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THE
CONTRIBUTION OF JUDU TO EDUCATION
By
Professor Jigoro Kano
Honorary Professor and former President of Higher
Normal College and Member of House of Peer, Japan;
President of Kodokan (and institution for the study
and practice of Judo) (Original Founder of Judo and
Kodokan); Honorary President, Japanese Amateur Ath-
letic Association (founder and former President);
given at the University of Southern California on
the occasion of 10th Olympiad, 1932.
___________________________
The object of this lecture is to explain to you in a general way
what Judo is. In our feudal times there were many military exercises,
such as fencing, archery, the use of spears, etc. Among them there was
one called Jujitsu which was a composite exercise, consisting principally of the
ways of fighting without weapons; using, however, occasionally daggers, swords
and other weapons.
The kinds of attack were chiefly throwing, hitting, choking, holding the
opponent down, and bending or twisting the opponent's arms or legs in such a way
as to cause pain or fracture. The use of swords and daggers was also taught. We
had also multitudinous ways of defending ourselves against such attacks. Such
exercise, in its primitive form, existed even in our mythological age. But
systematic instruction, as an art, dates only from about three hundred and fifty
years ago.
In my young days I studied this art with three eminent masters of the time. The
great benefit I derived from the study of it led me to make up my mind to go on
with the subject more seriously, and in 1882 I started a school of my own and
called it Kodokan. Kodokan literally means "a school for studying the way, " the
meaning of "the way" being the concept of life itself. I named the subject I
teach Judo instead of Jujitsu. In the first place I will explain to you the
meaning of these words. Ju means "gentle" or "to give way," Jitsu, an "art" or
"practice," and Do "way" or "principle," so that Jujitsu means an art or
practice of gentleness or of first giving way in order ultimately to gain the
victory; while Judo means the way or principle of the same.
Le me now explain what this gentleness or giving way really means. Suppose we
assume that we may estimate the strength of man in units of one. Let us say that
the strength of a man standing in front of me is represented by ten units,
whereas my strength, less than his, is represented by seven units. The if he
pushes me with all his force I shall certainly be pushed back or thrown down,
even if I use all my strength against him. This would happen because I used all
my strength against him, opposing strength with strength. But if, instead of
opposing him I were to give way to his strength by withdrawing my body just as
much as he had pushed, remembering at the same time to keep my balance, then he
would naturally lean forward and thus lose his balance.
In this new position, he may have become so weak (not in actual physical
strength but because of his awkward position) as to have his strength
represented for the moment by, say, only three units, instead of his normal ten
units. But meanwhile, I, by keeping my balance, retain my full strength, as
originally represented by seven units. Here then, I am momentarily in an
advantageous position, and I can defeat my opponent using only half of my
strength, that is half of my seven units, or three and one-half against his
three. This leaves one half of my strength available for any purpose. In case I
had greater strength than my opponent I could of course push him back. But even
in this case, that is, if I had wished to push him back and had the power to do
so, it would be better first for me to have given way, because by so doing I
should have greatly economized my energy.
This is one simple instance of how an opponent may be beaten by giving way.
Other instances may be given.
Suppose that my opponent tries to twist my body (as here demonstrated by my
assistant and myself) intending to cause me to fall down so. If I were to resist
him I should surely be thrown down, because my strength to resist him is not
sufficient to overcome his. But if, on the other hand, I give way to him, and
while doing so I pull my opponent (as demonstrated) throwing my body voluntarily
on the ground, I can throw him very easily.
I will give another example. Suppose that we are walking along a mountain road
with a precipice on the side (as demonstrated) and that this man had suddenly
sprung upon me and tried to push me down the precipice. In this case if could
not help being pushed over the precipice if I attempted to resist him, while, on
the contrary, if I give way to him at the same time, turning my body round (as
demonstrated) and pulling my opponent towards the precipice, I can easily throw
my opponent over the edge and at the same time throw my own body safely to the
ground.
I can multiply these examples to any extent, but I think those which I have
given will suffice to enable you to understand how I may beat an opponent by
giving way, and as there are so many instances in Jujitsu contest where this
principle is applied, the name jujitsu (that is, the gentle, or giving-way art)
came to be the name of the whole art.
But strictly speaking, real Jujitsu is something more. The way of gaining
victory over an opponent by Jujitsu is not confined to gaining victory only by
giving way. We sometimes hit, kick and choke in physical contest, but in
contra-distinction to giving way, these are forms of direct attack.
