Master Jigoro Kano

A man caged Kano Jigoro formulated a new concept called judo from the old techniques of jujutsu. Born in 1860, Kano Jigoro, like Ueshiba Morihei, had a weak constitution. In his twentieth year he learn jujutsu, convinced of the need to train his body and mind. Five years later, the sickly young men who often came of worst in student brawls, had become a strong man and master of himself. He continued to study and progressively perfected his own technique to which he gave the name kodokan-judo (kodokan: ryu for studying the Way, and judo, Way of flexibility).‘Jujutsu ryu,* wrote Kano Jigoro. ‘employed dangerous practices such as throwing by quite incorrect methods or by roughly applying torsion to the limbs.*

Jujutsu did not enjoy a good reputation in view of the fact that all sorts of undesirable people practiced it at the expense of others. That is why Kano adopted the name judo. In 1882, with just nine pupils, he opened his first judo school. When he died in 1938— at the age of 78 — judo already had over 100,000 black belts to its name.

Mental training in judo can take the form of the kata method or the randori method, but preferably the latter. The attitude of mind when seeking means of attack is such that it tends to make the pupil frank and attentive, wise and thoughtful in all his actions. At the same time, he is trained to take quick decisions for, if prompt action is not taken, the opportunity for attack or defense is always missed.

Furthermore, in randori, neither partner can tell what his opponent will do, such that each must always be prepared to counter any sudden attack attempted by the other. Once he is used to this mental attitude, man acquires a high level of self-control. By exercising one*s power of attention and observation in the training room, this power, so useful in everyday life, develops naturally. Extract from the book of martial arts