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| A Brief History of Judo |
Kodokan Judo was founded in 1882 at the Eishoji Temple. Shihan Kano had envisioned not only a style of
fighting, but a way of life for those who used the style. His first principle, Seiryoku Zenyo, or maximum
efficiency in mental and physical energy, was learned as he searched for a way to join the techniques he
had learned while studying under Sensei Teinosuke Yagi, his first teacher, Sensei Hachinosuke Fukuda,
his teacher from age eighteen, and Sensei Iikubo, who taught him the Kito tradition while he was at Tokyo
University. Being a pacifist, he strove not to display physical prowess, but
to combine the learning's he had obtained and make them into a way of
life. The second principle he spoke of, Jita Kyoei (the principle of
mutual benefit and prosperity), he learned in his prolonged debates
with his students. He made several trips overseas to Europe and
America, sharing his knowledge with all of the peoples of the
world. His untimely death occurred in 1938, while at sea traveling
home from a lecture in America.
Jujutsu has been known by several names throughout Japanese history:
taijutsu, yawara, kempo, kugusoku, kumiuchi, koshinomawan. What is
unique to the art is that one did not use brute strength to overpower an
opponent, but rather skill, finesse and flexibility. Economy of energy,
balance, and grace were the outstanding hallmarks of the good jujutsu
practitioner. Unlike the Western hand-to-hand fighter, the jujutsu fighter
was expected to be soft and pliable, winning by appearing to yield.
In classical form, during the feudal period, jujutsu was part of the bushi training, along with archery,
spearfighting, swordsmanship, horsemanship, maneuvering, and etiquette. Its importance grew with the
rise of the bushi class after the late Heian period. Throughout subsequent periods of Japanese history
(Kamakura, 1185-1336; Muromachi, 1336-1573 into the Tokugawa period, 1603-1868) the art became
more diversified and specialized, being taught in schools (ryus). Ryus organized around different aspects
of the art, perpetuating their founders' vision.
The schools differed in emphasis and strategy. Some specialized in throwing (nage),
others in groundwork (osae, shime, kansetsu), and others in striking (atemi). In matters
of strategy, some schools valued taking the initiative in combat while others preferred
timely reaction to an opponent's aggression. Those that followed the principles of
swordsmanship insisted on sudden, total attack. Others preferred to neutralize the
opponent'sattack once it was in motion.
Given the constant state of war in Japanese feudal history, ryus tested their vision of jujutsu on the
battlefield, where the premium was on survival. The three hundred years of peace that followed the
Japanese civil wars led to a change in the nature of the art. Under the harsh Tokugawa martial codes
combats between bushi became rarer and heavy warfare far less frequent. On the other hand, unarmed
combat became more common. The rise of the common citizen at the end of the period required that
jujutsu techniques be adapted to the needs of everyday life.
At that time, several ryus lost their insistence on ceremonial or ritual posturing in favor of a more practical
approach to hand-to-hand combat. By the end of the Tokugawa period, the ancient martial arts of Japan
(Bujutsu) created for the warrior class began to lose importance as the martial ways (Budo) created for
the commoner gained ascendancy. Budo was not simply a collection of fighting techniques but also a
spiritual discipline, a way of life.
During the Meiji Restoration after 1868, the transition from Bujutsu to Budo was completed. Several
branches of the martial arts changed names and orientation entirely. Kyujutsu became Kyudo, iai-jutsu
became iaido, aiki-jutsu became aikido, and jujutsu became Judo. There was a shift from warfare
techniques to everyday life principles, with the spiritual side of the arts being more emphasized. Schools
now passed their tradition to students in the form of techniques, philosophy and codes of ethics. Students
were expected to be fully versed on hand-to-hand combat, but also to embody the philosophy of the ryu's
founders.
Dr. Jigoro Kano, founder of modern Judo, was born in the town of Mikage in the Hyogo Prefecture, on
October 28, 1860. Shihan Kano never viewed the martial arts as a means to display physical prowess or
superiority. As a pacifist, he studied them to find a way to live in peace with other human beings. In his
youth Kano studied Jujutsu under a number of different masters. Sensei Teinosuke Yagi was his first
teacher, but at the age of 18 he entered the dojo of Tenshin-Shinyo Sensei Hachinosuke Fukuda. Upon
graduation from Tokyo University, he studied the Kito tradition under Sensei Iikubo. By his mid-twenties,
Shihan Kano had been initiated into the secret teachings of both ryus.
Kano's search for a unifying principle for the techniques he learned led him to the first principle of
Judo--Seiryoku Zenyo (maximum efficiency in mental and physical energy). To him, only techniques that
kept practitioners from spending much physical and mental energy should be incorporated into the
system. One should use the energy of one's opponent to defeat his or her aggression. He called the
resulting body of knowledge Judo. To propagate his art Kano founded the Kodokan (the "school to learn
the way") at the Eishoji Temple in 1882.
