BEGINNINGS OF JUDO PROF. Marcelo Ehrlich

POEMA: UNO Y CERO César Brandon

BEGINNINGS OF JUDO

Prof. Marcelo Ehrlich

Hello to all practitioners of Martial Arts, combat sports and combat systems, who are reading "The Way"! Serious dissemination is very important to reach everyone, the reality of our activity, where we are headed and how the beginnings were. Those beginnings that are sometimes unknown due to lack of historical records, or were adorned with fantasies because there was no way to contrast them or to bring more followers closer to them. Starting with this issue in “El Camino”, we will have a monthly exhibition on JUDO.

The history of Judo is very rich in its historical aspect, due to all the existing documentation. There are entire books dedicated to this topic of the beginnings, international publications that have dealt with it, that is, there is a lot of material to understand its origins and how it reaches our days. Since we will have constant communication, we will begin by giving you the most relevant historical details and the thoughts that accompany this evolution, in a summarized form, and we will expand on them in each issue to make it an enjoyable read. ORIGINS. In 1877, Jigoro Kano (1860-1938) is a student at the University of Tokyo, while Japan is going through a time of great change, of relationship with the rest of the world, change of mentality with respect to the old, seeking to adapt to other realities, and among those changes is also the questioning of the practice of Martial Arts, which are no longer well seen. In that year, Jigoro Kano began to practice Ju Jutsu in the Tenshin Shin yo-Ryu style, under the tutelage of Master Hachinosuke Fukuda, who specialized above all in Atemi waza (Strike techniques) and Katame waza (Control techniques). . Soon Master Fukuda passed away and he continued training with Master Masamoto Iso, from the same school. When Master Iso passed away, Kano began studying the Ju Jutsu of the Kito Ryu school, under the orders of Master Tsunetoshi Iikubo, a school that specialized above all in Nage waza (throwing techniques). In 1882 Jigoro Kano establishes his own system, basically synthesized from these two schools and others, which was called Kano Ryu at the time, and which immediately came to be called JUDO. The change from Ju Jutsu (or Jiu Jitsu) to Judo, was to differentiate it from its predecessors, in terms of mentality and practice, imprinting a high spirit of humanism, science and practical utility for life. JUTSU (Art), becomes DO (Way), then we will address in depth, the fundamental importance of this change, to understand the evolution of Judo. KODOKAN JUDO, as it would be known to this day, begins in a Buddhist temple compound at Eisho-ji in Tokyo, with few tatami mats and nine students. In the early days, Master Iikubo continued to spend a few days a week, to continue reinforcing the learning of the new students. Every day new practitioners enrolled, with and without experience in Martial Arts, demonstrating that this remarkable change that Kano was making was what people were looking for. KODOKAN (School for the study of the Way), establishes in 1884 the rules of operation and begins a continuous growth, which would lead it to change the place of practice numerous times, since the number of students and the improvement of the facilities, thus they demanded. To the technical and disciplined training, the philosophical thought is added to sustain it and people begin to use in a habitual way, the words and phrases that JUDO is distilling. Much to talk about this particular topic, rich in content and application to our daily lives. The great Maxims of Judo naturally accompany us practitioners: JITA KYOEI: Friendship and mutual prosperity. SEIRYOKU ZENYO: Maximum efficiency with minimum effort. JIKO NO KANSEI: Perfection as a person.

Parallel to the teaching of the new discipline, where he also applies similar methods in the classroom and the Dojo, Kano has a brilliant professional development in Education in Japan, reaching the highest positions in the country. He is also involved in the development of Physical Education, supporting new theories for continuous improvement and their application in all areas. In this field JIGORO KANO founded the first baseball club in Japan, is President of the Japanese Athletic Association, is the first Japanese member of the International Olympic Committee, attending the Olympic Games in Stockholm in 1912, Los Angeles in 1932

and Berlin in 1936 JUDO was spread throughout the five continents by the hand of Kano and other times by his students and teachers, achieving international development like no other activity had. Without a doubt, KANO's vision of Judo for everyone and everywhere was realized long ago. To safeguard the essence of knowledge, KODOKAN continues to be the guide and many official international organizations continue to be the structure that supports sports practice, teaching and regulation of the activity. Thus, today we find the International Judo Federation as the only official institution representing all the countries where Judo is practiced. 207 affiliated countries, on five continents, with millions of practitioners, and a single governing body in each member country, in the case of Uruguay, the Uruguayan Judo Federation. Most people know Judo for its sporting facet, since in 1956 the first World Championship was held in Tokyo and since 1965 in Rio de Janeiro, the first World Championship for weight categories. Since 1964 Judo is an Olympic sport (until today). In 1951, the International Judo Federation was created, which directed, above all, the sporting diffusion of Judo. Holding World Championships for blind and visually impaired Judokas and for Hard of Hearing Judokas. Great Masters, Coaches, Professors and Athletes of the first level, move around the world, contributing knowledge, developing lines of teaching and creating bonds of friendship between practitioners. As a result of this super diffusion of the sports area, it is that people who do not practice it, perhaps only know that facet of Judo. But just as Jigoro Kano established many years ago, the technical education already divided into levels, for a better learning, he also established the study and practice of KATA (Preestablished Forms), RANDORI (Free practice, study of combat, etc. ), SHIAI (Competition). The different KODOKAN study programs are updated from time to time and now more than ever they work together with the IJF. For some time, emphasis has been placed on the study and development of self-defense techniques, teacher training for teaching children, youth and adults, really seeking to ensure that Judo reaches the greatest number of people, in its various forms, and that serve as a tool for self-improvement.