Judo literally translates to "the gentle way". now, there is nothing gentle about being thrown to the ground, but the philosophy of judo is "maximum efficiency, minimal effort". the gentleness of it comes from being able to achieve as much as possible with the least amount of effort.

every time i get a new student, i have my sempi, (highest rank under backbelt) go off to the side and help get the new student properly prepared for the rest of the class. this entails breakfalls (learning how to fall properly), roll outs, going over philosophy, proper dojo etiquette, 8 points of balance, and basically all you need to know along with a few other things (sounds overwhelming but its actually pretty basic). after my sempi feels the student is ready to begin working techniques, he begins with the most basic move there is. i dont know how other schools begin, but my school always teaches a throw called o soto gari first. this name translates to major outside reaping throw. its very basic and will get the student ready for more complex throwing techniques.

after a few classes, you will begin getting put into rhandori matches with the more advanced people in the class. dont be scared, its just a belt, it holds his gi in place, the color doesnt matter (unless its black, in which case make sure to show respect). the reason we put you in with higher ranking fighters is because they know they are fighting you for your benefit, not theirs. they will show you the ropes, give you tips, and go with your throws if you execute them properly. also they wont slam you with a giant hip throw, so dont worry about attempting your techniques.

hope this helps, good luck in your training. one last bit of advise, try to make as many classes as you can, my instructor once told me, it takes 10,000 repetitions to make a throw completely natural, so get to the dojo as much as possible.