Imagine an isolated hamlet several hours from the capital of Jordan, Amman. Imagine a desert landscape, lost in the mountains of the south of the country, inhabited by around 30,000 people. Their main vital resources come from the land and livestock. Walk through Buseira and its surroundings, meet its people and its Bedouins and you will immediately be immersed in the atmosphere that already reigned here probably several centuries ago.

All around, Jordan offers dozens of archaeological sites, the jewel of which is undoubtedly the mythical city of Petra.

Nothing has really changed. The men harvest the olives and take care of the cattle on sun-scorched slopes, the women work at home and take care of the children. Everything is perfectly orchestrated. However, you will undoubtedly be delighted by the hospitality of the place, despite the harsh climate, and you will be even more amazed by the welcome that all the inhabitants will give you.

Nothing has changed and yet, Buseira, which was the principal city of the territory of Edom in antiquity, and which had its maximum prosperity in the 7th century BC. saw the arrival of a new activity at the end of the 20th century, an activity that deeply impacted the lives of thousands of young people and their families.

This activity is judo. Strange as it may seem, this sport born in Japan, thousands of kilometers away, has become the sport of the youth of Buseira. Initially practiced by a handful of enthusiasts who learned it within the army, judo found a breeding ground favorable to its development in the small city. Today, most of the Jordanian national team comes from Buseira.

On the surrounding hillsides, there is no longer a single family that does not practice judo and the club dojo proudly sits in the center of the village.

Last December, the International Judo Federation visited Jordan and went to meet this passionate community. You will find in this new episode of the 'Judo for the World' series some of the protagonists of this beautiful story. You will discover why and how judo has become an essential element of the local landscape and you will understand what impact it has on an entire population and how it helps everyone.

Buṣeira may appear as a vessel of rocks isolated in the desert, but today judo unites the inhabitants of the ancestral city and allows them an opening to the world like no other.

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