mitesco - judo

The principle of jita kyoei is a great ideal, but Jigoro Kano realized that a world of peace and harmony is not simple to achieve. Japan had in Kano's time to deal with people that were rooted in old traditions, and little civilized from themselves.

Kano was on the one hand, proud of the traditions of his country, and a true patriot who would like to employ judo as a means to promote his native country. On the other hand, he was an innovator who made already in 1889 a trip to Europe to deal with the modern methods of education and study them and - like a real Japanese - copy these new ideas in order to apply them in a Japanese efficient way. The ideas of Kano on education are thus a synthesis of pure Japanese and Western elements.

1. The significance of Education

The Kano-biographer Andreas Niehaus expresses the importance of education as follows:

Education has for Kano the task, to conduct human behavior in all parts of his existence so, that it is beneficial for him - for the individual human being as social creature in its inextricable link with the society, the nation and the state. Education should prepare children, on the basis of their talents and opportunities, to be willing to take the role that they naturally have in society. Education in this sense leads ultimately to the purpose of the development of society or the state. (Niehaus, p.146)

The idea behind Kano's educational doctrine came from the utilitarian Herbert Spencer (see main menu 'jita kyoei') whose book Education: Intellectual, Physical and Moral from 1861 was edited 1880 in Japanese translation. Kano consistently kept to the three elements of Spencer that he clearly explains on different occasions. It sounds perhaps strange to our ears, but physical education as equivalent element of education, was in the traditional Japanese and Confucian thinking still unusual. Intellectual and moral education got precedence over any form of physical development. The interdependence of the three to be highlighted, it was something entirely new.

Without fundamental intellectual, moral and physical education, there is no higher education possible. The general education is embedded in the higher. It is similar to a ship, transporting a large cargo. If you have a good motor, it will be getting forward quickly. For the direction and in times of problems, however, all depends entirely on the quality of the steersman. In human questions it goes the same way. Knowledge and experience are needed not to choose the wrong direction. If someone in a leading position has no knowledge of morality, and if he is only focused on his own benefit, the more damage he will bring to the world, the more knowledge he has gathered. (Jigoro Kano, 1913, KJT, 6,91)

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2. The meaning of judo for education

Because judo is much more than just a sporting ideal of a movement, but a 'way', judo is also suitable for a complete contribution to the education of people.

Since the very beginning, I had been categorizing Judo into three parts, rentai-ho, shobu-ho, and shushin-ho. Rentai-ho refers to Judo as a physical exercise, while shobu-ho is Judo as a martial art. Shushin-ho is the cultivation of wisdom and virtue as well as the study and application of the principles of Judo in our daily lives. I therefore anticipated that practitioners would develop their bodies in an ideal manner, to be outstanding in matches, and also to improve their wisdom and virtue and make the spirit of Judo live in their daily lives. If we consider Judo first as a physical exercise, we should remember that our bodies should not be stiff, but free, quick and strong. We should be able to move properly in response to our opponent's unexpected attacks. We should also not forget to make full use of every opportunity during our practice to improve our wisdom and virtue. These are the ideal principles of my Judo. (Kano, 1888)

We also see his teachings in the comprehensive text "the contribution of judo to education", see on this page, at point 4.

An excellent book on this subject is: "Leben und Werk Kanô Jigôros (1860 - 1938): Ein Forschungsbeitrag zur Leibeserziehung und zum Sport in Japan" by Andreas Niehaus, Würzburg: Ergon 2003 Verlag, 382 pages. A must for those who really want to get acquainted with the teachings of Jigoro Kano, but a problem could be: it's only in German and rather expensive.

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3. The application for the judoka's in our time

Education for judoka's is a versatile thing. In the dojo's the majority of the judoka's is still young. Children and young adults are anyway still in an educational environment. Adults may be thinking that they are well-educated, and maybe feel no further need to have more education.

Wrong. Judo is necessarily a 'way' which means lifelong change and refining to become a more perfect human being.

In the spirit of judo it means: Jika no Kansei! = strive for perfection as a whole person.

