Jujutsu and Judo in the West

Jujutsu and Judo in the West
Author: Michael DeMarco
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
Total Pages: 175
Release: 2018-04-24
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1717030157

The late 19th century saw a dynamic growth of contacts between Western countries and the Far East. Along with the increase in travel came a wave of educational opportunities for Americans and Europeans to gain first-hand experience of living in countries such as China, India, and Japan. Likewise, adventurous individuals from the Orient made their way to the West. Scholars, politicians, and business people became experts in their adapted culture. Some learned the native language and became experts in their second culture, often writing and lecturing on a variety of topics, including martial traditions. By the early 20th century a number of Japanese jujutsu and judo instructors were teaching their exotic arts in Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. How were these instructors viewed by those in their host countries? What similarities and differences were seen between the Japanese combatives and the local traditions such as Catch-as-Catch-Can, Greco-Roman, and Pancrase wrestling, and styles of boxing? Chapters in this anthology present an excellent overview of the early days when jujutsu and judo took foothold in the USA and Europe, with particular emphasis on England and the influence of The Budokwai in London, which as noted on Wikipedia, is “the oldest Japanese martial arts club in Europe. It was founded in 1918 by Gunji Koizumi and initially offered tuition in jujutsu, kendo, and other Japanese arts. It was the first judo club in Europe.” This anthology offers a historical view of how and why jujutsu and judo became living traditions in the West, and developed over the decades. There are six technical chapters by David Finch, well-known for his knowledge of judo and famed for his professional photography. The last chapter is a fitting finale presenting a comprehensive history and technical description of The Budokwai Kime-no-kata, a judo kata created during the earlier period of the institute. The fourteen chapters in this anthology—most from the Journal of Asian Martial Arts and a few newer writings—also discuss many of the leading practitioners of jujutsu/judo. As these arts adapted and transformed to Western countries, the purpose and modes of practice have also changed. This is important for all to study since knowledge of the past is vital for how these forms of combat and sport will evolve in the future.

The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu (Judo)

The Complete Kano Jiu-Jitsu (Judo)
Author: H. Irving Hancock
Publisher: Courier Dover Publications
Total Pages: 545
Release: 2016-01-16
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0486443434

The best guide to learning jiu-jitsu ever written in English, this is the most comprehensive study available. It describes the authentic form of judo developed in the late 19th century by Professor Jiguro Kano — not the many imitations often called by this name. Officially recognized by the Japanese government as the preeminent school of jiu-jitsu, the Kano system was the method in which Japanese armed forces and police were trained. The complete system of 160 holds and throws is clearly explained, with 487 photographs and four charts providing further clarification. Pressure points, balance, falling, and every other important aspect receives full and complete treatment. The first section presents 60 "tricks" of combat in strict sequence that prepare for part two, in which readers learn how to apply the advantages of the tricks they've learned. The third section deals with highly scientific tricks of combat, by which an opponent may be incapacitated — and the methods of kuatsu, or resuscitation, by which a fallen opponent may be revived. Martial arts students at every level of experience will find this classic guide a source of valuable information and instruction.

The Way of Judo

The Way of Judo
Author: John Stevens
Publisher: Shambhala Publications
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2013-08-13
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 0834829010

A martial arts biography of the legendary founder of judo, Jigoro Kano, and the colorful coterie of disciples who wanted to carry on his legacy Kodokan judo, one of the most well-known martial arts in the world today, was originated by Jigoro Kano (1860–1938), a martial artist and career educator who developed the art after studying several types of jujutsu, sumo, and Western wrestling. Openness and refinement were hallmarks of his personal and professional style, and he relentlessly searched for the best way to practice, teach, and perform techniques. This biography shows how Kano saw judo as a vehicle not just for self-defense, but for physical, spiritual, and moral development as well. His teachings clearly emphasize his ideal of judo as a way of self-cultivation that leads to physical health, ethical behavior, and ultimately a better society. Kano was a tireless activist who promoted the practical application of judo’s principles in all realms of life—in one’s personal behavior, for education, in work, for economic benefit, and in both the local and international political arenas. Kano’s students were a colorful, sometimes notorious bunch, and this book reveals how several went on to become famous—or infamous—in their own right. They include a prime minister of Japan, the leader of the Communist party in China, a famous novelist, a spy, high-level military leaders, and a media mogul, among many others.

Mind Over Muscle

Mind Over Muscle
Author: 嘉納治五郎
Publisher: Kodansha International
Total Pages: 172
Release: 2005-11-21
Genre: Literary Collections
ISBN: 9784770030153

This book is a collection of the life's work and essential teachings of Jigoro Kano, who founded Kodokan Judo in Tokyo in 1882. Kodokan Judo was for Kano the culmination of a lifelong devotion to the jujutsu of the past, which he reorganized along educational lines while taking great care to retain its classical traditions. In doing so, he opened the path from jutsu (skill) to do (way), and broadened the horizons of knowledge until he reached the point at which he began to advocate seiryoku zenyo (maximum efficiency) and jita kyoei (mutual prosperity), which represent the universality and ideal of human existence, and are the core values of judo.

The Father of Judo

The Father of Judo
Author: Brian N. Watson
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
Total Pages: 185
Release: 2012-07-25
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1466944838

Jigoro Kano (right; in 1870 at age ten) was small as a child, which gave rise to his determination to study jujutsu. In his early twenties, he combined the best of what he had assimilated and founded modern judo. A professor at the age of twenty-five, he played an important educational role in transforming Japan from a country ruled by the samurai into a modern nation.

Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano

Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano
Author: Brian N. Watson
Publisher: Trafford Publishing
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2014-04-24
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1425163491

Based on a series of interviews that Jigoro Kano gave in his sixties, the book relates his creation and development of Kodokan judo during the period 1882 to 1928.

The Invention of Martial Arts

The Invention of Martial Arts
Author: Paul Bowman
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2021
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0197540333

"The Invention of Martial Arts examines the media history of what we now call 'martial arts' and argues that martial arts is a cultural construction that was born in film, TV and other media. It argues that 'martial arts' exploded into popular consciousness entirely thanks to the work of media. Of course, the book does not deny the existence of real, material histories and non-media dimensions in martial arts practices. But it thoroughly recasts the status of such histories, combining recent myth-busting findings in historical martial arts research with important insights into the discontinuous character of history, the widespread 'invention of tradition', the orientalism and imagined geographies that animate many ideas about history, and the frequent manipulation of history for reasons of status, cultural capital, private or public power, politics, and/or financial gain. In doing so, The Invention of Martial Arts argues for the primacy of media representation as key player in the emergence and spread of martial arts. This argument overturns the dominant belief that 'real practices' are primary, while representations are secondary. The book makes its case via historical analysis of the British media history of such Eastern and Western martial arts as Bartitsu, jujutsu, judo, karate, tai chi and MMA across a range of media, from newspapers, comics and books to cartoon, film and TV series, as well as television adverts and music videos, focusing on key but often overlooked texts such as adverts for 'Hai Karate', the 1970s disco hit 'Kung Fu Fighting', and many other mainstream and marginal media texts"--