Judo
Judo is a nonaggressive Japanese martial art that developed in the late nineteenth century, split into rival approaches in the last half of the twentieth century and eventually became a global competitive sport. Judo was developed by Kano Jigoro (1860–1938) while a student at Tokyo University. He began to combine techniques from jujutsu with Western science and Asian philosophy. His goal was to produce a martial art that would serve as a vehicle for personal growth and the advancement of Japanese society. Judo uses techniques that turn an opponent's force against him and involve throwing, groundwork, and striking techniques.
Known as the "Father of Japanese Sports," Kano was an effective promoter of judo and sports in general. Before his death, he had set the stage for the emergence of judo as an international sport and as an Olympic event, with judo first appearing on the Olympic program in 1964. However, the popularity of judo as a sport also led many practitioners to abandon Kano's original vision and transform judo into a modern sport where the focus is on competition, scoring, and standardized methods and rules. The result has been a deep division among judo practitioners between the traditionalists who favor Kano's approach and methods and the modernists who favor training geared to competition rather than personal growth.
Further Reading
Kano, Jigoro. (1986) Kodokan Judo. New York: Kodansha.
Kiota, Minoru, and Kinoshita Hideaki. (1990) Japanese Martial Arts and American Sports: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Means to Personal Growth. Tokyo: Bunsei Press.
Tegner, Bruce. (1967) The Complete Book of Judo. New York:
Bantam Books.
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