Rediscovering Kodokan Judo
© 2005, Llyr C Jones PhD
Abstract
It is well known that the word judo comes from a combination of two Japanese words – ju meaning gentle and do meaning path or way. This makes judo literally the gentle way.
At the level of first principles, the essence of Kodokan1 Judo [1] is the turning an opponent's strength and overcoming by means of skill rather than sheer strength. This theory is captured by the Japanese expression ju yoku go o seisu – usually translated in a number of ways e.g. softness overcomes hardness, flexibility overcomes stiffness, gentleness controls strength or win by yielding.
Watching the seemingly effortless combination of grace, technique and power of a true judo expert in action it would be very easy (but very wrong) to underestimate the intense physical and mental demands that judo makes upon its exponents. Achieving excellence in judo demands considerable single-mindedness, and achieving mastery of all of the throwing, grappling and striking techniques that makes up the discipline demands serious and arduous training over an extended period of time under the guidance of an experienced and knowledgeable teacher.
Judo is now practised in almost every country in the world. However, the aim of this paper is to question the direction that judo has taken and to challenge whether a significant re-orientation is required?
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