Kicksport Martial Arts Blog

It’s not easy learning about the history of Judo. The more I delve, the more I find that I need to go ‘back a bit’. And then ‘back a bit more’. It makes sense, therefore, to have a little look at the history of warfare in Japan, and start from the very beginning.

I hasten to add that I am a COMPLETE Judo and Martial Arts novice, so forgive me for any inaccuracies. I’d love to hear from you if you’ve got anything to add, or if you need to tell me off for getting it wrong

So here goes…

Samurai

The Samurai came about in Japan when, in amidst the political Taika reforms of 646 AD, land was redistributed in order to support an elaborate empire. Many small farmers had to sell their land and work as tenant farmers, whilst the large landholders amassed power and wealth, developing a feudal system much like that of Medieval Europe. These feudal lords needed warriors to defend their riches, and so the samurai warrior (or “bushi”) was born.

The rise of Samurai

In the 900s, the weak emperors of the Heian Dynasty lost control of rural Japan, and whilst in the throws of revolt the emperor soon wielded power within the capital. Across the country, the warrior class moved in to fill the power vacuum. By 1100, the samurai held both military and political power over much of Japan.

The Samurai Code and Culture

Values and respect are apparent in Martial Arts, and this was evident from the very beginning. Samurai’s would swear an oath to their masters with the samurai code emphasizing loyalty to them, even over family loyalty. That said, most loyal samurai were usually family members or financial dependents of their lords. The culture of Samurai was grounded in the concept of ‘bushido’ or ‘the way of the warrior’ where honour and freedom from the fear of death were central to their beliefs. Defeated warriors would commit suicide by honour, whilst those whose master or lord were defeated would become ‘Ronin’ (meaning ‘drifter’ or ‘lawless’) and would continue to defend their honour.

Samurais began predominantly as archers on horseback. They would wear full-body armour in combat, including horned helmets, and were skilled with a variety of weapons including swords, poles, and spears.

“Modern Japanese honor the memory of the samurai, and ‘bushido’ still infuses the culture. Today, however, the samurai code is invoked in corporate boardrooms rather than on the battlefield.”

From Samurai to Jujitsu

The feudal era saw thousands of centuries of war, and in this time the Samurai style developed differently within each family. Whilst principles and oaths remained a common factor, fighting styles began to take their own forms and, as some became more popular than others, specific fighting styles emerged such as Tenjin Shinyo-ryu and Kito-ryu. These styles, however, were not documented until they begun being taught and refined as an art, and as such the birth of Jujitsu wasn’t recorded until the 16th century.

Jiu Jitsu was heavily refined over the years and through a survival of the fittest process techniques were refined and improved upon.

Meiji Restoration

The Meiji Restoration also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868. The Restoration led to enormous changes in Japan’s political and social structure, and with the change in culture taking on Western influences, the Meji Restoration saw the demise of many Martial Arts, including Jujitsu.

Judo

As a young boy, Jigaro Kano (son of a medical doctor) found himself victim to bullying at boarding school and so he chose to teach himself Jujitsu to strengthen his small frame and learn self defence. As time passed, he dedicated his life to martial arts, and combined his practice with other styles, such as Tenjin Shinyo-ryu and Kito-ryu. Kano developed the martial arts culture of “maximum efficient use of physical and mental energy.” The result was a new theoretical and technical system that Kano felt better matched the needs of modern people. In 1882 this style became known as Kodokan Judo.

Dr. Kano’s Kodokan Judo

The term Kodokan breaks down into ko (lecture, study, method), do (way or path), and kan (hall or place). Thus it means “a place to study the way”. Similarly judo breaks down into ju (gentle) and do (way or path) or “the gentle way”.

Kano has also been lauded as “the father of Japanese physical education.” As principal of Tokyo Higher School, he established a general physical education faculty aimed at training teachers capable of bringing quality physical education to Japan’s youth.
Following break-through success at a Police Bujitsu Contest, where Kodokan Judo students overwhelmed the Jujitsu athletes, Kodokan Judo was officially recognized as a sport in the 1880’s. The Kodokan had three broad aims: physical education, contest proficiency and mental training.

Judo as an Olympic sport

Prof. Kano became the first Asian member of the International Olympic Committee in 1909 and worked for the spread of Judo worldwide. Judo was demonstrated at the Olympic Games of Tokyo in 1964, backed by Judo fans and sport promoters all over the world, and was made an official Olympic sport in 1972.
Since then, the art of Judo has reach the far corners of the globe, and whilst in the early days the Olympics saw Japan take virtually every medal, over the years we have seen Dutch, Spanish and Australian gold medalists, amongst others.
In January 2009, judo started using a world ranking system to determine qualifying for the Olympics based on points won from the world championship matches and one entry per weight class, per country.

The world judo championships have been held annually since 2009, and in 2011 are to be held in Paris, France.

Judo today

Today, the International Judo Federation includes representatives from 195 countries and regions, with practitioners from all walks of life donning judo uniforms and stepping onto the mat to forge their minds, bodies, and spirits through the Judo created by Jigoro Kano.