The history of judo

Originally an offshoot of the hand-to-hand combat used by the samurai in ancient Japan, Judo has developed its own identity--one that stresses not just physical strength, but also moral and intellectual fortitude. Today, this martial art is not just a means of self-defense, it is also a way of life.

Modern Judo developed from Jujitsu, a system of combat designed specifically for unarmed fighting. Unlike other systems of combat, Jujitsu was unique in that it stressed skill over force. Competitors were expected to use finesse, grace and flexibility in order to overcome their opponents. The goal was to use the enemy’s own movement against him, striking at precisely the right moment to subdue him.

Judo as a separate art arose during the late 1800s, founded by Dr. Jigoro Kano, a pacifist who initially studied the martial arts as a way to live peacefully with other people. He was not interested in the martial arts as a means of displaying physical superiority, rather, he was intrigued by the spiritual and intellectual components. As a child he had studied with several Jujitsu masters, and in his twenties he studied two of the major Jujitsu traditions, the Kito and the Tenshin-Shinyo. His quest to unify the two traditions led to Judo, an art that stressed not only physical skills, but also mental focus and an ethical and humanitarian outlook on life. He founded his school, the Kodokan, in 1882 at the Eishoji Temple.

At the time Kano discovered Jujitsu, it was essentially a dying art. Rapid change in Japan was causing several cultural and societal institutions to crumble, including many of the martial arts. However, Kano, who was of small stature, was drawn to the art because it could be used by people of any size and body type. Kano was intrigued by the fact that Jujitsu strengthened both the body and the mind, but he wanted to increase its moral and intellectual aspects. He gave his technique the name Judo, to distinguish it from traditional Jujitsu, which by that time had fallen into disrepute. Many Jujitsu practitioners had started using the art for violent means, while some of the masters had organized troupes that participated in public demonstrations for profit. This went against the kind of art Kano wished to promote.

In his effort to unify the two Jujitsu traditions he had studied, Kano developed several guiding principles, the first being Seiryoku Zenyo, or maximum efficiency in mental and physical energy. He felt that the key to success was spending as little mental and physical energy as possible, and that only techniques that reflected this philosophy should be incorporated into the system. Instead of expending a great deal of energy to subdue their opponents, Kano believed, practitioners should instead use the opponent’s own energy against them. By learning to respond with grace and skill, practitioners could overcome their opponents more effectively than by using force alone.

First and foremost, Kano wanted to foster the well-being of both individuals and the community. To this end, he developed Judo’s second guiding principle: the principle of mutual benefit and prosperity. Kano believed that through the practice of Judo, one could learn that personal progress should not come at the expense of others. To him, the key to human progress was prosperity for all people, and he was so consumed with the idea that he considered spreading the concept through Judo to be his most important task in life.

Kano structured his method around three sets of techniques: groundwork, striking and throwing. Advanced students were also expected to be trained in resuscitation, and because some of the striking techniques could be fatal, they were only taught to high-ranking practitioners.

In addition to the physical maneuvering, Kano also included a code of ethics and a humanitarian outlook to Judo. Serving as a model of honest and honorable conduct was just as vital to the art as were the physical aspects. Students or instructors could be expelled if they conducted themselves in a manner not in keeping with Judo’s principles. This included participating in public exhibitions for profit, engaging in hand-to-hand combat outside the confines of the dojo or any other behavior that might bring dishonor to the school.

Kano went to great lengths to promote his technique, traveling to Europe and America and around the world. In the meantime, Judo continued to be refined and its followers became more organized. In 1900 the Kodokan Yudanshakai, or association of black belt holders, was founded. In 1905, 18 Jujitsu masters gathered together to become part of Kano’s method, signifying Judo’s status as the successor to Jujitsu. It also represented a shift in public thinking, as people increasingly turned away from the more aggressive martial arts in favor of the more spiritually and intellectually oriented traditions like Judo. In 1909, Kano’s school, the Kodokan, became a foundation, and throughout the early part of the 20th century, Judo schools were established throughout Europe. In 1920 the throwing techniques were revised, and in 1922 the Kodokan Cultural Judo Society was founded. In 1952, several people from the United States Air Force were trained in Judo, and this group later formed the United States Judo Association.

Kano died in 1938, but Judo continued to evolve. As Judo grew in popularity throughout the West, it gradually came to be seen as a sport rather than an art. In 1964 it was included in the Olympic Games, and this resulted in more focus on the technical and physical aspects of the art. As a result, its moral, intellectual and spiritual aspects began to lose attention. While Judo has maintained its basic structure since the early 1900s, minor changes have been made. In 1982 the throwing techniques were revised and expanded and in 1997 two throws were added.

Today, this martial art continues to thrive, and is a popular and respected sport. There are now Judo associations in several countries, and it seems Kano has succeeded in his efforts to spread both his technique and his message throughout the world.