Judoka's are being educated in the vision of Jigoro Kano (and Herbert Spencer) on three different levels:

a. Intellectually

The big changes in education are always beginning with understanding and insight. In the case of judo it means, as displayed in the menu 'strategy' : to educate jukuryo danko - careful consideration and effective action. You will find that even back in "the contribution of judo to education", in item 4

With regard to jita kyoei, and applied to the great ideals of the improvement of humanity, this means :

Building knowledge and critical thinking: during and outside the judo practice, the judoka's are encouraged to think critically and ask questions. The judoka's must learn not just to have an opinion, but first thoroughly acquire the proper knowledge before they proceed.
Prejudices, stereotypes and discrimination: during judo practice everyone is equal, the only difference is the level of the art. The sensei can help recognizing prejudices against others, with himself and others, and point to the danger of discrimination, hardening and prejudices.
Talking and listening. It is inevitable that around the tatami also conflicts arise. A good sensei teaches the judoka's in the dojo a relaxed and safe atmosphere in which they can find words for and articulate what they experience and feel. It supplies a learning-moment of listening to each other, so that conflicts can be reduced by not mutually tearing each other down, verbally humiliating or ridiculizing another. The modern and hard mutual manners are not applied inside the dojo, and it is also learned why.
Apply. All intellectual capabilities are used well in order to achieve responsible choices and decisions.

b. Morally

Moral education means that there is no neutral opinion how judoka's behave, but that there always are values to be transmitted as part of the universal judo training. Jita kyoei is always: happiness for everyone, by good interaction. And never acting against the principle of seiryoku zenyo.

The value of being yourself. The trainer will judoka's help to appreciate the richness of the diversity of people, and they learn to move in the position of another judoka who is different, or so. Mixed groups in which, for example, disabled judoka's (in Dutch: G-judo) participate, are amazing to learn to deal with people. Everyone has his own talents and limitations and that brings the judoka to solidarity and acceptance of equality.
Respect and mutual commitment. See also the separate menu 'respect'. Judoka have 'rei', respect for each other and the sensei who transfers the tradition of judo. That requires a sense of respect, which only can be experienced at a deeper level, if there is a commitment to understand one another. On the mat nobody is to be bullied.
Rights and duties, freedom and responsibility. Freedom seems to be unlimited in our country. Jigoro Kano was a strong advocate of discipline. A judoka knows what the rules of the dojo are. This applies to the ordinary rules of hygiene, but also for the mutual 'hygiene', and outside the dojo: rights and duties are necessary to guarantee a healthy society for all. That will require active commitment to virtues like courage and justice.
Social vision. Judoka's should be aware of the role that they have in their environment. A trainer encourages involvement and solidarity with each other and in the rest of the world.
Control in a moral sense: A Judoka will see that anger and agitation is always waste of energy.

c. Physically

A judoka with a well-educated mind is always in harmony with his body. That means that the mind is stronger than his muscles. On the mat a judoka never let go. Physical violence is excluded. And on the street tough behavior is certainly not tolerated.

Physical education is a wide spectrum of movements - see the long text of Jigoro Kano below.

But in the context of the jita kyoei is it:

Control of aggression and violence. A judoka learns to understand his own motives, the impulses of aggression and violence in his life. Judoka's are always learning to control their anger and power (see menu 'selfcontrol') and use their energy in a constructive manner.
Defensibility. A judoka is specialized in the proper relationship between attack and defense. He is not afraid, and feels sure, especially in situations where violence could threaten. He is safe by himself, but always with respect for others.
Coping with conflict. In the dojo is also learned to cope with conflicts and disputes. Violence is only one of many possible ways to respond to conflicts. Skills to resolve conflicts in a non-violent way can certainly be learned and applied by judo. This applies to conflicts on a personal level, or within a group, but also a broader vision of the community, at national or international level. Some judoka's are also military and judo is also learned within police training. Since it is an ideal way to strive from the heart for peace and harmony, by customizing and dealing with aggression.

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4. The Contribution of Judo to Education, by Jigoro Kano

The following contribution was held by Jigoro Kano on occasion of the first international Judo Summer School in August 1932.

The object of this lecture is to explain to you in a general way what Judo is. In our feudal times there were many military exercises, such as fencing, archery, the use of spears, etc. Among them there was one called Jujitsu which was a composite exercise, consisting principally of the ways of fighting without weapons; using, however, occasionally daggers, swords and other weapons.

