Celebrating Kano Jigoro – The Father Of Judo

Kano’s “Most Efficient Use Of Energy”

Kano anchored the sport on two core concepts, “maximum efficient use of physical and mental energy.” He created the modified version of the physical technique by transforming the traditional Jujutsu principle of “defeating strength through flexibility.” The ultimate goal is to inculcate the two codes in our minds.

By combining what he regarded as the beneficial points of these with his ideas and sources of inspiration, Kano developed a new theoretical and technical approach that he believed better suited modern requirements.

The statement “most efficient use of energy,” which he deemed a foundation of martial arts and a notion helpful in many parts of life, encapsulated the essence of this approach. He believed that putting this idea into practice may help “mutual prosperity for self and others.” This was his true training purpose. He trained in halls he named “Ko-do-kan,” or “a place to teach the path.”

Kano had established more than just a technique: it was a set of ideas for self-improvement.  To reflect this, he changed the phrase “Ju-jutsu” to Judo by replacing the suffix with “do” (path) and combining it with the word “Jutsu” (technique).