How did the gentle way prove itself?

Kano's students took on police jujutsu teams, Kano helped write the first contest rules, and judo went into Japan's schools.

A new school has to show that its way works. Kano's students tested judo in contests against police jujutsu teams. ^1,2 Judo did so well in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police tournaments that the police took up judo for themselves. ^1,2

A judoka throwing a police jujutsu fighter in a contest while police officers and students watch.

Writing the rules

A contest needs rules, so that everyone knows what counts. In 1899 Kano led a committee of the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai that wrote the first proper rules for jujutsu contests. ¹ A contest lasted 15 minutes, and you won by scoring two . ¹ An ippon is a full point. Today a single ippon wins the contest straight away. ⁶⁰

Senior teachers around a low table writing rules, with Kano chairing the meeting.

In 1900 the Kodokan made its own contest rules, and students below black belt were not allowed joint locks at all. ¹ Over the years more techniques were banned from contests to keep people safe, such as locks on the knee and squeezing someone's body with your legs. ¹ Today the only joint you may lock in a contest is the elbow. ⁶⁰

The kata of real fighting

What happened to the dangerous moves? They were kept in kata, where partners practise them in a set order. ^1,96 Kime-no-kata, the forms of decision, even has defences against a dagger and a sword. ⁶⁸ Pairs who perform it in competition bring their own practice weapons. ⁶⁰ People once called it the kata of real fighting. ⁶⁸

Two kneeling judoka in a kata, one controlling the other's arm that holds a wooden practice dagger.

The head teacher

Kano was not only a judo teacher. For more than 20 years, between 1893 and 1920, he was head of the Tokyo Higher Normal School. ^2,66,174,175 People call him "the father of Japanese physical education". ^2,66 Between 1906 and 1917, judo went into Japan's public schools. ²

Kano in a suit walking between rows of college students practising judo in a large gymnasium.

Two big ideas

Kano summed up judo in two ideas. ^1,66

: use your energy, of mind and body, in the most efficient way.
: mutual welfare and benefit, which means doing well together with other people.

Think about randori. You need a partner to practise with, and your partner needs you. Helping your partner up after a throw is one small way to show jita kyoei.

A judoka offering a hand to help their partner up after a throw.

The Kodokan gives Kano's own words on what judo is for: to make the body strong, to build character by training the mind, and in the end to serve society. ⁶⁶

Forty throws, and women at the Kodokan

In 1920 the Kodokan revised its list of throws: 40 throws, in five groups of eight. It is still the list most clubs teach from today. ⁶⁷

In 1923 the Kodokan opened a women's section. ⁶⁴

Women in white judo uniforms practising throws and breakfalls in a bright dojo in the 1920s.

Judo was strong in Japan now. Next, Kano carried it round the world. ^2,66

Written from checked sources, listed on the sources page. Pictures are drawn, with computer help, under our direction; none shows a real child. Recorded chapters and words are read by a computer voice; a word not yet recorded uses your device's own voice.