The kinds of attack were chiefly throwing, hitting, choking, holding the opponent down, and bending or twisting the opponent's arms or legs in such a way as to cause pain or fracture. The use of swords and daggers was also taught. We had also multitudinous ways of defending ourselves against such attacks. Such exercise, in its primitive form, existed even in our mythological age. But systematic instruction, as an art, dates only from about three hundred and fifty years ago.

In my young days I studied this art with three eminent masters of the time. The great benefit I derived from the study of it led me to make up my mind to go on with the subject more seriously, and in 1882 I started a school of my own and called it Kodokan. Kodokan literally means "a school for studying the way, " the meaning of "the way" being the concept of life itself. I named the subject I teach Judo instead of Jujitsu. In the first place I will explain to you the meaning of these words. Ju means "gentle" or "to give way," Jitsu, an "art" or "practice," and Do "way" or "principle," so that Jujitsu means an art or practice of gentleness or of first giving way in order ultimately to gain the victory; while Judo means the way or principle of the same.

Le me now explain what this gentleness or giving way really means. Suppose we assume that we may estimate the strength of man in units of one. Let us say that the strength of a man standing in front of me is represented by ten units, whereas my strength, less than his, is represented by seven units. The if he pushes me with all his force I shall certainly be pushed back or thrown down, even if I use all my strength against him. This would happen because I used all my strength against him, opposing strength with strength. But if, instead of opposing him I were to give way to his strength by withdrawing my body just as much as he had pushed, remembering at the same time to keep my balance, then he would naturally lean forward and thus lose his balance.

In this new position, he may have become so weak (not in actual physical strength but because of his awkward position) as to have his strength represented for the moment by, say, only three units, instead of his normal ten units. But meanwhile, I, by keeping my balance, retain my full strength, as originally represented by seven units. Here then, I am momentarily in an advantageous position, and I can defeat my opponent using only half of my strength, that is half of my seven units, or three and one-half against his three. This leaves one half of my strength available for any purpose. In case I had greater strength than my opponent I could of course push him back. But even in this case, that is, if I had wished to push him back and had the power to do so, it would be better first for me to have given way, because by so doing I should have greatly economized my energy.

This is one simple instance of how an opponent may be beaten by giving way. Other instances may be given.

Suppose that my opponent tries to twist my body (as here demonstrated by my assistant and myself) intending to cause me to fall down so. If I were to resist him I should surely be thrown down, because my strength to resist him is not sufficient to overcome his. But if, on the other hand, I give way to him, and while doing so I pull my opponent (as demonstrated) throwing my body voluntarily on the ground, I can throw him very easily.

I will give another example. Suppose that we are walking along a mountain road with a precipice on the side (as demonstrated) and that this man had suddenly sprung upon me and tried to push me down the precipice. In this case if could not help being pushed over the precipice if I attempted to resist him, while, on the contrary, if I give way to him at the same time, turning my body round (as demonstrated) and pulling my opponent towards the precipice, I can easily throw my opponent over the edge and at the same time throw my own body safely to the ground.

I can multiply these examples to any extent, but I think those which I have given will suffice to enable you to understand how I may beat an opponent by giving way, and as there are so many instances in Jujitsu contest where this principle is applied, the name jujitsu (that is, the gentle, or giving-way art) came to be the name of the whole art.

But strictly speaking, real Jujitsu is something more. The way of gaining victory over an opponent by Jujitsu is not confined to gaining victory only by giving way. We sometimes hit, kick and choke in physical contest, but in contra-distinction to giving way, these are forms of direct attack.

Sometimes an opponent takes hold of one's wrist. How can one possibly release oneself without using one's strength against one's opponent's grip? The same thing can be asked when somebody grips one from behind. If, thus, the principle of giving way cannot cover all the methods used in Jujitsu contest, is there any principle which really covers the whole field? Yes, there is, and that is the principle of the maximum-efficient use of mind and body, and Jujitsu is nothing but an application of this all-pervading principle in attack and defense.

Can this principle be applied to other fields of human activity?

