I took intro judo for maybe 6 months MANY years ago. A good sensei will teach balance and control of yourself, and emaphasize from the start how to do it all safely. That includes protecting yourself in practice and not deliberately hurting other students. They certainly will teach fitness, practice and the importance of devoting time and effort and caring to the task / sport.
Judo teaches people not to try to overpower the opponent, but to use their tendenceis, weaknesses and habits to your advantage. You learn to sense the opponent's moves and try to re-direct their energy where you want, thus augmenting your own efforts. I believe we were told the name translates as, "the gentle way". Even in the short time I was in it, we were taught some rudimentary self-defence applications after leaning the basics. And of course, the first priority was not to get into dangerous positions and fights at all. Like all such training, they emphasize respect for others and the responsibility not to misuse your newly-aquired skills.
Judo is less spectacular and less loud than some other martial arts forms. For that reason it is less popular and maybe not quite as "cool" as others, but it is very effective. It's also a very good starting point for younger people.