The Father of Judo: A Biography of Jigoro Kano (Bushido--The Way of the Warrior) (Hardcover)

~ Brian N. Watson (Author) "I should like to congratulate Brian N. Watson on the publication of his book The Father of Judo: A Biography of Jigoro Kano..." (more)
Key Phrases: jujutsu masters, judo championship, judo dojo, Olympic Games, Jigoro Kano, Ministry of Education (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... effectively puts across Kano's many achievements." -- Graham Dwyer, The Daily Yomiuri

"... provides considerable detail on early judo competitions and a chronology of judo's development." -- Japan Quarterly

Product Description

Judo has been a regular part of the Olympic Games since 1972 and is practiced in nearly every country throughout the world, but very few people know much about its founder, Jigoro Kano.

Kano was born in 1860 near the end of the Japanese feudal era, when the country was ruled by the samurai class. He grew up in a period of rapid modernization, as Japan, having thrown off its isolationist past, was struggling to overtake the leading countries of the industrialized West. A bright student, Kano had no difficulty with his studies, but he was bullied by older students because of his small size. When he learned that some of the traditional martial arts, particularly those known as jujutsu, enabled a smaller person to best a larger one, he decided to look for a teacher, overcoming his father's initial objection that a modern young man should not waste time on studying fighting arts from the feudal past.

Ignoring the unspoken rule that a student should practice just one martial art under one teacher, Kano sought out the best techniques from all the jujutsu schools. In the process, he became more than strong enough to defend himself, and soon he began to develop a following. In 1882, at age twenty-two, he founded the Kodokan school of judo, which was the beginning of the sport as we know it today.

Kano was more than a renowned practitioner of the martial arts. He graduated from the most prestigious university of the day, became at twenty-five a professor at a school for the scions of the Japanese aristocracy (and which he felt should be opened to commoners), and was later the principal of the Tokyo Teachers' Training College. In addition to his own private English school, he established a school for students from China. He served as chairman of the Japan Amateur Sports Association and was the first Asian to be elected to the International Olympic Committee.

In creating judo, Kano sought to provide a means of leading a more meaningful life, both physically and mentally. He himself exemplified that type of well-rounded life. His story, as narrated in The Father of Judo: A Biography of Jigoro Kano, is sure to inspire all present and future practitioners of judo.

Jigoro Kano was small as a child, which gave rise to his determination to study jujutsu. In his early twenties, he combined the best of what he had assimilated and founded modern judo. A professor at the age of twenty-five, he played an important educational role in transforming Japan from a country ruled by the samurai into a modern nation.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha International (JPN) (October 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770025300
• ISBN-13: 978-4770025302
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #724,789 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Warm and Fuzzy, February 4, 2001

By	Peter Claussen "pclauss" (Brookings, SD USA) - See all my reviews

I was disappointed with the lack of scholarly research in this book. There are only six references listed, none of which are Kano's original writings. For someone as important in the modern Olympic movement as the author depicts Kano, there must be some of Kano's work extant. The author provides a large number of quotes and conversations, several from letters Kano wrote, but does not provide sources for this. Most of the conversations seem stilted and forced. I can't say I gained much insight into Kano's philosophy and the development of Kodokan judo.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, February 15, 2001

By	Robert V. Anderson Jr. "uscjs" (Dallas, TX, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book provides some historical information on Kano's life but I was very disappointed. The book went through Kano's life very quickly and failed to cover large segments of his life. It provided good detail in some areas but was woefully lacking in other areas. Plus, the book was written on a very low level, practically at a child's level. In addition, it was obvious that the author did not have much to contribute because he filled the book at the end with tournament results. How this had anything to do with the subject is beyond me. It is a necessary book to have but I expected better.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Frustrating, January 15, 2001

By	V. Rubin (Denver, Colorado USA) - See all my reviews

This book is valuable for providing little-known information about an important figure. Unfortunately, it is written at about an eighth-grade level. Those who read history seriously will be frustrated by the book's superficiality. It is difficult to determine what is documented and what is contrived for readability. The author states up front that he has created dialogue to make the book more interesting, but there is no way to tell which dialogue is created. For example, were those really Kano's last words? On the other hand, the photographs are terrific, and a time-line of events (at the end of the book) is very helpful.