Yes, this same principle can be applied to the improvement of the human body, making it strong, healthy and useful, and so constitutes physical education. It can also be applied to the improvement of intellectual and moral power, and in this way constitutes mental and moral education. It can at the same time be applied to the improvement of diet, clothing, housing, social intercourse, and methods of business, thus constituting the study and training in living. I gave this all-pervading principle the name of "ju-do". So Judo, in its fuller sense, is a study and method of training in mind and body as well as in the regulation of life and affairs.

Judo, therefore, in one of its phases, can be studied and practiced with attack and defense for its main object. Before I started Kodokan, this attack and defense phase of Judo only was studied and practiced in Japan under the name of Jujitsu, sometimes call Taijitsu meaning the art of managing the body or Yawara, the "gentle management". But I came to think that the study of this all-pervading principle is more important than the mere practice of Jujitsu, because the real understanding of the principle not only enables one to apply it to all phases of life, but is also of great service in the study of the art of Jujitsu itself.

It is not only through the process I took that one can come to grasp this principle. One can arrive at the same conclusion by philosophical interpretation of the daily transaction of business, or through abstract philosophical reasoning. But when I started to teach Judo I thought it advisable to follow the same course as I took in the study of the subject, because by so doing I could make the body of my pupil healthy, strong and useful. At the same time, I could assist him gradually to grasp this all-important principle. For this reason I began the instruction of Judo with training in Randori and Kata.

Randori, meaning "free exercise" is practiced under conditions of actual contest. It includes throwing, choking, holding the opponent down, and bending or twisting his arms or legs. The two combatants may use whatever methods they like provided they do not hurt each other and obey the rules of Judo concerning etiquette, which are essential to its proper working.

Kata, which literally means "form", is a formal system of pre-arranged exercises, including hitting, cutting, kicking, thrusting, etc., according to rules under which each combatant knows before hand exactly what his opponent is going to do. The training in hitting, kicking, cutting and thrusting are taught in Kata and not in Randori, because if they were used in Randori cases of injury might frequently occur, while when taught in Kata no such injury is likely to happen because all the attacks and defenses are pre-arranged.

Randori may be practiced in various ways. If the object be simply training in the method of attack and defense, the attention should be especially directed to the training in the most efficient ways of throwing, bending or twisting, without special reference to developing the body or to mental and moral culture.

Randori can also be studied with physical education as its main object. From what I have already said, anything to be ideal must be performed on the principle of maximum-efficiency.

We will see how the existing systems of physical education can stand this test.

Taking athletics as a whole, I cannot help thinking that they are not the ideal form of physical education, because every movement is not chosen for all around development of the body but for attaining some other definite object. And furthermore, as we generally require special equipment and sometimes quite a number of persons to participate in them, athletics are fitted as a training for select groups of a whole nation. This holds true with boxing, wrestling, and different kinds of military exercises practiced all over the world. Then people may ask, "Are not gymnastics an ideal form of national physical training?"

To this I answer that they are an ideal form of physical education from their being contrived for all around development of the body, and not necessarily requiring special equipment and participants. But gymnastics are lacking in very important things essential to the physical education of a whole nation. The defects are:

1. Different gymnastics movements have no meaning and naturally are devoid of interest.
2. No secondary benefit is derived from their training.
3. Attainment of "skill" (using the word "Skill" in a special sense) cannot be sought for or acquired in gymnastics as in some other exercises.

From this brief survey of the whole field of physical education, I can say that no ideal form has yet been invented to fill the necessary conditions for such physical education.

This ideal form can only be devised from a study based on maximum-efficiency. In order to fulfill all those conditions or requirements, a system of all-round development of the body as a primary consideration must be devised as in the case of gymnastics. Next, the movements should have some meaning so that they may be engaged in with interest. Again, the activities should be such as require no large space, special dress or equipment. Furthermore, they must be such as could be done individually as well as in groups.

Those are the conditions or requirements for a satisfactory system of physical education for a whole nation. Any system that can meet successfully those requirements may, for the first time, be regarded as a program of physical education based on the principle of maximum-efficiency.

I have been studying this subject for a long time and have succeeded in devising two forms which may be said to fulfill all those requirements.