Sometimes an opponent takes hold of one's wrist. How can one possibly release
oneself without using one's strength against one's opponent's grip? The same
thing can be asked when somebody grips one from behind. If, thus, the principle
of giving way cannot cover all the methods used in Jujitsu contest, is there any
principle which really covers the whole field? Yes, there is, and that is the
principle of the maximum-efficient use of mind and body, and Jujitsu is nothing
but an application of this all-pervading principle in attack and defense.
Can this principle be applied to other fields of human activity?
Yes, this same principle can be applied to the improvement of the human body,
making it strong, healthy and useful, and so constitutes physical education. It
can also be applied to the improvement of intellectual and moral power, and in
this way constitutes mental and moral education. It can at the same time be
applied to the improvement of diet, clothing, housing, social intercourse, and
methods of business, thus constituting the study and training in living. I gave
this all-pervading principle the name of "ju-do". So Judo, in its fuller sense,
is a study and method of training in mind and body as well as in the regulation
of life and affairs.
Judo, therefore, in one of its phases, can be studied and practiced with attack
and defense for its main object. Before I started Kodokan, this attack and
defense phase of Judo only was studied and practiced in Japan under the name of
Jujitsu, sometimes call Taijitsu meaning the art of managing the body or Yawara,
the "gentle management". But I came to think that the study of this
all-pervading principle is more important than the mere practice of Jujitsu,
because the real understanding of the principle not only enables one to apply it
to all phases of life, but is also of great service in the study of the art of
Jujitsu itself.
It is not only through the process I took that one can come to grasp this
principle. One can arrive at the same conclusion by philosophical interpretation
of the daily transaction of business, or through abstract philosophical
reasoning. But when I started to teach Judo I thought it advisable to follow the
same course as I took in the study of the subject, because by so doing I could
make the body of my pupil healthy, strong and useful. At the same time, I could
assist him gradually to grasp this all-important principle. For this reason I
began the instruction of Judo with training in Randori and Kata.
Randori, meaning "free exercise" is practiced under conditions of actual
contest. It includes throwing, choking, holding the opponent down, and bending
or twisting his arms or legs. The two combatants may use whatever methods they
like provided they do not hurt each other and obey the rules of Judo concerning
etiquette, which are essential to its proper working.
Kata, which literally means "form", is a formal system of pre-arranged
exercises, including hitting, cutting, kicking, thrusting, etc., according to
rules under which each combatant knows before hand exactly what his opponent is
going to do. The training in hitting, kicking, cutting and thrusting are taught
in Kata and not in Randori, because if they were used in Randori cases of injury
might frequently occur, while when taught in Kata no such injury is likely to
happen because all the attacks and defenses are pre-arranged.
Randori may be practiced in various ways. If the object be simply training in
the method of attack and defense, the attention should be especially directed to
the training in the most efficient ways of throwing, bending or twisting,
without special reference to developing the body or to mental and moral culture.
Randori can also be studied with physical education as its main object. From
what I have already said, anything to be ideal must be performed on the
principle of maximum-efficiency.
We will see how the existing systems of physical education can stand this test.
Taking athletics as a whole, I cannot help thinking that they are not the ideal
form of physical education, because every movement is not chosen for all around
development of the body but for attaining some other definite object. And
furthermore, as we generally require special equipment and sometimes quite a
number of persons to participate in them, athletics are fitted as a training for
select groups of a whole nation. This holds true with boxing, wrestling, and
different kinds of military exercises practiced all over the world. Then people
may ask, "Are not gymnastics an ideal form of national physical training?"
To this I answer that they are an ideal form of physical education from their
being contrived for all around development of the body, and not necessarily
requiring special equipment and participants. But gymnastics are lacking in very
important things essential to the physical education of a whole nation. The
defects are:
1. Different gymnastics movements have no meaning and naturally are devoid of
interest.
2. No secondary benefit is derived from their training.
3. Attainment of "skill" (using the word "Skill" in a special sense) cannot be
sought for or acquired in gymnastics as in some other exercises.
From this brief survey of the whole field of physical education, I can say that
no ideal form has yet been invented to fill the necessary conditions for such
physical education.
