How did jujutsu reach the London stage?

Japanese teachers came to London from 1900, wrestled challengers in the music halls, and helped open Europe's oldest Japanese martial arts club.

Imagine a London theatre around 1900. A Japanese teacher on the stage is inviting anyone brave enough to come up and wrestle him. That is where this chapter is heading. ⁹

In 1898 an Englishman called Edward William Barton-Wright, who had studied jujutsu in Japan, made up his own way of defending yourself. He called it Bartitsu. ¹⁰ In 1900 he opened a school in Soho, in London. ¹⁰ Bartitsu itself did not last long, only until 1902. ¹⁰ But the teachers he brought to London are where this story really begins.

A Japanese teacher throwing a tall Englishman in a Victorian London gym while others watch.

He invited three Japanese jujutsu teachers to London: Yukio Tani, Tani's brother Kaneo, and Seizo Yamamoto. ⁹ Yukio Tani stayed. ⁹

On the music hall stage

Tani taught at the Bartitsu school. He also became famous for wrestling all comers in London's music halls, the popular theatres of the day. ⁹ All comers means anyone who wanted to have a go!

In 1904 Tani and another Japanese teacher, Taro Miyake, opened a Japanese School of Jujutsu on Oxford Street. ⁹

Two Japanese teachers coaching English pupils in a room above a busy Edwardian London street.

Another teacher arrived on 4 May 1906: Gunji Koizumi. He taught jujutsu in Liverpool and in London. ⁸

A young Japanese teacher showing a hold to English pupils in a small brick hall.

Twelve members

On Saturday 26 January 1918, Koizumi opened a club at Lower Grosvenor Place in London. He called it the Budokwai, which means "way of knighthood society". ^7,8,136 It had 12 members, and Tani was the chief instructor. ^7,8,136 Twelve members in London, and 12 mats in Tokyo!

The Budokwai taught jujutsu, kendo and other Japanese arts. ⁷ The Budokwai and British Judo both say it is the oldest Japanese martial arts club in Europe. ^7,100

In 1919 Masutaro Otani came to Britain. He trained at the Budokwai and became Tani's leading student. ^14,15 Remember his name for the next chapter.

A visitor from Tokyo

In July 1920 Jigoro Kano himself came to the Budokwai. ^7,8,9 Koizumi and Tani agreed to change over to judo, and Kano gave them both 2nd Dan. ^7,8,9

Kano in a suit standing at the edge of the mat while two London teachers in judo uniforms bow to him.

Colours, and a first for women

Remember judo's white and black belts, or ? At the Budokwai, coloured belts for the grades below black turn up at a display in 1926 and in the club committee's notes of June 1927. ^1,17 A visiting teacher, Mikinosuke Kawaishi, may have taken the coloured belt idea to France. ^1,17

A line of judoka in white uniforms wearing belts of different colours at a 1920s display.

Sarah Mayer started judo at the Budokwai in the 1920s. She went to Japan and became the first woman from outside Japan to earn a judo black belt. ^7,18

A British woman practising judo with a Japanese partner in a dojo in Japan in the 1930s.

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