One form is what I named "representative form." This is a way of representing ideas, emotions, and different motions of natural object by movements of limbs, body and neck. Dancing is one instance of such, but originally dancing was not devised with physical education for its object, and can therefore not be said to fulfill those requirements. But it is possible to devise special kinds of dancing made to suit persons of different sex and mental and physical condition and made to express moral ideas and feelings, so that can jointly with the cultivation of the spiritual side of a nation it can also develop the body in a way suited to all.

This "representative form" is, I believe, in one way or other practiced in America and Europe, and you can, I think, imagine what I mean: Therefore I shall not deal with it any further here.

There is one other form which I named "attack and defense form". In this, I have combined different methods of attack and defense, in such a way that the result will conduce to the harmonious development of the whole body. Ordinary methods of attack and defense taught in Jujitsu cannot be said to be ideal for the development of the body, therefore, I have especially combined them so that they fulfill the conditions necessary for the harmonious development of the body. This can be said to meet two purposes: (1) bodily development, and (2) training in the art of contest. As every nation is required to provide for national defense, so every individual must know how to defend himself. In this age of enlightenment, nobody would care to prepare either for national aggressions or for doing individual violence to others. But defense in the cause of justice and humanity must never be neglected by a nation or by an individual.

This method of physical education in attack and defense form, I shall show you by actual practice. This is divided into two kinds of exercises: one is individual exercise and the other is exercise with an opponent (as demonstrated).

From what I have explained and shown by practice, you have no doubt understood what I mean by physical education based on the principle of maximum-efficiency. Although I strongly advocate that the physical education of a whole nation should be conducted on that principle, at the same time I do not mean to lay little emphasis on athletics and various kinds of martial exercise. Although they cannot be deemed appropriate as a physical education of a whole nation, yet as a culture of a group or groups of persons, they have their special value and by no means wish to discourage them, especially Randori in Judo.

One great value of Randori lies in the abundance of movements it affords for physical development. Another value is that every movement has some purpose and is executed with spirit, while in ordinary gymnastic exercise movements lack interest. The object of a systematic physical training in Judo is not only to develop the body but to enable a man or a woman to have a perfect control over mind and body and to make him or her ready to meet any emergency whether that be a pure accident or an attack by others.

Although exercise in Judo is generally conducted between two persons, both in Kata and in Randori, and in a room specially prepared for the purpose, yet that is not always necessary. It can be practiced by a group or by a single person, on the playground, or in an ordinary room. People imagine that falling in Randori is attended with pain and sometimes with danger. But a brief explanation of the way one is taught to fall will enable them to understand that there is not such pain or danger.

I shall now proceed to speak of the intellectual phase of Judo. Mental training in Judo can be done by Kata as well as by Randori, but more successfully by the latter. As Randori is a competition between two persons, using all the resources at their command and obeying the prescribed rules of Judo, both parties must always be wide awake, and be endeavoring to find out weak points of the opponent, being ready to attack whenever opportunity allows. Such an attitude of mind in devising means of attack tends to make the pupil earnest, sincere, thoughtful, cautious and deliberate in all his dealings. At the same time one is trained for quick decision and prompt action, because in Randori unless one decides quickly and acts promptly he will always lose his opportunity either in attacking or in defending.

Again, in Randori each contestant cannot tell what his opponent is going to do, so each must always be prepared to meet any sudden attack by the other. Habituated to this kind of mental attitude, he develops a high degree of mental composure- of "poise". Exercise of the power of attention and observation in the gymnasium or place of training, naturally develops such power, which is so useful in daily life.

For devising means of defeating an opponent, the exercise of the power of imagination, of reasoning and of judgment, is indispensable, and such power is naturally developed in Randori. Again, as the study of Randori is the study of the relation, mental and physical, existing between two competing parties, hundreds of valuable lessons may be derived from this study, but I will content myself for the present by giving a few more examples. In Randori we teach the pupil always to act on the fundamental principle of Judo, no matter how physical inferior his opponent may seem to him and even if he can by sheer strength easily overcome the other. If he acts against this principle the opponent will never be convinced of his defeat, whatever brutal strength may have been used on him. It is hardly necessary to call your attention to the fact that the way to convince your opponent in an argument is not to push this or that advantage over him, be it from power, from knowledge, or from wealth, but to persuade him in accordance with the inviolable rules of logic. This lesson that persuasion, not coercion is efficacious - which is so valuable in actual life - we may learn from Randori.

