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.

JUDO FOR EVERYONE NOT JUST FOR THE ATHLETICALLY INCLINED Judo for Everyone addresses the following problems that have always existed in judo: PROBLEM – Beginners being abruptly placed in the sink or swim pool of standing randori. SOLUTION – To have a method that gradually introduces beginners to the competitive skills needed for standing randori. PROBLEM – Having only one type of standing randori which has a concrete boundary of contest at one end and an ill-defined, indistinct, boundary at the other end. SOLUTION – To have three types of standing randori whose boundaries are well defined and practical to work within. PROBLEM – Having only one type of contest that is too difficult and too physically demanding for many people. *SOLUTION – To have three different types of contest with varying degrees of challenge. *Catering to different levels of skill, interest, fitness and age. How exciting! It’s so cool to see the finished product, I hope you are happy with it all. Thank you again for allowing me to be a test dummy. We have already started teaching everyone at our school your system and it’s very interesting to see how people’s randori changes because of it. Just the other day, I was doing randori with a Shodan and he went for Ippon Seoi Nage and I floated around without a second thought. It wasn’t until he made a comment about it that I even thought a thing of it. Parker (One of the yellow belts in the YouTube films)

An introduction to the techniques of modern judo and their applications plus a short section on traditional judo.