Kano built his system around three major sets of techniques: throwing (nage waza), groundwork (katame
waza) and striking (atemi waza). The throwing techniques, drawn from the Kito ryu, were further divided
into standing (tachi waza) and sacrifice (sutemi waza) techniques. Standing techniques included hand (te
waza), hip (koshi waza) and foot (ashi waza) throws. Sacrifice techniques include full sacrifice (ma sutemi
waza) and side sacrifice (yoko sutemi waza) throws.
Kano's groundwork and striking techniques were drawn more heavily from the martially oriented
Tenshin-Shinyo ryu. Groundwork is organized into holds (osaekomi waza), strangulations (shime waza)
and joint locks (kansetsu waza). While Kano taught groundholds earlier to his students, the secrets of
shime and kansetsu waza were saved for those who had attained a higher ranking in the art. High ranking
students were also expected to know the art of resuscitation (kappo), so as to conduct their training in a
safe and responsible manner.
Judo's striking techniques included upper (ude ate) and lower limb blows (ashi ate). Among the striking
techniques were those utilizing fists, elbows, hand-edges, fingers, knees and feet as striking points.
Because of its lethal nature, Atemi waza was also taught exclusively to high ranking Judokas at the
Kodokan.
Judo was taught in a well-structured process. Standing techniques were organized into five sets ranking
from less strenuous or technically difficult to more advanced (the Gokyo no Waza). Ground and striking
techniques were organized in sets also. The sets were introduced slowly as Judokas became more
proficient in the art. Students were divided into mudansha (color belt level) and yudansha (black belt level).
Mudansha students were ranked into five classes (kyus) while yudansha were ranked into ten degrees
(dans). Ranks indicated the student's level of expertise in the art as different techniques were introduced
at each new rank.
To complete the transition from jutsu (martial art) to Do (way of life), Kano added a strict code of ethics and
a humanitarian philosophy to his newly created system. Kodokan instructors and students were expected
from the beginning to be outstanding examples of good character and honest conduct. Any hand-to-hand
combat outside of the dojo, public demonstrations for profit, or any behavior that might bring shame to the
school could lead to suspension or expulsion from the Kodokan.
Kano's ultimate concern for the well-being of the whole individual and of the community is reflected in his
teaching methods and in Judo's second guiding principle. Kano utilized four teaching methods in his
dojo: randori (free practice of all Judo technique), kata (pre-arranged forms, considered the more
technical rituals of the art), ko (his systematic lecturing), and mondo (periods of question and answer).
The debates between Shihan Kano and his disciples led him to the second principle of Judo, Jita Kyoei
(the principle of mutual benefit and prosperity). Kano believed that the diligent practice of Judo would lead
to the realization that one could not progress at the expense of others, that in mutual prosperity lied the key
to any real progress in human life. He was so taken with the principle that he regarded its diffusion,
through the practice of Judo, as his greatest mission in life.
Most of Judo's development took place around the turn of the century. In 1889 Kano traveled to Europe and
America to promote his martial art. He would make as many as eight trips to other continents to propagate
Judo before his untimely death at sea, on May 4, 1938.
The technical aspects of Judo came into full maturity in 1900 with the founding of the Kodokan
Yudanshakai (association of black belt holders). On July 24, 1905 eighteen masters representing the
leading Japanese Jujutsu ryus gathered at the Butokukai in Kyoto to join Kano's system. Kano's work had
triumphed over Jujutsu in Japan, replacing the Tokugawa period aggressive martial arts with the more
sophisticated way of life he had envisioned. The final touches were added in 1909 when the Kodokan
became a foundation and in 1920 with the revision of the throwing techniques called the Gokyo no Waza.
The art's intellectual and moral philosophy came into full being by 1922 with the foundation of the
Kodokan Cultural Judo Society.
Between 1912 and 1952, when the International Judo Federation was founded, several of Kano's
disciples immigrated to other continents, spreading their master's teachings. Sensei Gunji Koizumi, 7th
Dan, went to Great Britain in 1918, founding the London Budokwai. Mikinosuke Kawaishi, 7th Dan, one of
the world's foremost experts on Judo kata, went to France in 1922. Sensei Sumiyuki Kotani, 8th Dan in
1952, trained the first team of American Air Force Judokas at the Kodokan. That team became the seed of
what is now the United States Judo Association.