Again, we teach the learner, when he has recourse to any trick in overcoming his opponent, to employ only as much of his force as is absolutely required for the purpose in question, cautioning him against either an over - or under - exertion of force. There are not a few cases in which people fail in what they undertake simply because they go too far, not knowing where to stop, and vice versa.

To take still another instance, in Randori, we teach the learner, when he faces an opponent who is madly excited, to score a victory over him, not by directly resisting him with might and main, but by playing him until the fury and power of the latter expends itself.

The usefulness of this attitude in everyday transactions with others is patent. As is well known, no amount of reasoning could avail us when we are confronted by a person who is so agitated as to seem to have lost his temper. All that we have to do in such a case is to wait until his passion wears itself out. All these teaching we learn from the practice of Randori. Their application to the conduct of daily affairs is a very interesting subject of study and is valuable as an intellectual training for you minds.

I will finish my talk about the intellectual phase of Judo by referring shortly to the rational means of increasing knowledge and intellectual power.

If we closely observe society, we notice everywhere the way in which we foolishly expend our energy in the acquisition of knowledge. All our surroundings are always giving us opportunities of gaining useful knowledge, but are we not constantly neglecting the best use of such opportunities? Are we always making the best choice of books, magazines and newspapers we read? Do we not often find out that the energy which might have been spent for acquiring useful knowledge is often used for amassing knowledge which is prejudicial not only to self but also to society?

Besides the acquisition of useful knowledge, we must endeavor to improve our intellectual powers, such as memory, attention, observation, judgment, reasoning, imagination, etc. But this we should not do in a haphazard manner, but in accordance with psychological laws, so that the relation of those powers one with the other shall be well harmonized. It is only by faithfully following the principles of maximum-efficiency - that is Judo - that we can achieve the object of rationally increasing our knowledge and intellectual power.

I shall now speak about the moral phase of Judo. It is now my intention to speak of the moral discipline given to students in the exercise room, such as the observance of the regular rules of etiquette, courage, and perseverance, kindness, and respect for others, impartiality, and fair play, so much emphasized in athletic sports throughout the world. The training in Judo has a special moral import in Japan because Judo, together with other martial exercises, was practiced by our Samurai, who had a high code of honor, the spirit of which has been bequeathed to us through the teaching of the art. In this connection I wish to explain to you how the principle of maximum-efficiency helps us in promoting moral conduct. A man is sometimes very excitable and prone to anger for trivial reasons. But when one comes to consider that "to be excited" is an unnecessary expenditure of energy, giving benefit to nobody but often doing harm to himself and others, it will be seen that students of Judo must refrain from such conduct.

A man is sometimes despondent from disappointment, is gloomy, and has no courage to work. To such a man Judo comes with the advice to find out what is the best thing he can do under the existing circumstances. Paradoxical as it may seem, such a man is, to my mind, in the same position as one who is at the zenith of success. In either case, there is only one course to follow, that is, what after due consideration he deems to be the best course of action at the time. Thus the teaching of Judo may be said to lead a man from the depths of disappointment and lethargy to a state of vigorous activity with a bright hope for the future.

The same reasoning applies to those persons who are discontented. Discontented persons are often in a sulky state of mind and blame other people for what is their own fault and without attending to their own business. The teaching of Judo will make such persons understand that such conduct is against the principle of maximum-efficiency, and will make them realize that by the faithful pursuance of that principle they will become more cheerful. Thus the teaching of Judo is, in a variety of ways, serviceable to the promotion of moral conduct.

Finally, I wish to add a few words to the emotional phase of Judo. We are all aware of the pleasurable sensations given to the nerves and muscles through exercise, and we also feel pleasure at the attainment of skill, in the use of our muscles, and also through the sense of superiority over others in contest. But besides these pleasures there is that love of beauty and delight in it derivable from assuming graceful attitudes and performing graceful movements and also in seeing such in others. The training in these, together with the pleasure obtainable from watching various movements symbolical of different ideas, constitutes what we call the emotional or the aesthetic phase of Judo.

