Wednesday 20 February 2013

Judo History

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Dr. Jigro Kano
Dr. Jigro Kano
Judo
Judo
The History of Judo

Judo was founded by Dr. Jigro Kano in 1882. Kano was born in 1860 and at the age of 18 enrolled in the Tenjin Shinyo ryu school of Ju-Jitsu. The Tenjin Shinyo ryu was a soft martial art that stressed harmony as opposed to combat, but also included striking and grappling techniques. Kano transferred to the Kito ryu which offered an even softer form of Ju-Jitsu. Kano then began to study of other forms of Ju-Jitsu which caused him to revisit the Ju-Jitsu techniques he had learned. Students were often getting injured while practicing many of the techniques and Kano wanted to form a martial art that was more gentle.

In developing Judo, Kano removed all of the Ju-Jitsu techniques that were dangerous when attempted. In 1882 he founded the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo and it is still the international authority for Judo. Kano emphasized the educational value of training in attack and defense and changed training methods so that most of the moves could be done with full force to create a decisive victory without injury.

Judo's popularity increased dramatically in 1886 after a contest hosted by the Tokyo police. The Judo team defeated the most well-known Jujutsu school of the time. Judo went on to become a part of the Japanese physical education system and continued its growth around the world. The ultimate goal of Judo is to perfect the individual so that he could be of value to society, "a training for life." Kano felt Judo to be a holistic art, used not only to improve physical health but also mental, emotional and spiritual health.

The U.S.'s Introduction to Judo

The United States' first introduction to Judo was in the late 1800's. In 1904 Yoshiaki Yamashita, one of Kano's students traveled to the US and taught Judo to Theodore Roosevelt and West Point cadets. But it wasn't until after World War II that American Judo began developing. Many American servicemen studied the art while in Japan and then taught it when the arrived back in the states. As a result the Armed Forces Judo Association (AFJA) was then established.

Judo
Though Kano discouraged competition, the first world championship competition was held in 1956. In 1964 men's Judo competition became a part of the Olympics. In 1992 Judo competition for women was added to the Olympics.

In his lifetime, Kano attained a doctorate degree in Judo, which is equivalent to the twelfth dan, awarded to the originator of Judo only. Kano is often called the "Father of Japanese Sports" due to his continuous work to ensure the development of athletics in Japan.

In the early 1950's General Curtis Lamay required Judo be taught to US Air Force personnel in the Strategic Air Command. In 1953 Judo was officially recognized as an AAU sport and national tournaments have been held since. The Judo Black Belt Federation became one of the major governing bodies for Judo in the US until 1954 when the United States Judo Association broke off from it. In 1962 the International Judo Federation was formed and became the governing body for Judo internationally. In the United States, the US Judo Incorporated is the governing body for Judo, along with member organizations USJA and USJF.





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