As Judo spread throughout the Western world it slowly gained the form of a sport. Its eventual popularity in
World and Regional Games and inclusion in the 1964 Olympic Games led more and more to an
emphasis on the physical and competitive aspects of the art, sometimes at the expense of its intellectual,
moral and spiritual underpinnings. In 1982 (on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Kodokan) the
Kodokan Judo throwing techniques, called the Gokyo no Waza, were revised and expanded to the form
they are found today.
fighting, but a way of life for those who used the style. His first principle, Seiryoku Zenyo, or maximum
efficiency in mental and physical energy, was learned as he searched for a way to join the techniques he
had learned while studying under Sensei Teinosuke Yagi, his first teacher, Sensei Hachinosuke Fukuda,
his teacher from age eighteen, and Sensei Iikubo, who taught him the Kito tradition while he was at Tokyo
University. Being a pacifist, he strove not to display physical prowess, but
to combine the learning's he had obtained and make them into a way of
life. The second principle he spoke of, Jita Kyoei (the principle of
mutual benefit and prosperity), he learned in his prolonged debates
with his students. He made several trips overseas to Europe and
America, sharing his knowledge with all of the peoples of the
world. His untimely death occurred in 1938, while at sea traveling
home from a lecture in America.
Jujutsu has been known by several names throughout Japanese history:
taijutsu, yawara, kempo, kugusoku, kumiuchi, koshinomawan. What is
unique to the art is that one did not use brute strength to overpower an
opponent, but rather skill, finesse and flexibility. Economy of energy,
balance, and grace were the outstanding hallmarks of the good jujutsu
practitioner. Unlike the Western hand-to-hand fighter, the jujutsu fighter
was expected to be soft and pliable, winning by appearing to yield.
In classical form, during the feudal period, jujutsu was part of the bushi training, along with archery,
spearfighting, swordsmanship, horsemanship, maneuvering, and etiquette. Its importance grew with the
rise of the bushi class after the late Heian period. Throughout subsequent periods of Japanese history
(Kamakura, 1185-1336; Muromachi, 1336-1573 into the Tokugawa period, 1603-1868) the art became
more diversified and specialized, being taught in schools (ryus). Ryus organized around different aspects
of the art, perpetuating their founders' vision.
The schools differed in emphasis and strategy. Some specialized in throwing (nage),
others in groundwork (osae, shime, kansetsu), and others in striking (atemi). In matters
of strategy, some schools valued taking the initiative in combat while others preferred
timely reaction to an opponent's aggression. Those that followed the principles of
swordsmanship insisted on sudden, total attack. Others preferred to neutralize the
opponent'sattack once it was in motion.
Given the constant state of war in Japanese feudal history, ryus tested their vision of jujutsu on the
battlefield, where the premium was on survival. The three hundred years of peace that followed the
Japanese civil wars led to a change in the nature of the art. Under the harsh Tokugawa martial codes
combats between bushi became rarer and heavy warfare far less frequent. On the other hand, unarmed
combat became more common. The rise of the common citizen at the end of the period required that
jujutsu techniques be adapted to the needs of everyday life.
At that time, several ryus lost their insistence on ceremonial or ritual posturing in favor of a more practical
approach to hand-to-hand combat. By the end of the Tokugawa period, the ancient martial arts of Japan
(Bujutsu) created for the warrior class began to lose importance as the martial ways (Budo) created for
the commoner gained ascendancy. Budo was not simply a collection of fighting techniques but also a
spiritual discipline, a way of life.
During the Meiji Restoration after 1868, the transition from Bujutsu to Budo was completed. Several
branches of the martial arts changed names and orientation entirely. Kyujutsu became Kyudo, iai-jutsu
became iaido, aiki-jutsu became aikido, and jujutsu became Judo. There was a shift from warfare
techniques to everyday life principles, with the spiritual side of the arts being more emphasized. Schools
now passed their tradition to students in the form of techniques, philosophy and codes of ethics. Students
were expected to be fully versed on hand-to-hand combat, but also to embody the philosophy of the ryu's
founders.
Dr. Jigoro Kano, founder of modern Judo, was born in the town of Mikage in the Hyogo Prefecture, on
October 28, 1860. Shihan Kano never viewed the martial arts as a means to display physical prowess or
superiority. As a pacifist, he studied them to find a way to live in peace with other human beings. In his
youth Kano studied Jujutsu under a number of different masters. Sensei Teinosuke Yagi was his first
teacher, but at the age of 18 he entered the dojo of Tenshin-Shinyo Sensei Hachinosuke Fukuda. Upon
graduation from Tokyo University, he studied the Kito tradition under Sensei Iikubo. By his mid-twenties,
Shihan Kano had been initiated into the secret teachings of both ryus.
Kano's search for a unifying principle for the techniques he learned led him to the first principle of
Judo--Seiryoku Zenyo (maximum efficiency in mental and physical energy). To him, only techniques that
kept practitioners from spending much physical and mental energy should be incorporated into the
system. One should use the energy of one's opponent to defeat his or her aggression. He called the
resulting body of knowledge Judo. To propagate his art Kano founded the Kodokan (the "school to learn
the way") at the Eishoji Temple in 1882.
Kano built his system around three major sets of techniques: throwing (nage waza), groundwork (katame
waza) and striking (atemi waza). The throwing techniques, drawn from the Kito ryu, were further divided
into standing (tachi waza) and sacrifice (sutemi waza) techniques. Standing techniques included hand (te
waza), hip (koshi waza) and foot (ashi waza) throws. Sacrifice techniques include full sacrifice (ma sutemi
waza) and side sacrifice (yoko sutemi waza) throws.
Kano's groundwork and striking techniques were drawn more heavily from the martially oriented
Tenshin-Shinyo ryu. Groundwork is organized into holds (osaekomi waza), strangulations (shime waza)
and joint locks (kansetsu waza). While Kano taught groundholds earlier to his students, the secrets of
shime and kansetsu waza were saved for those who had attained a higher ranking in the art. High ranking
students were also expected to know the art of resuscitation (kappo), so as to conduct their training in a
safe and responsible manner.
Judo's striking techniques included upper (ude ate) and lower limb blows (ashi ate). Among the striking
techniques were those utilizing fists, elbows, hand-edges, fingers, knees and feet as striking points.
Because of its lethal nature, Atemi waza was also taught exclusively to high ranking Judokas at the
Kodokan.
Judo was taught in a well-structured process. Standing techniques were organized into five sets ranking
from less strenuous or technically difficult to more advanced (the Gokyo no Waza). Ground and striking
techniques were organized in sets also. The sets were introduced slowly as Judokas became more
proficient in the art. Students were divided into mudansha (color belt level) and yudansha (black belt level).
Mudansha students were ranked into five classes (kyus) while yudansha were ranked into ten degrees
(dans). Ranks indicated the student's level of expertise in the art as different techniques were introduced
at each new rank.
To complete the transition from jutsu (martial art) to Do (way of life), Kano added a strict code of ethics and
a humanitarian philosophy to his newly created system. Kodokan instructors and students were expected
from the beginning to be outstanding examples of good character and honest conduct. Any hand-to-hand
combat outside of the dojo, public demonstrations for profit, or any behavior that might bring shame to the
school could lead to suspension or expulsion from the Kodokan.
Kano's ultimate concern for the well-being of the whole individual and of the community is reflected in his
teaching methods and in Judo's second guiding principle. Kano utilized four teaching methods in his
dojo: randori (free practice of all Judo technique), kata (pre-arranged forms, considered the more
technical rituals of the art), ko (his systematic lecturing), and mondo (periods of question and answer).
The debates between Shihan Kano and his disciples led him to the second principle of Judo, Jita Kyoei
(the principle of mutual benefit and prosperity). Kano believed that the diligent practice of Judo would lead
to the realization that one could not progress at the expense of others, that in mutual prosperity lied the key
to any real progress in human life. He was so taken with the principle that he regarded its diffusion,
through the practice of Judo, as his greatest mission in life.
Most of Judo's development took place around the turn of the century. In 1889 Kano traveled to Europe and
America to promote his martial art. He would make as many as eight trips to other continents to propagate
Judo before his untimely death at sea, on May 4, 1938.
The technical aspects of Judo came into full maturity in 1900 with the founding of the Kodokan
Yudanshakai (association of black belt holders). On July 24, 1905 eighteen masters representing the
leading Japanese Jujutsu ryus gathered at the Butokukai in Kyoto to join Kano's system. Kano's work had
triumphed over Jujutsu in Japan, replacing the Tokugawa period aggressive martial arts with the more
sophisticated way of life he had envisioned. The final touches were added in 1909 when the Kodokan
became a foundation and in 1920 with the revision of the throwing techniques called the Gokyo no Waza.
The art's intellectual and moral philosophy came into full being by 1922 with the foundation of the
Kodokan Cultural Judo Society.
Between 1912 and 1952, when the International Judo Federation was founded, several of Kano's
disciples immigrated to other continents, spreading their master's teachings. Sensei Gunji Koizumi, 7th
Dan, went to Great Britain in 1918, founding the London Budokwai. Mikinosuke Kawaishi, 7th Dan, one of
the world's foremost experts on Judo kata, went to France in 1922. Sensei Sumiyuki Kotani, 8th Dan in
1952, trained the first team of American Air Force Judokas at the Kodokan. That team became the seed of
what is now the United States Judo Association.
As Judo spread throughout the Western world it slowly gained the form of a sport. Its eventual popularity in
World and Regional Games and inclusion in the 1964 Olympic Games led more and more to an
emphasis on the physical and competitive aspects of the art, sometimes at the expense of its intellectual,
moral and spiritual underpinnings. In 1982 (on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Kodokan) the
Kodokan Judo throwing techniques, called the Gokyo no Waza, were revised and expanded to the form
they are found today.
Copyright (c) 2006 Judan Judo of Toledo, Inc.
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