Kudos for Kudo

By the early 80's martial arts master Takashi Azuma had earned advanced black belts in Judo and Kyokushin. He then created a synthesis of the two arts, now called Kudo. At first glance Kudo looks like MMA with uniforms and helmets (raising the question as to why we still need Judo or TKD in the Olympics when we could have Kudo instead):

But the use of the Gi in Kudo is even more practical and street-fighting related than what we find in in other Gi-grappling arts:

While those helmets make for some good-looking athletes with relatively few boxer's noses and cauliflower ears compared to MMA, those helmets also help allow headbutts which are now often illegal even in MMA. When I studied Judo off and on over the course of a decade (never making it close to yellow belt,) I was always puzzled at how easy it was to accidentally smack your head into your opponent's head in many Judo throws. Allowing headbutts as intentional attacks makes for more head position awareness:

Kudo has a rich tradition and philosophy as well, complete with (above mentioned) legendary martial arts master founder doing a super human martial arts stunt:

Though it is interesting that Kudo has been around far longer than MMA, Kudo has managed to incorporate plenty of boxing, Muay Thai and BJJ over the years, so that it is basically the perfect martial art for the self defense consumer: