Kanō Jigoro, the legendary founder of Judo. Despite being a smaller man, he could toss large men with ease.
The name Judo means “the gentle way” and the sport is built on principles such as justice, courtesy, safety, and modesty. Kanō saw the martial art as a way to bring people together, even while throwing opponents to the mat.
Born in 1860 in Mikage (now part of Kobe), Kanō moved to Tokyo with his father at age 11. Though he was known as a child prodigy in school, he often faced adversity. To build strength, he became determined to study the martial art of Jujutsu. During his time as a student at Tokyo University, he finally found someone who would teach him—Jujutsu master and former samurai Fukuda Hachinosuke.
Judo was first born during a Jujutsu sparring match when Kanō incorporated a western wrestling move to bring his much larger opponent to the mat. By removing the most dangerous techniques used in Jujutsu, he created “Judo,” a safe and cooperative sport based on Kanō’s personal philosophy of Seiryoku-Zenyo (maximum efficient use of energy) and Jita-Kyoei (mutual prosperity of self and others). In 1882, Kanō opened his own dojo (a martial arts gym), the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo, where he would go on to develop Judo for years. He also welcomed women into the sport in 1893.
Kanō became the first Asian member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1909, and in 1960, the IOC approved Judo as an official Olympic sport.
On his death bed, he asked that he be buried in a white belt instead of a black belt. He wanted to be remembered as a learner, not a master.
