- Research Article
3
- 10.12659/aob.883619
A Judo that Incorporates Kendo: Jigoro Kano’s Ideas and Their Theoretical Development
- Jan 01, 2012
- Archives of Budo
- Fumiaki Shishida
Judo'sfounder,�JigoroKano,�statedbytheendofhislifethatinthefuturejudoshouldintegratetheprinciples� ofkendo�(Japaneseswordsmanship).�Healsooftenmentionedthathisvisionofidealjudowaspresentintheex- tremelyfluidrandorisparringpracticesthattookplaceduringtheearlyyearsofjudo.�Thesestatementswillbeun- expectedformostmodernjudopractitioners,�whopracticeacompetitivejudoasasportandarelargelyunaware� ofKano'sdesiretomakejudointoapracticalmartialart.�Kano'shopeofcombiningtheprinciplesofjudoand� kendotomakeapracticalmartialartwasnotrealizedduringhislifetime,�buthisgoalwaspursuedbyhisstudent,� KenjiTomiki.�ProfessorTomikidefinedtheprincipleofkendoasthe�technicaltheoryofchopandthrustwhile� avoidingbeingtouched�andworkedtowardsintegratingitwithjudo'sthrowingtechniques.�Inparticular,�henot- edthatjustasthepropermomenttobeginexecutingaswordtechniqueisthemomentoffirstcontactbetween� attackeranddefender,�thepropermomenttobeginexecutingajudotechniqueisalsothemomentoffirstcon- tactbetweenattackeranddefender.�Thus,�thelongperiodsofslowandindecisivewrestlingthatoccurinmodern� judotournamentsaftercompetitorshavegrabbedeachother'suniformsfailtomeetKano'sideal.�Instead,�play- ersshouldgrasplightly,�movefluidly,�andtreateachmomentasthemomentofinitialcontact.
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