Judo-English or French – 日本と世界

14-Inoue-Kosei-interview-sep-2011

14-Inoue-Kosei-interview-sep-2011

A new mission for Kosei Inoue

（Editor’s Note: This is my interview with Kosei Inoue after his return from his two-year stay in the Great Britain in 2011. His words are interesting in relation to his current positions and roles in the Japanese Judo Federation.)
Kosei Inoue (33), after retiring from active competition with an outstanding record that includes gold medal (100-kilogram category) at the Sydney Olympics, was sent to Great Britain by the Japan Olympic Committee (JOC) on a two-year study tour from January 2009 through January 2011. In a report presented after his return to Japan, he spoke with tangible ardor of how his conviction of the value of judo had grown all the stronger and that he hoped to devote his efforts toward furthering its sound development around the world. During his tour, he made it a point to mix with British society and also visited over 20 nations in Europe and North America for workshops and exchanges. Inoue is one of Japanese judo’s few young leaders to act with an international outlook, and I place great hope in his future course.
Now that he has returned to Japan, Inoue is constantly busy teaching students and judo team members in his positions as full-time lecturer in the Martial Arts Course at Tokai University, assistant manager of the university’s judo team and Japan Judo Federation coach of the national men’s team. As he laments how little time he has to spend at home with his wife and two small children of three and one, his expression is full of a warm human tenderness not visible when he is out on the tatami.
Kosei Inoue has only just moved from first-class competitor into the field of teaching, but his prospects are already drawing attention. On an evening in late autumn, we had some time for a good talk after he had rushed over following a practice session with the national team. In something over two hours in a relaxed atmosphere, one could catch his personality and thoughts and actions. It seems the period in Great Britain has broadened his sights and provided new stimulation for his coming career.
The following, captions included, is the writer’s summary of Inoue’s words.
(November 19, 2011 Gotaro Ogawa)

The value and significance of judo to the world
Starting with Great Britain, one result of my exchanges in many nations is how it impressed me how earnestly people of wide-ranging professions and age groups are working at learning both the techniques and manners of judo. And, watching the way these men, women, boys and girls of all ages were enjoying themselves as they practiced, I felt it might have something to do with a value judo holds. It’s something I hadn’t thought about during all my years as a player.
From experiences like these, I found anew that there was something wonderful about judo. I myself think it would be good if we could get more people involved so the correct way of teaching judo could spread through the world, and I’d like to think it over and do whatever I can to help.
Feelings on today’s judo
When I look at recent trends in judo around the world, I question whether something isn’t rather going against the spirit of “jita kyoei (mutual benefit).” Generally speaking, too much emphasis is being put on competition, and it’s causing problems. One is that a gap has developed among the 200 member nations and territories of the International Judo Federation (IJF). I mean, there’s a lack of consideration for the financially poorer nations and territories. For example, there are problems with things like some countries not being able to send players to international tournaments because hotel fees are too expensive, and under the point system, how to help players who can’t get points because their nations can’t afford to send them.
We mustn’t ever forget the judo spirit of “mutual benefit.” The players taking part in international tournaments aren’t the only ones who keep judo going. In order for it to spread fairly around the world, we need something like special provisions for less advantaged nations and territories. We need to give more thought to bolstering support for them.
While overseas, I met many people who’ve spent years abroad teaching judo. I feel there’s a need to give more consideration to the people around the world, including here in Japan, who are giving their full-out efforts for its advancement. In no few places, those in charge are getting old and have nobody to replace them, but on the other hand, I know there are some among our young judoka who’d like to do what they can do abroad. It seems an unfortunate waste not to match supply and demand.
Rallying talent for judo
Japanese judo circles tend to concentrate into groups of those who graduated from the same school. And, from the aspect of aiming for medals, their stance toward other nations is not always open. For example, some are against Japanese instructors giving judo training to players from nations that could be our rivals. I agree we need to think about making our old schools or Japan stronger, but from a broader standpoint, it’s also important to think about the spirit and sound development of judo in the world as a whole. When foreign players who have risen with the training of Japanese instructors defeat Japanese players, then Japanese judo, too, will grow stronger by defeating them anew.
In Japan as well as abroad, judo circles have a lot of concerns to deal with. Overcoming them takes the help of many people. I feel it’s important that, without sticking too much to school or national sentiments, we think from the position of “Judo” as “All-Japan” and rally together a lot of people with the talents we need. Even if they don’t have records as competitors, I think it would be good to open the way so that people in business and other fields with some experience in judo, and also others with an interest, could play a part in judo’s development. In international concerns, I think it’s extremely important that Japan, as birthplace of judo, heighten her voice and leadership, including on manners and respect. To heighten her leadership on the international level, I think one thing we need is to train and dispatch people who can play an active role in the IJF and the Asian Judo Federation. For that, I’m aware of things like the importance of election campaigns. Whether dealing with technical instruction or international matters, we’re in an age where the constant, well-planned training of competent personnel is even more important than ever.
Japanese judo should be strong: how to train for that?
In my position as a coach for the national team, the charge that our men’s heavyweight categories haven’t been showing results stings. I myself, after all, feel strongly that Japanese judo should be strong. From that angle, especially with the heavyweight category players, the first task is how to get them to strengthen their consciousness of being representatives of Japan. Also, given that the average physical skill level of Japanese children has shown a big drop recently, and that the Japanese are genetically inferior to athletes from nations like Jamaica when it comes to the ability to move in a sudden spurt, we need to put in more research and come up with more novel ideas for how to win against foreign players.
As for training methods, we of course have to go through hard, long, strict practice, but I think it’s also necessary to listen to the views of the players and coaches and various other professionals putting up with all the changes in current rules, make training methods better fit to current needs and come up with more ideas for what material we include in training sessions. On the latter, I first of all want to give players more practice in the grappelling(kumite) and leg techniques(ashiwaza). We have to put more emphasis on training players to get in ahead with their own grappling forms before they’re out-grappelled by physically stronger foreign players. Also, it works to your advantage if you can trigger changes and move your opponent with things like leg techniques to switch the bout from standing into ground techniques(newaza), but to do that, we need to work harder to master leg techniques and go through rigorous, repeated drilling in ground techniques. The weight of ground techniques is small in recent international matches, but it’s to our advantage if we can command the skills for using them to win. These days, you find cases of players who can’t figure out how to get through the moves of ground techniques. I want to get the players to fully master them. The judogi that changed after the amendments to the rules also help make it effective when you know how to use stranglehold techniques.
One more thing, we have to do even more than ever to analyze the training sessions and matches of overseas players. Japanese players are being analyzed minutely in other nations. I think it’s important that we look at the world situation and strengthen our information gathering, including on how training is conducted in other nations, and do further research on overseas judo.
Aims for the future
On what I do from now on, I’ve just entered the path as an instructor and for the time being would just like to accumulate experience, and if I reach a position where I can think of making greater use of my influence, I hope then to go on to put my own thoughts into practice. Towards that end, I want for the time being to accumulate all the experience I can, and learn all kinds of things about judo from many people so I can make use of it in my own future work.
It is my hope to contribute toward the sound development of judo from a broad perspective that crosses beyond the way things have been done up until now.

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4-Judo-competitions:Japan’s way

Different Ways of Conducting Judo Competitions: Japan Goes Its Own Way
(Gotaro Ogawa, July 15, 2009 )

During the process of Judo’s becoming a widespread international sport, the original way of conducting competitions has undergone considerable change. Although Japan has adapted to internationalized game rules, there always exists a sentiment of unhappiness in the mind of our Judo practitioners. This leads to maintaining some of the important traditional rules in our national competitions.
For us the Japanese, Judo is a martial art and thus, without exception, requires a duel. More concretely, we consider that Judo matches should be fought with no regard to weight difference. With this concept, we are able to see cases where a small player throws a larger opponent. This is one of Judo’s main characteristics, and the Japanese generally consider that the current system of dividing into several weight categories has killed it. This is why we continue to hold the All Japan Judo Championship in the form of “open weight.”
I watched this year’s Championship in April and would like to make a brief analysis in terms of the weight of its contenders to see to what extent weight difference affected or did not affect the competition results. Another reaction we hear in Japan about today’s internationalized judo rules is that the importance of Newaza( groundwork ) is being somewhat overlooked. In this respect I would like to introduce one annual tournament in which Newaza constitutes the main feature. This will be treated in the second part.
Other than the element of weight, I am also left with the impression that the Japanese Judo tournament differs from most international tournaments in the following aspects:
1. There are perhaps more Ippon matches.
2. The interval before referees call Mate is longer and the call used less frequently. This is particularly true in Newaza ( groundwork ). Premature Mate calls during Newaza block the process of entering into Osaekomi ( immobilization ) .
3. There is a greater tendency for the two opponents to get a firm grip on each other, rather than for fighting to grab part of the opponent’s Judo wear.
4. Referees allow longer time for the players to return their disarranged wear to its correct form, something which, I believe, contributes to creating an atmosphere for more courteous conduct between competitors.
I believe that looking at different ways of managing Judo competitions in Japan provides overseas Judokas with an opportunity for reflection on how to improve international competition rules.
Live up to the Principle of “Open Weight” Formula: A brief Analysis of the All Japan Judo Championship 2009
All Japan Judo Championships are held every year on April 29. They have been contested in the form of “open weight”, that is, without weight classes, ever since their founding in 1948. In traditional Japanese thinking, difference in weight should not be taken into consideration in martial arts. In fact, the weight of this year’s 38 participants varied widely: the lightest ( Mr. Uchishiba, Gold Medalist in the 66 kg category in both the Athens and Beijing Olympics ) weighed 69 kg while the heaviest (Mr. Kato) 155 kg. The winner of the tournament was Mr. Takamasa Anai, winner also of the International Championship in Germany in February this year. He weighed 100 kg.
Let me give some figures which may be of interest. Of this tournament’s total 37 matches, 27 were held between contenders whose weight difference was over 10 kilograms. Of these 27 matches the lighter player beat the heavier in 13, that is, in about half of the matches. Below is a list of some major cases among these 13 competitions (Winners are underlined. Figures in the parentheses represent weight in kilograms. Figures on the right show weight difference in kilograms between the two players. )
Kato ( 155 ) vs. Saito ( 92 ) 63
Nishiyama ( 90 ) vs. Wanifuchi ( 135 ) 45
Iwata ( 93 ) vs. Konno ( 135 ) 42
Hongo ( 100 ) vs. Kanzawa (130 ) 30
Tsujita ( 130 ) vs. Inomata ( 100 ) 30
Matsumoto ( 80 ) vs. Toyoshima ( 105 ) 25
Katabuchi ( 125 ) vs. Anai ( 100 ) 25
Anai ( 100 ) vs. Muneta( 125 ) ( Final ) 25
Shoda ( 120 ) vs. Anai(100 ) ( Semi-Final ) 20
If nothing else, one may draw from this table that the weight difference did not seriously count as far as this year’s Japan Championship is concerned. And there is no reason to think that this year was exceptional. As a matter of fact, the annual All Japan University Judo Championships are held in the form of team play of 7 players in “open weight.” Its 58th Championship held on June 27 and 28 this year, with participants’ weight varying between 60 kg and 185 kg, saw a similar result, namely, in nearly 50% of matches the lighter contender won against the heavier.
In Sumo tournament, we often enjoy matches between two wrestlers with considerable difference of weight in which the lighter or smaller wrestler throws or beats the heavier one. I am of the opinion that in international Judo competitions we should reduce, if not abolish completely, the number of weight divisions. It would help Judo come a bit closer to its original character, often described by the Japanese as “ Juu yoku go wo seisu ( 柔よく剛を制す),“ meaning “ Flexibility can overcome force.” Reducing the number of weight categories would motivate players to learn more “flexible” techniques to overcome heavier opponents, and thus contribute to technical development. It could subsequently render Judo more interesting and exciting.
Mr. Isao Okano, Gold Medalist in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics’ Judo middle weight ( -80 kg) category and two-time Japan Championship winner in 1967 and 1969, recently spoke of there being ways to explore possibilities for attaining a sounder form of Judo, for instance, through reducing the number of weight categories, or through allowing players to compete in higher weight categories( e.g., a 66 kg player competing at the 73 kg or higher level ).
Sticking to Newaza( Groundwork )
Although certainly not a major event of Judo in Japan, one of the inter-university Judo tournaments draws the interest of certain Judo amateurs because of its major focus on Newaza ( groundwork ).
On June 13 and 14, the 58th Seven University Judo Championship was held at the Kodokan. This annual championship is held among the Judo Clubs of seven major national universities formerly known as imperial universities. I watched some of this year’s matches as I am an alumnus of the Tokyo University Judo Club, part of the seven-university league. I can well remember the time over 40 years ago when we devoted considerable time and energy to Newaza practice. Ever since the founding of Judo, Newaza has always been a very important part. There is a criticism in Japan, particularly among the older generation of Judo practitioners, over the recent tendency to neglect the importance of Newaza. To my knowledge, the Seven University Championship is probably the only tournament in which Newaza constitutes the major element of competition.
To understand it better, I would try to recapitulate below those rules which are quite different from more ordinary ones.
1. Competition is by team, with 15 players on one team.
2. Winning players advance to the next match, while the losers or those who draw retire.
3. Matches are decided only by Ippon or by two Waza-aris. Only a single Waza-ari constitutes a draw. There is no Yuko: only Wazaari and Ippon are counted.
4. Hikikomi( drawing the opponent into groundwork without applying throwing techniques ) is allowed.
5. When two contenders grappling on the ground go beyond the borders of the playing area ( Jogai ), they are taken back into the center in the same relative position ( Sonomama ) by the referees and told to continue the groundwork with “Yoshi” call.
One can see from these rules that Newaza plays a decisive role in the competition. In fact, while a number of matches are decided by Ippon through throwing techniques, the majority are decided by Ippon through Newaza or by two Waza-aris. Under the rules, it often happens that as soon as the Hajime ( start ) has been called, one of the players immediately grasps the collar of his opponent and in the same instant drops down on his back and tries to draw the opponent into the groundwork. Grappling on the ground sometimes continues for minutes. Duration of the match is normally six minutes. Referees usually do not call Mate and order the players to stand up. When the two contenders, in the fierceness of their struggle, go beyond the borders of the rectangular arena, they are brought back into the middle in the same relative position and told to continue the Newaza. Continuing Newaza sometimes results in long stalemates, but it is also possible to enjoy eye-catching reversals from defensive to offensive position. Moreover, a Waza-ari in Newaza requires 25 seconds, yet a single Waza-ari is insufficient for a win. Matches can thus be tedious for those who expect Judo to be full of spectacular movements. On the other hand, those who truly appreciate Newaza can find excitement in seeing the contenders’ subtle exchange of offensive or defensive techniques.
In my humble opinion, current international competition rules and the performance of referees have much curtailed the development of Newaza techniques. I would say one of the gravest problems is that referees often call Mate too prematurely and too often when opponents are in the midst of fighting on the ground. Attaining Ippon through Newaza sometimes takes time in the sense that the contender on the offensive side must go through the preparatory process needed for a solid Osaekomi ( immobilization ) . This means, for instance, first trying to secure the holding of the opponent’s shoulder, and then working to extract his leg from between the legs of his opponent. Premature Mate calls kill this process and thereby hinder the sound development of Newaza. Many Judokas in Japan share this opinion. Therefore, there is a need for rules to be modified and referees trained so as to allow a longer time for the interactions of Newaza.
Newaza is as important and as much an integral part of Judo as Tachiwaza ( throwing techniques ). There are many exciting Newaza techniques, including a number of esoteric cases developed during the past century by both grand or unknown Judokas. The techniques of Newaza are indeed very deep. It is regrettable that the effort it takes to explore these deep techniques has been weakened because, perhaps, of a predilection for more eye-catching Judo based on commercialization.
It’s time for the IJF to consider ways to remedy the situation. Although there are pros and cons to the rules of Japan’s Seven University Judo Championship, its way of managing competition provides us with good material for reflection.
Interview with Kaori Yamaguchi

Kaori Yamaguchi: “I want to play a role in thinking about judo”

(Editor’s note) This is my interview in 2011with Ms. Kaori Yamaguchi, pioneer of Japanese women’s judo. She is bronze medalist in Seoul Olympics in 1988 and several times world champion.

Japanese women’s judo today shows enough strength to draw international attention, and as one of the pioneers, Ms. Kaori Yamaguchi (professor at Tsukuba University, Gold Medalist (52kg) in the 1984 World Championships, Bronze Medalist in the 1988 Seoul Olympics) is currently active in judo instruction, including that for children, and with her concerns over the present situation in judo, takes a firm and multi-angled stand on its essence. She earns respect for the devotion she pours into working to make judo the best it can be.
Her blog, rightly considered a “Judo Forum,” has recently come to an end. While inquiring into the reasons, I also asked about her recent feelings on judo. From her thoughts based on this year’s Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, she expressed the value she felt in the way training in judo nurtures a stance of being able to cope calmly in the face of crisis. I was impressed with the way she kept her view open to the world and spoke of wanting to “play a role in stopping and thinking about judo.”
Following is the English translation of her interview.
(April 2011, Edited by Gotaro Ogawa)
Q: Your blog “Thinking about Judo” has until now touched on a wide range of problems and the contents were often thought-provoking, and I have been reading it with deep interest. Many people read it, and I was disappointed when recently, and rather suddenly, you brought it to a close. What was behind your decision to stop?
A: Through this blog, I wanted to do what I could to think seriously about what judo is, and by sending out my thoughts, get others with an interest in judo to think more about it.
I touched on various recent-day problems in judo both at home and abroad, and from time to time dealt with things like the International Judo Federation’s (IJF) new management policies and criticisms on the relationship between the Kodokan and the All Japan Judo Federation. Many people read it, and among them were many who said they agreed. There were times when I specifically named the people I criticized. There was some degree of bad feeling on the part of the Kodokan and All Japan Federation, but not such as to put me in a difficult position. It is my hope that people could to even a small extent understand that I wrote with the feeling of wanting somehow to do something for the sake of judo.
By continuing the blog for something over two years, I feel I was by and large able to set things in motion and establish a current that let people know my thoughts. I well understand that even if you point out problems, it is unrealistic to expect any sudden improvements. Recently, people tell me my comments have gone a little soft, but there’s no way to predict things will change even if I fight and continue persistently criticizing, and there’s also the danger that the stability of judo itself could be hurt by a war of words on pros and cons.
There are people who said they were happy that various information on judo reached their areas at a distance from Tokyo. At this point where the current is to some degree in motion, I felt I’d like to close the blog down, and sometime in the future, if there’s a chance to comment on judo in some other form, take it up again then.
Q: I agree with many of the points you made, but even when proposals are made on the most essential aspects of judo, it certainly is very difficult to have them realized when the international level is included, isn’t it. What should we do about this?
A: There are various opinions on the individual problems related to judo, and there are not always going to be solutions. But on the important points in question, I think it is critical to speak out firmly and take follow-up actions.
I hope the time will come when those involved will think about the points I have taken up. The IJF’s President Viser seems to hold clear ideas of his own, so I don’t think there will be any short-term changes, but I believe it’s important for judo leaders and enthusiasts around the world to think among themselves about what to do for the best interests of judo and to speak out on their opinions and to take action. Recently, movements for political change have been taking place in Africa and the Middle East, and I think they have shown the world that when you take action, even though there is a period of disorder, you can lead to change.
Q: In recent judo, what points do you see as major problems?
A: First, there is need for a stance on whom judo is for. When the players are involved, you have to think from the players’ standpoint, and when the great number of judo enthusiasts other than the competing players themselves are involved, you have to think of them, too.
For example, on the players’ side, there are too many international tournaments under the ranking system, and it compels players to appear in frequent matches, leading to the problem of exhaustion. You can pour large sums into building the players up, but they don’t have enough time to recover from injuries and wind up wearing themselves out. Under the current system, it’s almost impossible for players to take part in top condition, and not being able to watch top performances is, in the long run, a minus for judo. It is necessary to devise a plan to improve this situation.
It’s questionable whether there’s a system in place to absorb players’ views on that point. The IJF includes an Athletes Committee, but we should know whether the committee members are doing enough to take in the players’ voices. With the members representing each region, it is wanted that rather than voicing their own opinions, they take in the voices of the players from their regions and continents and reflect them at committee meetings. It is also important to have a system under which each committee member gathers opinions.
Q: While many people recognize these problems, the fact is that progress is extremely slow. Isn’t there a better way?
A: I believe that in the world’s political and financial circles, there are a number of leading figures interested in judo, and maybe people like that could speak out on the problems, or maybe it would be possible to hold a symposium on judo’s various problems in correlation with one of the large tournaments. Here in Japan, it might be good to hold an international debate on the essence of judo. Of course, any of these would have to be in a form in which the IJF’s President Viser would be willing to lend his ear.
It helps when famous top athletes express their opinions, but they might try to avoid making critical comments and drawing disfavor. It’s important to gain the cooperation of a nation like France, where judo is popular, and have someone skillfully come up with a way to set up the approach for such a meeting.
I think it’s almost impossible to expect any major change before the London Olympics, but it is essential to think of post-London and get moving now.
Q: Just as you say, a great many people both in Japan and abroad share the sense of a problem in there being too many international tournaments and in the exhaustion felt by the players. As for matters other than those connected with players, do you feel any other important problems?
A: I can’t help but think there’s a problem in that not quite enough importance is given to the essence of judo. With the recent earthquake disaster in Japan being so horrible, it has made many people face the question of whether they were going to live or die. For me, too, the thought of how I should face death when the time came to confront it flashed across my mind.
After the earthquake, I thought about how to grasp the meaning of life and death in the context of judo, and about what people who practice judo could learn from it.
When you think about it, the core importance in the martial arts in olden times was the very concept of how to cope when confronted with death. When I think about whether I would be able to make calm and wise decisions if faced with a situation as serious as death, I feel judo can give some useful lessons. Children are not always with their parents when a big accident strikes. In case they have to face things on their own, I think training in judo might help put them in the right frame of mind. It’s natural for anyone to want to save himself in the face of crisis, but you shouldn’t forget to help others, too. It’s the spirit of “jita-kyoei (mutual well-being).”
But, there’s a need to reconsider whether judo is actually putting into everyday practice the training to be ready to cope calmly even in an emergency. Recently, the aspect of doing judo to win seems to have gotten stronger, but I think the earthquake disaster has given judo leaders a good chance to rethink why we practice judo, or maybe the value of its discipline.
This problem relates to the essence of judo. In open weight division matches, smaller players facing large opponents might lose heart or try to escape. But if you have the spirit to confront big things, it’s possible to be positive about getting on with the bout. Judo can make you learn to have that stance. I wish everybody around the world who practices judo would think once more about this value that judo discipline carries, and I feel even more than before that I myself want to keep working to make that value better known.
From now on, I want to put the thoughts I experienced from the earthquake to use in my judo instruction. I’d like to share them with judo teachers around the world.
In the open weight division finals at last year’s World Championships in Tokyo, France’s Teddy Riner lost by decision and left without bowing. Unfortunately, he didn’t give respect or courtesy to his opponent.
As champions, superior players like Riner must carry judo’s essential aspect of courtesy. It’s not enough in judo to think all you have to do is learn the techniques. If it were enough just to be strong, it would be the same as with animals. With judoka, as humans, there’s also a need to polish things on the side of character, like knowledge and culture and humanity. Just being a champion puts you in the position of sending out messages as a model to other people learning judo. So, maybe lessons for champions are needed so that players who win will be respected as true champions.
I believe that understanding the meaning and value of judo discipline and having people around the world share that understanding is what will lead to the further development of judo. What should the IJF do, and what should the All Japan Federation’s role be? It appears to me that judo has been racing headlong ever since President Viser took over. People who keep running are important, but I have a feeling that people who stop and look back are also important. If possible, I’d like to take on a part in that role.
Okano Sensei talks about Judo　

Judo in the words of Isao Okano-Sensei

In late January, I asked Mr. Isao Okano for his thoughts on today’s judo. It hardly needs saying that Okano-Sensei was Gold Medalist in the middle-weight category at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, as well as two-time winner of the All-Japan Judo Championships (still holding the record for lightest-weight champion). Having also won the 1965 World Judo Championships (middle-weight category), he is one of the very few in Japan to hold the triple crown of Olympic, All-Japan and World titles. He presently holds no official post in Japanese judo circles, but his skills and his unwavering stance toward upholding the fundamentals of judo command respect both at home and abroad.
Though he has just turned 67, Mr. Okano still gets into his judogi and takes his place on the tatami mat in an on-going career that, including his position at Ryutsu Keizai University, involves judo instruction both in Japan and overseas. He carries a mettle that says, “I can’t just stand by and watch judo turning into a sham.” Each of his statements below bears important points relating to the essence of judo.
( February, 2011 Edited by Gotaro Ogawa)

1. “Looseness” in the fit of judogi
For some time, I have felt there is something wrong with today’s judogi. It is because when you get into them, you don’t get a feeling of “looseness” or “roominess.” To give one example, when I’m giving lessons on Seoinage, I can’t even maneuver my wrist grabbing my opponent’s collar because there isn’t enough room, and that shouldn’t be. If things go on this way, we’ll no longer be able to use this most basic of judo techniques, and it will be impossible to practice real judo. The difference between combative sports like sambo, sumo and Iran’s wrestling as compared with judo comes in what you wear. The outfits make a big difference in what kind of techniques you can use.
Judogi had their origins in the Japanese kimono, and because kimono are loose-fitting, this made it possible to execute a wide range of techniques, and that led to judo’s distinctive “Sho yoku dai wo seisu (small can conquer large)” character. The outfit formerly used in jujitsu was relatively close fitting, but modern-day judo brought in judogi with a fuller, looser fit.
When judogi don’t have the necessary looseness, it kills the unique nature of judo, and judo begins looking like other combative sports, one result being that you lose the interest and attraction of open-weight matches. Speaking of matches, one thing we need is to have pre-match checks, inserting the hand to see whether the athletes’ judogi are loose enough.
2. Ban on use of the hand in direct attacks below the obi
I myself haven’t gone to see many international tournaments so don’t have an accurate grasp of how the new rules banning hand attacks below the obi are actually being applied. But when I heard of these new rules, I felt concerned that they would make it difficult to use “Go no sen (to make a delayed offensive move taking advantage of the opponent’s attack)” and would reduce the interest of open-weight matches.
There are two main approaches to taking “Go no sen.” One is to use your opponent’s technique and turn it on himself. The other is to absorb it and turn to applying one of the techniques you yourself are good at. I got the impression that under the new rules, we’d no longer be able to use techniques like the Sutemi Kouchigari, Kataguruma, or Ouchigari with a hold on the leg, and that it would be hard to execute Sukuinage or techniques where you hold your opponent around the waist and throw. In that case, it would put an end to “small can conquer large” open-weight category matches. I thought that at the very least, there must be a way to designate just a bare minimum of techniques to be banned.
Only, later on, when I went to the United States and watched practice and matches there, I noticed that under the new rules, a good number of judoka were not aiming for the legs but instead working harder to master fundamental judo techniques like the Uchimata, Taiotoshi and Seoinage. It was good to see judo becoming more authentic, but in another way, I felt there were fewer techniques showing originality and that offensive and defensive interactions had become simple and less interesting.
I want to keep a close watch on how these new rules develop.
3. Newaza
Newaza are essential to judo. Gaining skill in Newaza depends on how you use your legs and requires hard training in using all four limbs, both arms and both legs. Many of today’s judo athletes don’t know of these fundamentals.
When you watch Newaza in matches these days, you find a tendency to lie face down on the mat waiting for the referee to help you out with a “Mate” call. With tactics like this, Newaza are as good as dead. Turning your back on your opponent means getting attacked from behind, and that kind of tactic has no place in the martial arts. You have to lie face up and spar. Shouldn’t they be considering laying penalties on athletes so passive as to lie face down waiting for help from the referee? That would be one way to get Newaza back to the position it deserves.
There are also problems with the referees. Referees don’t know enough about the process of Newaza, so they have a strong tendency to make the two opponents return prematurely to their feet. If they had a good knowledge of the unfolding process involved in attacking and defending in Newaza, they would know whether it’s coming to a standstill or not. There are all too many referees who don’t know much about it, or who have only shallow experience. There’s a need to stop giving refereeing positions to people like that. While on referees, to make another point, it’s really regrettable how many times in international matches you find techniques unqualified as Ippon being declared, nevertheless, as Ippon. There is a clear need for the training and drilling of referees.
4. Riner’s manners
Last September in Tokyo at the open-weight category finals of the World Judo Championships, when France’s Teddy Riner lost by decision, it was reported that he was dissatisfied with the referees’ decision and left the mat without giving the “rei” bow. I wasn’t there to see it in person, but if the media reports are correct, it is a serious problem. Judo begins and ends with “rei.” You might have lost or disagreed with the decision, but leaving without “rei” is the same as starting a brawl.
Down through the years, judo in France has been taught as judo should be, so it is my expectation that this incident has not been overlooked. It would be strange if those in French judo circles did not caution Riner or serve him with a penalty, and could lower France’s reputation. Japan herself should have given a warning on this matter. Many young people and children learning judo here in Japan were watching through television and other broadcasts. “Judo Renaissance” has been emphasizing manners and respect. Japan should have lodged a protest. If Japan is weak at voicing her opinions on an international level, then she should join with France and speak out on this subject.
Young French judoka talks about his experience in Japan

A young French Judoka talks about his experience in Japan

A young French judoka who recently spent a year in Japan and practiced judo very hard talks about experience and thoughts. His name is Mr. Eric Hubert, 25 years old, graduate of one of France’s “grandes ecoles” Ecole Polytechnique. He started judo at the age of 7 and an enthusiastic practitioner.
While in Japan he practiced judo in several different dojos. I have develoed a good personal relationship with him here in Tokyo both at dojo and drinking places. His sincere and ardent attitude to learn the Japanese language and to absorb knowledge about Japan reminded me of my days of some 40 years ago when I was a young trainee of Japanese Foreign Ministry studying in Bordeaux, France. Like him I also practiced judo in France. The article is written in September, 2009.
(Edited and translated by Gotaro Ogawa )
Judo in Japan: Training and Practice which Maintains the Interest of Adults
I took advantage of a wonderful opportunity to live in Japan for one year to practice judo in its original context. I discovered that, while the symbols of judo (for example, judo uniform, bowing, etc) have been incorporated by Europe, the way of actually executing judo has not.
In France, I am aware of only two categories of training.
The first type is high-level training for competition which, by definition, concerns only a restricted group of people. In this type of practice, players concentrate on physical preparation, measure precisely training and rest times, kumikata (gripping), and major randori exercises with maximum intensity.
The second type is standard training for the general public, the structure of which has not changed since I started judo at the age of seven, almost twenty years ago. In this type of training, players start with lengthy preparatory exercises, usually for a full thirty minutes. The exercises incorporate five to ten minutes of running, followed by many basic movements (for example, shrimp, crawling, balancing, etc) and often light muscle exercises (for example, abdomen, push-ups, etc). Then, for the next half an hour, they often study a particular technical point presented by the professor, alternating between the professor’s demonstration and the student’s reproduction. The last half an hour is utilized for judo itself: composed of warming-up exercises for a certain period of time and several randoris (often one or two times of groundwork and three or four times of standing exercise. This type of training by the professor is carried out almost everywhere in France and taught to young professors when they attempt to take the State’s teaching license.
Of course, this type of training exists in Japan. But I was surprised to learn that in Japan, this method is the structure of lessons for children. The organization of the French way of practice is an exact reproduction of judo lessons practiced at the Kodokan for elementary school children of 6 to 12 years of age.
The French Judo Federation, which boasts around 600,000 members, has the largest membership in the world and triple the number of members in Japan. However, more than half of newly accredited black belt holders quit judo every year. There must be a lesson to learn from this phenomenon. Why, in France, are there very few high level judo practitioners over 25 years of age who are not competition players? My conclusion, after one year of living in Japan is rather simple: in France, they practice high level judo and judo for children, but they have never thought of judo for adults.
In Tokyo, I practiced judo in a dozen different clubs: the Kodokan, universities, private clubs and company clubs. These clubs gather people of heterogeneous groups, almost exclusively men and mostly black belt holders, of between 20 and 80 years old. It is not rare to encounter several seventh dan judokas of the age of 70, who attend the entire training and participate in randori – and their fitness, as well as their technical precision, are very impressive.
Why do people of this age group continue judo? Of course, Japanese culture is different, effort is more highly valued, and the life of groups and the life of couples don’t have the same rules. However, the essential reason lies elsewhere.
What makes the difference lies in the way they train. In these dozen of dojos, the structure of training is always identical. The duration of training is usually two hours. In the first hour, the players arrive at dojo discreetly at the earliest time they can taking into account work and other commitments. The first part of training is much less formal than in France. It cannot be done otherwise for adults because of the irregularity of professional life and other commitments.
Each person commences the first hour (or 30 minutes, or 15, according to the time of arrival) with individual warming up exercises, according to his age and will. The younger players usually spend around 10 minutes, but those over 65 years of age often spend 30 minutes in order to take sufficient time to extend muscles.
Then, they begin randori on the ground (Newaza), the standard duration being 10 rounds of three minutes’ work without pause. Of course, they may skip a round in order to catch their breath, as some of them often arrive late. But for those who strive to make progress, they have the possibility of doing the full ten rounds.
The last quarter of the first hour is utilized for uchikomi, which is taken very seriously and carried out with great attention and application. Almost always executed in a fairly static manner, each person practices 20 movements of 5 to 8 series of techniques in order to make them automatic before the standing randori (Tachiwaza ). Those who arrive late or those who wish to work on a specific movement spend about ten extra minutes. It is rather rare that they don’t do so.
Then comes the principal part of the practice: the time for standing randori (Tachiwaza ) without pause; 12 times of 5 minutes’ randori or 15 times of 4 minutes, each duration being announced by the sound of a bell. The standard method is to distribute red sashes to those who want to do combat, and who can then hand the red sash over to other partners when they are exhausted. Others invite those wearing a red sash to a new randori exercise. Each adapts his exercise to his age, physical conditions, or state of injury: the youngest or the most vigorous stay on the mat, older people choose their partners and take a pause every two combats or so.
Finally, the last 5 minutes is always reserved for a return to calmness or muscle relaxation exercise prior to the final salute.
The results of the training are impressive: a player can, without difficulty, execute 12 randoris, or even 20 including Newaza, while reviewing the essential part of his technique. Progress is therefore spectacular. And there is also an element of fun in the training. The multiplicity of randori and of partners strengthens the ties of friendship in the club.
The difference from the training for children is huge: trainers do not impose their lessons. They watch and they make themselves available and always ready to help, rectify or advise those who ask for it, during the time of uchikomi and randori. I learned much more in these conditions, and in a more personalized manner, than in the typical French way of training which aims at meeting the needs of 13-year old green belt holders and 25-year old 2nd Dan players at the same time. The Japanese method of teaching allows each practitioner to find the best way to achieve his or her purpose: stress dissipates quickly, students are happy and attentive and the teachers are respected.
Another major difference is the complete utilization of randori practice which is the basic exercise of training for adults in Japan. This is the best and most realistic exercise, and at the same time the major educational innovation of Jigoro Kano. According to Professor Kano, it was randori practice which rendered his disciples efficient and allowed them to vanquish other ju-jutsu school fighters. These ju-jutsu schools conducted only kata and full competition. The victories of Kano’s disciples have made judo famous.
In Japan, randori is not conceived as combat to the death. It is considered as free but complete practice which must necessarily be adapted to the wishes and the needs of the two players. The first randori of the day is usually flexible. Players change partners willingly: with strong opponents, they can utilize physical force and with light weight partners, they may try to develop agility. They can work with a 60 kg partner and then change to another weighing 140 kg. They may practice with a young player of 20 years, and then with a 70-year old sensei after that. This diversity of partners in each training enables each practitioner to learn a variety of techniques adapted to different types of competitions. For instance, one applies osotogari against a small opponent, seoi-nage against a big one, Ko-uchigari against a heavy opponent, harai-goshi against a light adversary. This diversity of technique enhances the interest in practice and maintains the motivation of adults. This also explains the high level of judo in Japan.
