Judo is aiming for a return to its traditional Japanese roots at the World Championships in Tokyo today after purists felt the martial art was suffering from some fighters’ use of wrestling moves.

The event, returning to Tokyo for the first time in half a century, has lured a record 848 competitors from 111 countries as the combat sport hopes to gain more global appeal.

While the sport has won a larger international following, over the years, Japanese judokas have been bothered by Europeans who fought with low tackles and other wrestling-type moves and were determined not to let their opponents grab them by the collar or sleeve, the classical grip.

But the Tokyo worlds will become a test ground for a new International Judo Federation rule which respects Japan’s traditional virtue of perfect technical execution for “ippon” ­victory.

The IJF in January banned a direct tackle to the legs before grappling.

“We’re totally committed to adopt refereeing rules to maintain the principles of judo and maintain the purity of our sport,” IJF chief refereeing director Juan Carlos Barcos said.

In a move to promote the sport, the IJF said it had for the first time in 35 years allowed two judokas, instead of one, from each country to take part in each weight category at the championships.

“To develop judo, we can’t hide the best athletes or keep them at home,” IJF chief sports director Vladmir Barta told a news conference, adding that as in athletics, gymnastics and cycling, the quota of one competitor per one country “totally destroys the sport.”

The championships have also become an annual affair after being held almost every other year until 2009.

All-Japan Judo Federation president Haruki Uemura welcomed back the championships to Tokyo for the first time in 52 years as 2010 marks the 150th anniversary of judo founder Jigoro Kano’s birth.

Japan has previously hosted the world judo championships four times with the first two editions in Tokyo in 1956 and 1958. In 2003, Osaka was the last Japanese host city.