| The early history of judo is inseparable from its | | | | of his education, Kano had in mind a major reformation |
| founder, Japanese polymath and educator Kano Jigoro | | | | of jujutsu, with techniques based on sound scientific |
| (Kano Jigoro, 1860–1938). Kano was born into | | | | principles, and with focus on development of the body, |
| a well-to-do Japanese family. His grandfather was a | | | | mind, and character of young men in addition to |
| self-made man; a sake brewer from Shiga prefecture | | | | development of martial prowess. At the age of 22, |
| in central Japan. However, Kano's father was not the | | | | just about to finish his degree at the University, Kano |
| eldest son and therefore did not inherit the business. | | | | took 9 students from Iikubo's school to study jujutsu |
| Instead, he became a Shinto priest and government | | | | under him at the Eisho-ji, a Buddhist temple. Although |
| official, with enough influence for his son to enter the | | | | two years would pass before it would be called by |
| second incoming class of Tokyo Imperial University. | | | | that name, and Kano had not yet been accorded the |
| Kano was a small, frail boy, who, even in his twenties, | | | | title of "master" in the Kito-ryu, Iikubo would come to |
| did not weigh more than a hundred pounds, and was | | | | the temple to help teach three days a week, this was |
| often picked on by bullies. He first started pursuing | | | | the founding of the Kodokan or "place for teaching the |
| jujutsu, at that time a flourishing art, at the age of 17, | | | | way." |
| but met with little success. This was in part due to | | | | The word "judo" is composed of two ideograms: "ju" |
| difficulties finding a teacher who would take him on as | | | | (?), which means gentleness, and "do" (?), way or road |
| a serious student. When he went off to the University | | | | (the same character as the Chinese "tao"). Thus Judo |
| to study literature at the age of 18, he continued his | | | | literally means "the gentle way", or "the way of giving |
| martial studies, eventually gaining a referral to Fukuda | | | | way", and may also be defined as "the way of |
| Hachinosuke (c.1828–c.1880), a master of the | | | | suppleness", "the way of flexibility, or "the way of |
| Tenjin Shin'yo-ryu and grandfather of noted judoka | | | | adaptability". To English speakers, Judo and Jujutsu |
| Keiko Fukuda (Fukuda Keiko, born 1935), who is one of | | | | would mean "the easy way", as in the easiest way to |
| Kano's oldest surviving students. Fukuda Hachinosuke | | | | accomplish something. Judo takes from jujutsu ("gentle |
| is said to have emphasized technique over formal | | | | art") the principle of using one's opponent's strength |
| exercise, sowing the seeds of Kano's emphasis of or | | | | against him and adapting well to changing |
| free practice (randori) in judo. | | | | circumstances. For example, if the attacker was to |
| A little more than a year after Kano joined Fukuda's | | | | push against his opponent he would find his opponent |
| school, Fukuda became ill and died. Kano then became | | | | stepping to the side and allowing (usually with the aid |
| a student in another Tenjin Shin'yo-ryu school, that of | | | | of a foot to trip him up) his momentum to throw him |
| Iso Masatomo (c.1820–c.1881), who put more | | | | forwards (the inverse being true for pulling). Kano saw |
| emphasis on the practice of pre-arranged forms (kata) | | | | jujutsu as a disconnected bag of tricks, and sought to |
| than Fukuda had. Through dedication, Kano quickly | | | | unify it according to some principle; he found it in the |
| earned the title of master instructor (shihan) and | | | | notion of "maximum efficiency". Jujutsu techniques |
| became assistant instructor to Iso at the age of 21. | | | | which relied solely on superior strength were discarded |
| Unfortunately, Iso soon took ill, and Kano, feeling that he | | | | or adapted in favour of those which involved |
| still had much to learn, took up another style, becoming | | | | redirecting the opponent's force, off balancing the |
| a student of Tsunetoshi Iikubo of Kito-ryu. Like Fukuda, | | | | opponent, or making use of superior leverage. In "Mind |
| Iikubo placed much emphasis on free practice; on the | | | | Over Muscle", a compilation of Kano's writings, the |
| other hand, Kito-ryu emphasized throwing techniques | | | | concept of "maximum efficiency" was extended into |
| to a much greater degree than Tenjin Shin'yo-ryu. | | | | daily life and evolved into "mutual prosperity". He saw |
| By this time, Kano was devising new techniques, such | | | | Judo as a means to governing and improving oneself |
| as the "shoulder wheel" (kata-guruma, known as a | | | | physically, mentally, emotionally and morally.[1] In this |
| fireman's carry to Western wrestlers who use a | | | | respect Judo was seen as a holistic approach to life |
| slightly different form of this technique) and the "floating | | | | extending well beyond the confines of the dojo. In the |
| hip toss" (uki goshi). His thoughts were already on doing | | | | book there is much discussion of the application of |
| more than expanding the canons of Kito-ryu and | | | | Judo philosophy to education - another of Kano's great |
| Tenjin Shin'yo-ryu; full of new ideas, in part as a result | | | | interests. |