This ideal form can only be devised from a study based on maximum-efficiency. In
order to fulfill all those conditions or requirements, a system of all-round
development of the body as a primary consideration must be devised as in the
case of gymnastics. Next, the movements should have some meaning so that they
may be engaged in with interest. Again, the activities should be such as require
no large space, special dress or equipment. Furthermore, they must be such as
could be done individually as well as in groups.
Those are the conditions or requirements for a satisfactory system of physical
education for a whole nation. Any system that can meet successfully those
requirements may, for the first time, be regarded as a program of physical
education based on the principle of maximum-efficiency.
I have been studying this subject for a long time and have succeeded in devising
two forms which may be said to fulfill all those requirements.
One form is what I named "representative form." This is a way of representing
ideas, emotions, and different motions of natural object by movements of limbs,
body and neck. Dancing is one instance of such, but originally dancing was not
devised with physical education for its object, and can therefore not be said to
fulfill those requirements. But it is possible to devise special kinds of
dancing made to suit persons of different sex and mental and physical condition
and made to express moral ideas and feelings, so that can jointly with the
cultivation of the spiritual side of a nation it can also develop the body in a
way suited to all.
This "representative form" is, I believe, in one way or other practiced in
America and Europe, and you can, I think, imagine what I mean: Therefore I shall
not deal with it any further here.
There is one other form which I named "attack and defense form". In this, I have
combined different methods of attack and defense, in such a way that the result
will conduce to the harmonious development of the whole body. Ordinary methods
of attack and defense taught in Jujitsu cannot be said to be ideal for the
development of the body, therefore, I have especially combined them so that they
fulfill the conditions necessary for the harmonious development of the body.
This can be said to meet two purposes: (1) bodily development, and (2) training
in the art of contest. As every nation is required to provide for national
defense, so every individual must know how to defend himself. In this age of
enlightenment, nobody would care to prepare either for national aggressions or
for doing individual violence to others. But defense in the cause of justice and
humanity must never be neglected by a nation or by an individual.
This method of physical education in attack and defense form, I shall show you
by actual practice. This is divided into two kinds of exercises: one is
individual exercise and the other is exercise with an opponent (as
demonstrated).
From what I have explained and shown by practice, you have no doubt understood
what I mean by physical education based on the principle of maximum-efficiency.
Although I strongly advocate that the physical education of a whole nation
should be conducted on that principle, at the same time I do not mean to lay
little emphasis on athletics and various kinds of martial exercise. Although
they cannot be deemed appropriate as a physical education of a whole nation, yet
as a culture of a group or groups of persons, they have their special value and
by no means wish to discourage them, especially Randori in Judo.
One great value of Randori lies in the abundance of movements it affords for
physical development. Another value is that every movement has some purpose and
is executed with spirit, while in ordinary gymnastic exercise movements lack
interest. The object of a systematic physical training in Judo is not only to
develop the body but to enable a man or a woman to have a perfect control over
mind and body and to make him or her ready to meet any emergency whether that be
a pure accident or an attack by others.
Although exercise in Judo is generally conducted between two persons, both in
Kata and in Randori, and in a room specially prepared for the purpose, yet that
is not always necessary. It can be practiced by a group or by a single person,
on the playground, or in an ordinary room. People imagine that falling in
Randori is attended with pain and sometimes with danger. But a brief explanation
of the way one is taught to fall will enable them to understand that there is
not such pain or danger.
I shall now proceed to speak of the intellectual phase of Judo. Mental training
in Judo can be done by Kata as well as by Randori, but more successfully by the
latter. As Randori is a competition between two persons, using all the resources
at their command and obeying the prescribed rules of Judo, both parties must
always be wide awake, and be endeavoring to find out weak points of the
opponent, being ready to attack whenever opportunity allows. Such an attitude of
mind in devising means of attack tends to make the pupil earnest, sincere,
thoughtful, cautious and deliberate in all his dealings. At the same time one is
trained for quick decision and prompt action, because in Randori unless one
decides quickly and acts promptly he will always lose his opportunity either in
attacking or in defending.
Again, in Randori each contestant cannot tell what his opponent is going to do,
so each must always be prepared to meet any sudden attack by the other.
Habituated to this kind of mental attitude, he develops a high degree of mental
composure- of "poise". Exercise of the power of attention and observation in the
gymnasium or place of training, naturally develops such power, which is so
useful in daily life.