I believe you have already come to see what kind of thing Judo really is, in contra-distinction to the Jujitsu of feudal times.

If I now state in a concise form what I have said, it might be summed up as follows:

Judo is a study and training in mind and body as well as in the regulation of one's life and affairs. From the thorough study of the different methods of attack and defense I became convinced that they all depend on the application of one all-pervading principle, namely: "Whatever be the object, it can best be attained by the highest or maximum-efficient use of mind and body for that purpose." Just as this principle applied to the methods of attack and defense constitutes Jujitsu, so does this same principle, applied to physical, mental and moral culture, as well as to ways of living and carrying on of business constitutes the study of, and the training in, those things.

Once the real import of this principle be understood, it may be applied to all phases of life and activity and enable one to lead the highest and the most rational life.

The real understanding of this principle need not necessarily be arrived at through the training in the methods of attack and defense, but as I came to conceive of this idea through training in these methods, I made such training in contest and the training for the development of the body the regular means of arriving at the principle.

This principle of maximum-efficiency, when applied to the keying-up or perfecting of social life, just as when applied to the coordination of mind and body - in the science of attack and defense - demands first of all, order and harmony among its members, and this can only be attained through mutual aid and concession, leading to mutual welfare and benefit.

The final aim of Judo, therefore, is to inculcate in the mind of man a spirit of respect for the principle of maximum-efficiency and of mutual welfare and benefit, leading him so to practice them that man individually and collectively can attain to the highest attack and defense.

If we closely observe the actual state of society all over the world, notwithstanding the fact that morality in all its forms (religious, philosophical and traditional) is meant to improve man's conduct in society and make the world ideal, the fact seems quite the contrary. We notice vices, quarrels, and discontent in every level of society, from the highest to the lowest. While we are taught hygiene and correct ways of living in school from childhood up to mature age, we still are prone to neglect the rules of good clean living and of hygienic and orderly lives.

The actual facts prove that our society is lacking in something which, if brought to light and universally acknowledged, can remodel the present society and bring greater happiness and satisfaction to this world. This is the teaching of maximum-efficiency and mutual welfare and benefit.

I do not mean to say that our time-honored moral precepts and hygienics should be shelved. On the contrary, let those precepts and advice be respected ever as they used to be, but in addition to these, our principle of maximum-efficiency and mutual welfare and benefit should ever be paramount.

This I emphatically say, because in this age of criticism and new ideas, for any teaching to have effect, it must have behind it, some indubitable reason or fact.

We do not hear the thinking man today say, "Because I believe in such and such a thing, therefore you must believe in it," or, "I came to such and such a conclusion through my own reasoning; therefore you also must come to the same conclusion." Whatever one affirms must be based on facts or reasoning which no sane person can deny or doubt. Certainly none can deny the value of the principle "whatever be the object, it can best be attained by the highest or maximum-efficient use of mind and body for that purpose."

Again, none can deny that it is only by aiming at mutual welfare and benefit that every member of society can keep from discord and quarreling, and live in peace and prosperity. Is it not because of the universal recognition of these facts that people have come to talk so much about efficiency and scientific management and that everywhere these are being advocated?

In addition to this, the principle of give-and-take is more and more coming to be the determining factor in the lives of all human beings. Is it not because this principle of mutual welfare and benefit has been recognized that we came to form the League of Nations and the Great Powers of the world came to meet for the decrease of naval and military armaments? These movements are also automatic acknowledgment of the crying need of efficiency and mutual welfare and benefit. They must be fostered by the educational forces of every country in which Judo should have a prominent part.

http://www.judoinfo.com/kano.htm

http://www.judo-snijders.nl/download-judo/kano%203.html

http://www.judoworld.org/articles/contribution-of-judo-education.php

http://www.msisshinryu.com/articles/kano/judo-contrib.shtml

http://www.tracyskenpokarate.com/Jigoro%20Kano%20Article.htm

http://www.leewedlake.com/articles2.asp?articleid=60

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