Instructors always explain about the concept of randori, the difference from competition, reminding their students of the necessity to do ukemi correctly even when they are tired, insisting that they should practice ‘quality judo’, applying beautiful technique, and experimenting without fear of being thrown, if they want to make progress. Too much of kumikata (grappling) with a lighter opponent is not considered good.
In summary, this free and non-constrained way of practice for adults is highly efficient. The volume (1,000 randoris in one year with two training periods per week) enables players of all ages to make progress. It is a method particularly suited for the experienced adult population who wish to harmonize their professional life with the pleasure of doing judo.
Contrary to the general perception, adult beginners are not victims of this method: it seems that they make faster progress than in France, thanks to the special attention given by one or several senior practitioners and to the frequent opportunities to test their new movements in numerous randoris.
Unfortunately, this type of practice has not reached France. I regret it very much, as it has resulted in France in the departure from judo of many registered adults, as well as an increase in the success other forms of martial arts which have been able to present a suitable alternative to the adult population.
I sincerely hope that I can successfully introduce the ideas and concepts from Japan to France so that the largest possible number of people can continue to find pleasure in the practice of judo.
Newaza (Ground Work) Could it be a solution to the problems of contemporary judo?
Affirmation 1: The end of Newaza would cause the disappearance of ippon.
Returning from one year’s stay in Japan, I have indulged myself in reading old books provided by my friends. One of those books, written by Mr. Isao Okano in 1976, focuses on the link between tachiwaza (Standing Techniques) and newaza (Ground Work), and on newaza competition. The book profoundly impressed me. Mr Okano, a champion of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, and the lightest winner – two times – in the history of the All Japan Judo Championship (conducted without weight categories), is probably today’s best judo technician. The depth of his judo knowledge is enormous, but he always kindly makes himself available in order to support judo.
Mr Okano explains in his book that the best form of counter-attack against an adversary in an overly defensive position, as was traditionally taught in the middle of the 20th century, is a well coordinated chain movement leading to newaza. Thirty years ago, he was already deploring some referees trainers for neglecting this half of judo, without which the throwing from the natural position (shizentai ) would not make any sense.
As a matter of fact, in randori, what can one do against an opponent who repeatedly applies a poorly executed seoi-nage on his knees or continually attempts leg-grabbing? Is it possible to effectively engage that sort of opponent by simple force before utilizing an ordinary technique? Of course not. One can only take advantage of an opponent’s bad position by placing himself into it in order to engage the opponent in ground work. Evidently it takes some time, a few dozens of seconds, to obtain necessary controls to execute these techniques and defeat the opponent in an assured manner. But randori would make it possible.
The risk of being forced into a disadvantageous position on the ground is just the opposite side of a precipitate offensive. What do we now see in competitions in France as well as in Japan? In a few seconds, referees stop the competition, thus preventing a natural sanction against the failed offensive. The strategic balance is perturbed. The competitors have the objective to win and try to adapt themselves to it: in order not to be thrown, the surest way is never to grip the opponent, and to continually attack with one arm from a distance, or engage in leg-taking or seoi-nage with knees on the mat.
Under the current rules, it is the opponent who would like to grip the attacker but very often finds himself penalized for lack of combative spirit. Let us look at the evidence: the suppression of newaza has produced “judo on four legs”. We had hoped to see spectacular throwing, but we see the disappearance of ippon matches from competition. By reducing newaza, we obtained matches which are minced into pieces and prolonged fanatical fights to grab the opponent’s sleeve tip, to the great disappointment of spectators. Of course, they try to react to such tendency, but they treat symptoms rather than the cause of the problem: each year, they create new instructions for refereeing, they invent a competition between three people, instead of two, with the central referee deciding on issues related to combat as much as the two actual combatants. So far, they have not introduced satisfactory rules.
However, the solution is simple: they tried to modify rules but failed. Let us recognize this and ensure that newaza recovers its own role – before everyone forgets newaza techniques. Let us ask referees not to cut newaza any more: in two or three years competition judo will be profoundly changed and the ippon will reappear.
Affirmation 2: Newaza is the entry gate for adult beginners
In September every year, I feel saddened by the declining number of adult judo players. But on this issue, too, we should refer ourselves to the evidence: it is difficult to start our sport at the age of 20. It will take several months to acquire basic techniques, which are easily countered by black belt holders. For some years now, new sports such the Brazilian ju-jutsu and free fighting have succeeded in attracting more and more young adults, and their numbers will soon (or perhaps already are) comparable to the population of adult judo practitioners in France. Is judo condemned to disappear, or become only a sport for children? I don’t see any fatality there. I would like to talk about a couple of supportive experiences of my own.
The first one is in France. When I was a student at the Ecole Polytechnique, I practiced judo there with great pleasure for several years. The judo club at my school is quite unusual: it has about 60 to 80 members, all between the ages of 20 to 22, of which normally about ten students are black belts, and some 40 beginners. How would it be possible to teach intelligently these beginners who are young, athletic and motivated but are not quite trained in how to fall? By trial and error, teachers of the Ecole Polytechnique developed, over some years, a progressive education method based on newaza. This method enables young adult beginners to learn randori very fast, to avoid injuries and attain maximum motivation and pleasure, while taming the body for judo. This methodology is, therefore, possible.
The second is my experience in Japan. Every year, Japan’s seven oldest universities, formerly called imperial universities, which are also the most prestigious ones (the entrance exams are the most difficult because they are public and their tuition is not expensive) meet in a tournament in Kosen (Special High School) judo style; that is, a tournament by team and under special competition rules. Newaza is never cut or stopped. There is no judgment of Koka or Yuko. Most of matches go quickly into newaza after trying a sutemi technique. The technical level of the combatants is impressive.
However, the historical reason of this competition is particularly interesting. After some research, I discovered that the universities had agreed to adopt rules favoring the utilization of newaza because it was sometimes difficult for these schools to recruit a sufficient number of experienced judoka to form a full team and as the time necessary for the training of tachiwaza (standing techniques ) is long. In contrast, we could form a solid combatant in two or three years (university duration is 4 years) with a good defensive aptitude in standing techniques and some efficient and varied techniques in newaza (sankaku-jime is particularly appreciated) who is capable of defeating less strong opponent and of not losing against stronger adversary. This approach, therefore, made it possible for beginner students to accede to competition within a reasonable time and rendered the result of competition less dependent on the level of judo techniques acquired at high school or college.
These two examples show the path to follow. It seems to me there is an urgent need to focus on the formula of a progressive education for young adult beginners based on the early training of newaza before progressively deepening tachiwaza techniques. It is not only possible, because the Japanese (and even some French ) have been doing it since a century ago, but also desirable, if we want to avoid the marginalization of judo by free combat matches in the years to come. The opportunity exists, so let us take it!
Manners-in-Judo