For devising means of defeating an opponent, the exercise of the power of
imagination, of reasoning and of judgment, is indispensable, and such power is
naturally developed in Randori. Again, as the study of Randori is the study of
the relation, mental and physical, existing between two competing parties,
hundreds of valuable lessons may be derived from this study, but I will content
myself for the present by giving a few more examples. In Randori we teach the
pupil always to act on the fundamental principle of Judo, no matter how physical
inferior his opponent may seem to him and even if he can by sheer strength
easily overcome the other. If he acts against this principle the opponent will
never be convinced of his defeat, whatever brutal strength may have been used on
him. It is hardly necessary to call your attention to the fact that the way to
convince your opponent in an argument is not to push this or that advantage over
him, be it from power, from knowledge, or from wealth, but to persuade him in
accordance with the inviolable rules of logic. This lesson that persuasion, not
coercion is efficacious - which is so valuable in actual life - we may learn
from Randori.
Again, we teach the learner, when he has recourse to any trick in overcoming his
opponent, to employ only as much of his force as is absolutely required for the
purpose in question, cautioning him against either an over - or under - exertion
of force. There are not a few cases in which people fail in what they undertake
simply because they go too far, not knowing where to stop, and vice versa.
To take still another instance, in Randori, we teach the learner, when he faces
an opponent who is madly excited, to score a victory over him, not by directly
resisting him with might and main, but by playing him until the fury and power
of the latter expends itself.
The usefulness of this attitude in everyday transactions with others is patent.
As is well known, no amount of reasoning could avail us when we are confronted
by a person who is so agitated as to seem to have lost his temper. All that we
have to do in such a case is to wait until his passion wears itself out. All
these teaching we learn from the practice of Randori. Their application to the
conduct of daily affairs is a very interesting subject of study and is valuable
as an intellectual training for you minds.
I will finish my talk about the intellectual phase of Judo by referring shortly
to the rational means of increasing knowledge and intellectual power.
If we closely observe society, we notice everywhere the way in which we
foolishly expend our energy in the acquisition of knowledge. All our
surroundings are always giving us opportunities of gaining useful knowledge, but
are we not constantly neglecting the best use of such opportunities? Are we
always making the best choice of books, magazines and newspapers we read? Do we
not often find out that the energy which might have been spent for acquiring
useful knowledge is often used for amassing knowledge which is prejudicial not
only to self but also to society?
Besides the acquisition of useful knowledge, we must endeavor to improve our
intellectual powers, such as memory, attention, observation, judgment,
reasoning, imagination, etc. But this we should not do in a haphazard manner,
but in accordance with psychological laws, so that the relation of those powers
one with the other shall be well harmonized. It is only by faithfully following
the principles of maximum-efficiency - that is Judo - that we can achieve the
object of rationally increasing our knowledge and intellectual power.
I shall now speak about the moral phase of Judo. It is now my intention to speak
of the moral discipline given to students in the exercise room, such as the
observance of the regular rules of etiquette, courage, and perseverance,
kindness, and respect for others, impartiality, and fair play, so much
emphasized in athletic sports throughout the world. The training in Judo has a
special moral import in Japan because Judo, together with other martial
exercises, was practiced by our Samurai, who had a high code of honor, the
spirit of which has been bequeathed to us through the teaching of the art. In
this connection I wish to explain to you how the principle of maximum-efficiency
helps us in promoting moral conduct. A man is sometimes very excitable and prone
to anger for trivial reasons. But when one comes to consider that "to be
excited" is an unnecessary expenditure of energy, giving benefit to nobody but
often doing harm to himself and others, it will be seen that students of Judo
must refrain from such conduct.
A man is sometimes despondent from disappointment, is gloomy, and has no courage
to work. To such a man Judo comes with the advice to find out what is the best
thing he can do under the existing circumstances. Paradoxical as it may seem,
such a man is, to my mind, in the same position as one who is at the zenith of
success. In either case, there is only one course to follow, that is, what after
due consideration he deems to be the best course of action at the time. Thus the
teaching of Judo may be said to lead a man from the depths of disappointment and
lethargy to a state of vigorous activity with a bright hope for the future.
The same reasoning applies to those persons who are discontented. Discontented
persons are often in a sulky state of mind and blame other people for what is
their own fault and without attending to their own business. The teaching of
Judo will make such persons understand that such conduct is against the
principle of maximum-efficiency, and will make them realize that by the faithful
pursuance of that principle they will become more cheerful. Thus the teaching of
Judo is, in a variety of ways, serviceable to the promotion of moral conduct.
