Rio Olympics 2016: Judo is known as the art of self-defence… but it looks an awful lot like the brutal art of face-planting

THE word Judo literally translates into English as ‘gentle way’.

The sport of Japanese origin was created as a physical and mental discipline, often used in education.

From there, it evolved into a form of combat, and ultimately, an Olympic sport.

But if the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro is anything to go by, ‘gentle way’ can surely be nothing more than a Google translate fail…

After all, there have been some spectacularly aggressive moves on display – most of which end in some poor fellow’s head being speared into a could-be-softer mat.

In fact some of the ‘gentle’ moves are downright sickening.

Just take a look at some of the best live-action shots from this year’s competition in Brazil…

…If you’ve got the stomach for it that is.

So far this year, Japan – the nation of the sport’s birth – have won four bronze medals in the discipline.

Italy lead the way with one gold and one silver, followed by Russia with a single gold and a bronze.

Argentina and Kosovo are the only other nations to bag a gold, while South Korea, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are all in the medals…

…The neck-breakers.