Manners in Judo: Their International Significance and Hopes for the Role of University-Level Education From the Experiences of a Diplomat
December, 2009

(Note by the editor)
The following is the summary in English of the lecture I delivered at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports at Kanoya, Kagoshima, on the occasion of the Institute’s Forum on the Manners in Martial arts held on December 5, 2009. The lecture represents my view on the challenges and problems the Japan’s judo faces today together with my thoughts on solutions.

Gotaro Ogawa: Special Assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs
Adviser, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group

Photos by National Institute of Finness and Sports at Kanoya

1. Cultural power of Japan and the martial arts
After entering the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1968, I lived some 40 years as a diplomat, alternating back and forth between Japan and abroad, and spent 23 of those years living in seven foreign countries. Those seven are France, the Philippines, the former Soviet Union, South Korea, Honolulu (United States), Cambodia and Denmark, and in each of them, I practiced judo. In particular France, where judo is popular and where I was posted twice, and partly because I was still young then, I practiced a lot and even took part in local tournaments.
When abroad, you can look at your own country objectively from the outside and come to know what she is like as compared with other nations. To express in short how I felt when I saw Japan that way, I felt her to be a large power with all sorts of distinguishing features to be proud of. As examples, there are her unparalleled nonmilitary and pacifist diplomacy, the high level of her economy and technology, her contributions to the world through Official Development Assistance (ODA), and the strength of her great culture.
Especially outstanding is the strength of her culture. From traditional culture including Noh, Kabuki and the tea ceremony, through cuisine such as sushi, to the pop culture of manga, anime, fashion and popular music and culture of the mind including haiku and the martial arts, to give just a few examples, there are people all over the world who find themselves attracted to each of them. You will not find another nation that embraces a culture with such a variety of genres known to the world, and in which so many people take interest. In all her pride, even France, recognized both home and abroad as a great cultural power, has through the years received considerable influence from Japan in such fields as painting and cuisine.
Standing among these many cultural facets, the martial arts are something distinctly Japanese made up of the double aspects of training of the body and training of the mind and character. In all the great profusion of different sports, it is extremely rare to find any that provide an ethical side as a main aspect, and for that very reason, people from around the world have become interested in the martial arts and even taken to practicing them. My own experience of exchanges through judo in nations of varying cultures and levels of economic development left me with a strong personal sense of how the martial arts have penetrated into all corners of the world. As a Japanese, this was something that gives me a quiet pride.
2. Judo’s penetration into the world and the underlying significance
It is a fact that judo and other Japanese martial arts have penetrated throughout the world. The International Judo Federation (IJF) is made up of member judo federations from199 nations and territories, a number greater than that of members of the United Nations. It has been 40 years since I first went to France, but I was surprised to find that already back then, no matter where I went all over the country, even small villages had their dojos. After coming through long years of civil war and the Pol Pot years with their mass human sacrifice, even people in Cambodia’s Phnom Penh in the late 1990’s were practicing judo in small, humble dojos. In the small North European nation of Denmark, it was a happy surprise to come across people eagerly learning all sorts of martial arts even in outlying towns. In short, one can say that no matter whether large nation or small, judo has spread through the world, and no matter what their gender or age, people are working hard to practice it. In dojos of each area of each nation, I would often find photographs of Kano Jigoro hanging on the main wall, and I found even small children beginning and ending their practice sitting Japanese-style on folded legs on the mats and, with the Japanese instruction “Sensei ni rei (Give thanks to the teacher),” bowing in unison. At a dojo in Cambodia, I remember being impressed with the manners of children who after practice had ended, came up one by one to their instructor, a member of the Japan Overseas Volunteer Corps, and bowed again in thanks before leaving for home.
Judo has both a competitive side and a side for building one’s mind and character with the aim of being of service to society, and the majority of people learning judo in overseas nations approach it with an interest that includes this ethical side. One of the things motivating parents to bring their children to dojos is the hope they will be taught good manners. Many Judoka in France are particularly interested in this side, and among them, I know of some with whom it is because they seem to have converted to this spiritual element. Recently, the Japanese government invited officials from the Iraqi Police Force to Japan, and they took part in a training program that used judo as a means to aim toward raising the morale and competence of police officers. I, too, was involved in the program and still remember how these Iraqi police, whose work puts them in daily confrontation with acts of terror, expressed an unexpected surprise at judo’s manners and self-discipline, the way players bow with composed respect even to opponents in matches and attacks, and of how they told of their eager wish to make use of judo in the training of police back home. When we think of how this ethical side of judo, the way judo is not limited just to building up the body, also works to raise feelings of respect and closeness toward Japan among judo enthusiasts overseas, maybe we can see that to Japan, judo is a major intangible asset.
3. Current challenges faced by Japanese judo
I would like to raise three challenges or problems faced by Japanese judo today. First is the challenge of internationalized judo. Through the Olympics and increasingly frequent international tournaments, and further, with the introduction of things like a ranking system, we are seeing a growing tendency in judo to give priority to the competitive side and to winning and losing, while neglecting the equally important ethical side with its manners and respect and self-discipline. These days, when matches end, we have come to seeing winners jumping around gaudily pumping their fists in the air, and losers crouching stagnant on the mat, before they have given the ending bow. For the winner to strut his pride in front of the loser shows a blatant lack of respect toward one’s opponent and makes an unpleasant sight. A loser who remains crouched on the mat ignoring the referee’s urgings appears incapable of showing even the most basic manners. It is gravely regrettable that such attitudes are seen not only among players of other nations, but recently among Japanese players as well. For Japan, as judo’s “founder,” this is truly disgraceful. Especially with our men, not only has it become harder and harder to win matches, but there are cases where we see inferior performances even in the area of manners and self-discipline. In comparison, our women’s side, which has been producing increasing numbers of skilled players, includes many who remain calm and composed whether they win or lose.
Another problem that concerns me is that the whole of Japan seems to be pouring her greatest efforts into winning medals at international tournaments. For the time being, let me call this the “doctrine of medals at any cost.” Of course, as a Japanese myself, I fervently hope for our players to be strong and win gold medals. But the tendency to criticize players and coaches simply because they do not win medals only serves to spur the “medals at any cost” doctrine on even further. The weak point of this doctrine is that because it slants toward putting too much energy into winning medals, it winds up subtracting from the effort needed for other important matters. The problem I mentioned a minute ago on the decline in manners and self-discipline is not unrelated to this tendency, and it even makes you wonder if it is not connected to our losing the latitude to take part in international movements concerned with judo’s rules and how matches are managed.
I myself underwent a good deal of training in France and other nations and felt that on average, the physical and muscular strength of players there was greater than that of the Japanese. In places like Russia, Central Asia and Korea, too, it is a fact that there are large numbers of players physically superior to us. If they undergo an amount of training equivalent to ours, and if they receive appropriate instruction, it is no wonder when they win against Japanese opponents. In passing, it is also true of tennis, golf, baseball and other sports besides judo that it does not happen to be that sportsmen from the country of origin always win. I would like to emphasize that there is no need to become overly upset when we do not win medals. It is of great importance to put in the effort to strengthen our players and collect information with the aim of earning medals, but when that is carried to the point where other aspects suffer, then it is a problem.
A third important problem in Japanese judo circles today is the weakness of our will or action when it comes to taking part in the international management of judo. In the process of judo’s spread through the world and the growing frequency of international tournaments, its rules and the way matches are managed underwent substantial change. Dividing matches into weight classes became the norm and a system of meticulous points was set up to determine their outcomes, besides which, referees came to call out “Mate” time after time as matches were in progress, with the result that they obstructed matches’ natural flow and the sequence of combination techniques. For various reasons like these, the nature of judo deteriorated badly, but through the whole process, Japan exercised virtually no effective influence. It is meaningless to sit at home and lament among ourselves on undesirable changes. Japan should be making positive efforts to speak out for “true judo” and to be involved in its international management. The fact that we have yet to see such a stance taken is extremely unfortunate.
4. What should we be doing?
In regard to these various challenges and problems in judo, what should Japan be doing?
Various programs are underway to develop players who can win by Ippon and to give them intensive training with a view to gaining medals. It is of course necessary to continue them. From now on, however, the point on which Japan should start anew to intensify her efforts lies in returning to the fundamentals of judo as taught by Grand Master Kano and getting people both at home and abroad to practice judo as an education of their minds and character, with the inclusion of manners and respect and self-discipline. In these times when other nations are turning out large numbers of strong players, it is no simple matter for Japan to hold an uncontested competitive edge. On the other hand, when it comes to manners and self-discipline, there is no way to have this aspect truly and more thoroughly realized around the world unless Japan takes the lead. It is important for Japan to win matches, but also, she has the ability to serve as role model to the world when it comes to putting manners into practice, and this is something she must do.
To accomplish this, she must face the world and speak out affirmatively on the importance of manners and self-discipline and use a full range of fora to give guidance. One means could be through taking the continual initiative to hold seminars or talks on the subject, using, as an example, the occasion of international tournaments. At the same time, for the achievement of “true judo,” she should take the lead in the amendment of rules and the management of matches fought with manners and self-discipline. In the field of judo, if Japan states her case repeatedly and with authority, there should be many nations willing to lend an ear. Judoka from around the world carry a strong interest in the practice of judo that values manners and self-discipline. In the major judo power France, as well as in Korea, Russia and other nations, there are many who hope for the reinstatement of “true judo.” As I mentioned earlier, in the small nation of Denmark and in Cambodia, still newly emerged from civil war and one of the world’s least developed nations, in these nations, too, you find people earnestly studying the manners and ethical side of judo. Japan should not forget this. If Japan takes the lead, if she takes the initiative in international exchanges and cooperation and teamwork, it is likely that other nations and people will come forward and join her in this effort.
5. Hopes for the role of university-level education
As part of this situation surrounding judo, there is the question of what role universities should play, and I would like to give some of my thoughts. I believe that the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, as an institute of education and one which holds physical education to be the purpose of her creation, can play an important role, and that role is a large one.
(1) Leadership of the university in rebuilding manners and self-discipline: The field of judo today shows a decline in manners and self-discipline that came about along with its internationalization. It is my hope that to deal with this, universities with courses in the martial arts will return to fundamentals and teach the importance of manners and self-discipline, and work to take the lead in implementing and promoting this cause. With this in mind, I believe that those who hosted today’s seminar with a theme like this one deserve much credit.
(2) Contribution to the “Judo Renaissance”: The “Judo Renaissance” movement was started up by the All Japan Judo Federation and the Kodokan to work toward the revival of judo’s ethical side and manners, and, amidst the reality of the trend toward giving weight to competitive judo, the role which this movement plays is extremely important. Various efforts have been done but I hope that universities throughout the nation might join forces to cooperate with the All Japan Judo Federation and the Kodokan to aim for the revitalization of the Renaissance movement.
(3) Training of international-minded personnel: Given today’s situation, with one international tournament after another and the tendency to focus attention on winning, it is imperative that, in order to advise people on the educational side of judo and press for its healthy development, Japan be actively involved in the management of international judo. That purpose requires a long-term commitment to the training and development of people with knowledge of the essence of judo and with persuasive power when using foreign languages. It is my belief that such a role can be fulfilled particularly well by universities that teach the martial arts.
(4) Educational cooperation with judo in developing nations; Restoration of manners and self-discipline through cooperation with international judo: In nations where judo is popular, the importance of manners receives what can be considered a certain level of awareness and practical application. In developing nations, however, where there are few highly qualified instructors, it is not uncommon for judo to be in the early stages of development. In this field, the backing of our nation’s universities in ways such as sending instructors to developing nations or offering training in Japan would contribute not simply to the development of judo in the nations involved, but also to improving the quality of judo throughout the world.
Universities throughout the nation have a unique role to fulfill in areas such as those I have mentioned, and I believe that it is possible for the university to demonstrate its special features and support the All Japan Judo Federation and the Kodokan.
Penetration-of-Judo-in-the-world-and-Japan