Finally, I wish to add a few words to the emotional phase of Judo. We are all
aware of the pleasurable sensations given to the nerves and muscles through
exercise, and we also feel pleasure at the attainment of skill, in the use of
our muscles, and also through the sense of superiority over others in contest.
But besides these pleasures there is that love of beauty and delight in it
derivable from assuming graceful attitudes and performing graceful movements and
also in seeing such in others. The training in these, together with the pleasure
obtainable from watching various movements symbolical of different ideas,
constitutes what we call the emotional or the aesthetic phase of Judo.
I believe you have already come to see what kind of thing Judo really is, in
contra-distinction to the Jujitsu of feudal times.
If I now state in a concise form what I have said, it might be summed up as
follows:
Judo is a study and training in mind and body as well as in the regulation of
one's life and affairs. From the thorough study of the different methods of
attack and defense I became convinced that they all depend on the application of
one all-pervading principle, namely: "Whatever be the object, it can best be
attained by the highest or maximum-efficient use of mind and body for that
purpose." Just as this principle applied to the methods of attack and defense
constitutes Jujitsu, so does this same principle, applied to physical, mental
and moral culture, as well as to ways of living and carrying on of business
constitutes the study of, and the training in, those things.
Once the real import of this principle be understood, it may be applied to all
phases of life and activity and enable one to lead the highest and the most
rational life.
The real understanding of this principle need not necessarily be arrived at
through the training in the methods of attack and defense, but as I came to
conceive of this idea through training in these methods, I made such training in
contest and the training for the development of the body the regular means of
arriving at the principle.
This principle of maximum-efficiency, when applied to the keying-up or
perfecting of social life, just as when applied to the coordination of mind and
body - in the science of attack and defense - demands first of all, order and
harmony among its members, and this can only be attained through mutual aid and
concession, leading to mutual welfare and benefit.
The final aim of Judo, therefore, is to inculcate in the mind of man a spirit of
respect for the principle of maximum-efficiency and of mutual welfare and
benefit, leading him so to practice them that man individually and collectively
can attain to the highest attack and defense.
If we closely observe the actual state of society all over the world,
notwithstanding the fact that morality in all its forms (religious,
philosophical and traditional) is meant to improve man's conduct in society and
make the world ideal, the fact seems quite the contrary. We notice vices,
quarrels, and discontent in every level of society, from the highest to the
lowest. While we are taught hygiene and correct ways of living in school from
childhood up to mature age, we still are prone to neglect the rules of good
clean living and of hygienic and orderly lives.
The actual facts prove that our society is lacking in something which, if
brought to light and universally acknowledged, can remodel the present society
and bring greater happiness and satisfaction to this world. This is the teaching
of maximum-efficiency and mutual welfare and benefit.
I do not mean to say that our time-honored moral precepts and hygienics should
be shelved. On the contrary, let those precepts and advice be respected ever as
they used to be, but in addition to these, our principle of maximum-efficiency
and mutual welfare and benefit should ever be paramount.
This I emphatically say, because in this age of criticism and new ideas, for any
teaching to have effect, it must have behind it, some indubitable reason or
fact.
We do not hear the thinking man today say, "Because I believe in such and such a
thing, therefore you must believe in it," or, "I came to such and such a
conclusion through my own reasoning; therefore you also must come to the same
conclusion." Whatever one affirms must be based on facts or reasoning which no
sane person can deny or doubt. Certainly none can deny the value of the
principle "whatever be the object, it can best be attained by the highest or
maximum-efficient use of mind and body for that purpose."
Again, none can deny that it is only by aiming at mutual welfare and benefit
that every member of society can keep from discord and quarreling, and live in
peace and prosperity. Is it not because of the universal recognition of these
facts that people have come to talk so much about efficiency and scientific
management and that everywhere these are being advocated?
In addition to this, the principle of give-and-take is more and more coming to
be the determining factor in the lives of all human beings. Is it not because
this principle of mutual welfare and benefit has been recognized that we came to
form the League of Nations and the Great Powers of the world came to meet for
the decrease of naval and military armaments? These movements are also automatic
acknowledgment of the crying need of efficiency and mutual welfare and benefit.
They must be fostered by the educational forces of every country in which Judo
should have a prominent part.
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