Dr.Jigoro Kano,founder of modern Judo was born in the town of Mikage in the Hyogo Perfecture on October 28 1860.
Shihan Kano never viewed the martial arts as a means to display physical prowess or superiority.As a pacifist he studied them to find a way to live in peace with other human beings.In his youth Kano studied Judo under a number of different masters.
Sensei Teinosuke Yagi was his first teacher but at the age of 18 he entered the dojo of Tenshin Shinyo,Sensei Hachinosuke Fukuda.Upon graduation from Tokoyo University he,studied the Kito tradition under Sensei Iikubo.By his mid 20's Shihan Kano had been initiated into the secret teachings of both ryus.
Kano's search for a unifying priniciples for the techniques he learned led him to the first principle of Judo-Seiryoku Zenyo (maximum efficiency in mental and physical energy).To him only techniques that kept practitioners from spending much physical and mental energy should be incorporated into the system.One should use the energy of one's opponent to defeat his or her aggression.He called the resulting body of knowledge Judo.
Judo is an exciting sport and martial arts now practiced all over the world and was introduced to the Olympics games in 1964 and is now a great way to keep fit and build self-confidence.
