis Ball Cricket added in January 2021 and Yogasana in June 2022). Kudo, Karate, Taekwondo, Golf, Judo, Boxing, Wrestling, Badminton, Cricket and Tennis are among them. Railways and a few scientific and atomic-energy services follow separate rules.

All government schemes →

FAQs

Common questions about kudo in India.

Who governs Kudo in India?▾

We list Kudo International Federation India as the Indian governing/organising body for Kudo, and state associations affiliated to it run age-group and state-level competition. We hold no current-year Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so this is not a statement that it is currently a recognised national sports federation — recognition is granted year by year.

Is Kudo an Olympic sport?▾

No, Kudo is not on the Olympic programme.

How do I start playing Kudo in India?▾

The usual routes are a school team under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), a college team under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or a private academy affiliated to your state association under Kudo International Federation India. Age-group state championships follow from there.

What government schemes support Kudo athletes?▾

TOPS does not apply, as Kudo is outside the Olympic programme. State-government cash awards or sports-quota employment can apply where a state notifies the discipline, which varies by state. Kudo does not appear on the official Khelo India Games discipline list, so we make no Khelo India claim for it.

Kudo in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Kudo in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.