Preston Judo Club / Eltham Judo Club, 6 Nathan Road Eltham, Eltham (2026)

16/10/2025

A new mural for the dojo wall of the past 60 years.

02/05/2024

01/10/2023

As in Judo, so also in life.

12/05/2023

Preston Judo Always over represents….

12/04/2023

The Father of Judo: Exploring the Life and Legacy of Jigoro Kano

Jigoro Kano was a Japanese educator, martial artist, and the founder of the martial art known as Judo. He was born on October 28, 1860, in Mikage, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. Kano was a highly respected figure in the martial arts world and was instrumental in the development and spread of Judo not just in Japan, but around the world. This blog post will delve into the history, major accomplishments, well-known students, connection to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), legacy in martial arts and self-defense, and references in popular culture of Jigoro Kano.

History

Jigoro Kano was born into a wealthy family, and his father was a successful sake brewer. Kano was a weak and sickly child, and as a result, he was often bullied by other children. Determined to improve his physical abilities and defend himself, he began practicing martial arts. Kano initially studied traditional jujutsu, but he found that many of the techniques were outdated and ineffective. He began to develop his own system of martial arts, which he called Kodokan Judo.

In 1882, Kano founded the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo, where he began teaching his system of martial arts. The Kodokan quickly became popular, and Kano’s teachings were in high demand. Over the years, Kano continued to refine and develop his system of martial arts, incorporating techniques from other martial arts and making changes to existing techniques to make them more effective.

Major Accomplishments

Jigoro Kano made several major accomplishments during his lifetime, including:

Founder of Judo: Kano is best known for founding Judo, a martial art that focuses on throws and grappling techniques rather than strikes.
Modernizing Martial Arts: Kano’s development of Judo helped modernize martial arts by emphasizing technique and skill over brute strength.
Olympics: Judo was introduced as an Olympic sport in 1964, an accomplishment that would not have been possible without Kano’s contributions to the sport.

Education: Kano was also an educator, and he believed that martial arts could be used to teach important life skills such as discipline, respect, and perseverance.

Well-known Students

Jigoro Kano taught many students during his lifetime, and some of his most famous students include:

Mitsuyo Maeda: Maeda was a Brazilian martial artist who is often credited with introducing Judo to Brazil. He was one of Kano’s top students and helped spread Judo around the world.

Kyuzo Mifune: Mifune was one of Kano’s top students and is considered one of the greatest Judoka of all time. He is famous for his technique and was promoted to the rank of 10th dan, the highest rank in Judo.

Risei Kano: Risei Kano was Jigoro Kano’s son and was also a well-known Judoka. He played a significant role in spreading Judo around the world and helped establish Judo as an Olympic sport.
Connection to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)

Jigoro Kano’s influence on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is significant. Mitsuyo Maeda, one of Kano’s top students, traveled to Brazil in 1914 and began teaching Judo to a group of students. These students would go on to develop their own style of martial arts, which became known as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

BJJ is heavily influenced by Judo and shares many of its techniques and principles. BJJ practitioners often credit Kano with laying the foundation for the development of their martial art. The connection between Judo and BJJ is so strong that many BJJ schools still require students to learn basic Judo techniques as part of their training.

Legacy in Martial Arts and Self-Defense

Jigoro Kano’s legacy in martial arts and self-defense is significant. His emphasis on technique and skill over brute strength helped modernize martial arts and made them more accessible to people of all ages and physical abilities. Kano believed that martial arts could be used not just for self-defense but also for personal growth and development. He saw martial arts as a way to develop physical, mental, and emotional discipline and believed that these skills could be applied to other areas of life as well.

Today, Judo is still practiced around the world and is recognized as an Olympic sport. The Kodokan Judo Institute, which Kano founded in 1882, is still in operation and serves as a center for Judo instruction and research. Kano’s teachings on discipline, respect, and perseverance continue to inspire martial artists and non-martial artists alike.

References in Popular Culture

Jigoro Kano and Judo have made numerous appearances in popular culture. Here are a few examples:

The 1965 James Bond film "Thunderball" features a fight scene in which Bond uses Judo techniques.
The video game "Street Fighter" features a character named Ryu who is a practitioner of Judo.
The 2011 movie "Warrior" features a character named Tommy who is a former Judo champion.
The anime series "Dragon Ball Z" features several characters who use Judo techniques, including Goku and Vegeta.
Conclusion

Jigoro Kano’s contributions to the martial arts world are immeasurable. His development of Judo helped modernize martial arts and made them more accessible to people of all ages and physical abilities. Kano’s teachings on discipline, respect, and perseverance continue to inspire martial artists and non-martial artists alike. His legacy lives on through Judo, which is still practiced around the world, and the Kodokan Judo Institute, which serves as a center for Judo instruction and research.

JUDO is efficient in MMA and bonus CHAEL SONNEN HUMBLED by JUDO

25/02/2023

Judo people …. Chimp Strong? Na we silver back strong

JUDO is efficient in MMA and bonus CHAEL SONNEN HUMBLED by JUDO S U B S C R I B E F O R M O R E C O N T E N T highlight in response to Chael Sonnen being ignora...