Penetration of Judo in the world and Japan

Note: This is an English translation of my speech delivered on June 12, 2008, at the Judo Kyoiku Solidarity, organization presided over by Mr. Yasuhiro Yamashita. Here I talk about my basic thoughts on Judo to the Japanese adience. (Gotaro Ogawa)
My name is Gotaro Ogawa, as introduced by Executive Director Yasuhiro Yamashita just now. Until last year, I had been with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for about 40 years. At the Ministry, people generally serve both domestic and overseas duties one after another repeatedly, and in my case, I spent about 23 out of 40 years of my service outside of Japan, in seven different countries.
In terms of overseas assignments, I have been placed in France twice for a total of seven and a half years, along with the Philippines, South Korea, Cambodia, Denmark, and the former Soviet Union during the Gorbachev era. In Hawaii, I was Japan’s Consul General. I have been involved with Judo in many different ways both inside and outside of Japan, so I would like to talk about my personal experiences and my thoughts on the subject today.
Judo Experience in France
My first Judo practice in a foreign country was in France, where I was placed in 1969. In that summer, I stayed in a town in central France called Toursl for about three months to take language courses for foreigners before starting two year studies later at the University of Bordeaux .
As soon as I registered as a student at the language school, I started looking for a dojo in the town of Tours. I found one in the center of the town. Even though it was closed for the summer, I looked for and found the man in charge of the dojo. This friendly man named Jean-Claude Becavin, who held the rank of 2-dan, came out and welcomed me with much enthusiasm. We decided to practice for the occasion and even though it was the summer vacation time, he called together some of his fellow dojo members and we started practicing. Once started, it turned out that Jean-Claude was surprisingly strong. He even used the technique called “O guruma (major wheel).” I became friendly with members of the dojo quickly, and they took good care of me by often inviting me to their homes and taking me out to different places outside of the dojo. Then it was time for university to start, and I moved to Bordeaux.
In those days, there were already many dojos in towns and villages all over France. No matter how small a village was, there was at least one dojo, without fail, so when I traveled, I always carried my Judo uniform in my car. Wherever I went, I looked for a dojo, and I was so welcomed every time that I did not even have to worry about a place to stay or food to eat. I have so many fond memories like that.
In Japan, most of the people I knew that practiced Judo belonged to a dojo that was run by a university, police force, or business. In France, though, different kinds of people with different occupations, from elementary school children to elderly men and women, attended the dojo. There were intellectuals such as college professors and doctors next to tough guys like stonemasons and carpenters. All sorts of people were there mixed together and practicing Judo.
Among them were also young women. Since both men and women trained together, my first practice with a woman took place in France. I had never paired with a woman before, and I was also young then, so I could not help squirming with embarrassment. I could somehow manage tachi-waza (standing techniques), but when it came to ne-waza (groundfighting), all sorts of imagination entered my mind and I could not focus on my osaekomi-waza like tate-shiho (lengthwise four quarters hold) or yoko-shiho (side-four quarters hold). This one lady then told me to “do it properly,” and all I can say is that, as a result, there was a side benefit of meeting French women.
The Background of the French Judo Boom
The Judo population in France is quite large to this day, and it is estimated to number as many as 500,000 to 600,000 people. Why is Judo so popular? I have some potential reasons based on my interaction with various French people.
First, it can be said that the physical rationality of Judo was easy to accept for argumentative French people. The French are a very logical people, so when Judo techniques were explained, I believe logical instructions such as “break the opponent, and then throw him with your body like this” are easy for them to understand.
Another reason is that the French are very curious about foreign cultures, and especially interested in Japanese Bushido and Zen, as well as the spiritual aspect of Judo. I was asked so many passionate questions about the spiritual nature of Japan during my stay in France. Among the members of the dojo in Bordeaux was a man who majored in Indian Philosophy and who trained in India for many years. He was an old man, but he talked passionately about the spirit of Judo with his own words, and wrote a very good book called “Spirit of Judo.”
In addition, there are many dojos in towns and villages to support such passionate interests. You do not have to always train very hard, as you do in Japan, so I believe the environment is in place for many people to casually enjoy Judo, and that plays a big role.
Learning from the Efforts of Our Predecessors in France
What we cannot forget is that behind the popularity of Judo in France lay the existence of those Japanese teachers who contributed to the promotion of Judo in the country.
I am sure you are all aware, but the pioneer in that field was Master Mikinosuke Kawaishi. After graduating from Waseda University, he moved to France in 1935. He was quite creative in coming up with ideas of how to teach Judo to logical French people. He divided techniques like “tomoe-nage (circle throw)” and “seoi-nage (shoulder throw)” into different categories of “te-waza (hand throwing techniques),” “koshi-waza (hip throwing techniques)” and “ashi-waza (foot throwing techniques)” and classified techniques with numbers, for example if it was “Osoto-gari (major outer reaping),” as “ashi-waza No. X.”
That kind of logical explanation must have been easy for French people to understand. I have heard that Master Kawaishi passed away the year I was assigned to France, but everybody in France who practiced Judo talked about “Kawaishi method,” so it made me realize how widespread his approach was.
The second teacher to note is Master Shozo Awazu. Since moving to France in 1950, he has been engaged in energetic coaching, even now, as a member of the French Judo Federation.
The third teacher is Master Haku Michigami. He was from a martial arts academy in Kyoto and moved to France in 1953 at the invitation of the French Judo Federation, and he taught Judo for about half a century, mainly in Bordeaux, until his death in 2002.
Master Michigami not only coached in France, but he visited Africa almost every year to promote Judo. He taught athletes including the famous Anton Geesink in the Netherlands as a top technical advisor of the Netherlands Judo Federation. In the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games, Geesink defeated Japanese athlete Akio Kaminaga.
I started to attend Master Michigami’s dojo in Bordeaux. Master Michigami’s strict approach toward Judo, along with his formidable techniques and skills, were reminiscent of a true samurai. That aspect of his personality probably attracted many French people. About two years ago, a man who practiced Judo with me in the past invited me to Bordeaux, as the dojo opened by Master Michigami was going to celebrate its 50th anniversary and many events were planned for the occasion,. This year, they came all the way to Japan from France to attend Master Michigami’s seventh-year memorial service and visited his hometown, Yawatahama in Ehime. I was impressed anew to witness so many French people who still keep what can be described as the sincerity of Judo and affection for their former teacher like that.
In any case, I have no doubt that the efforts of those teachers teaching in France over the past several decades have had a significant influence in promoting Judo in the country.
In addition, as many as 60 Judo club members of Ecole Polytechnique, the French elite technical college, visited Japan in 2007 to practice Judo in Japan and study Japanese culture. It was surprising that the Judo club of such an elite French institution had so many members. They voiced the following impressions after seeing Judo matches in Japan: “They grapple with each other much more than in Europe,” “they take a certain time to get up from ne-waza instead of standing up right away,” and “more fights are finished by ippon than in Europe.” They also shared their opinions and said, “Japanese Judo is the right way, and we should probably try to direct world Judo toward the Japanese way.”
Different Environments of Judo in Different Countries
I have practiced Judo in other countries. When I was assigned to the former Soviet Union, I was advised to visit the National Sports Science University because of the lack of dojos in town, and that way I trained with many strong athletes. I was not all that strong myself, so it was quite an effort to keep up with them. When you are training at a place like that with many high-level athletes, you can rid yourself of the notion that you have to win just because you are from Japan, and I simply practiced as hard as I could. What I enjoyed were things like the sauna after training. There was a huge sauna room, and once inside the humidity level was higher than saunas in Japan, so you could not really see anything because of the steam. Entering there were these bear-like Russians who had hair even on their backs, and they came in naked after practice. In a Russian sauna, it is customary to make a lot of noise by beating each other with tree branches to facilitate blood flow. Even though my Russian was not that good, when I joined the crowd and beat some really big guys with a branch I felt like I had to say something, so I said things like “hey, return the northern territories soon” in Japanese (laughter). He would ask what I was talking about, so I would cover myself by saying things like “this sauna is very hot.” We would have tea together after the sauna and deepen our exchanges.
South Korea did not have many dojos in town, either, so I visited a placed called South Korean Judo Institute, which was similar to Kodokan in Japan, and had hard training along with yet more strong athletes.
In Hawaii, because of the big Japanese American population, there were many dojos in town and at temples. I also opened the garden of the consulate’s official residence for various public events of Japanese Americans. At times, I demonstrated Judo myself, and when there was a Judo tournament held in Hawaii, I even entered the competition. The tournament I am speaking of was divided into different classes according to age, and there was nobody in my mid-50 age category. The organizer, understanding my situation, went out of his way to find an opponent for me who happened to be a Jujutsu teacher and was just over 30. I had never practiced Jujutsu in Japan, but he went down to ground immediately after the fight started and attacked my elbow joint thoroughly. I had practiced a variety of ne-waza techniques before, so I thought I could take it, but he concentrated his attacks on my elbow for a several minutes and I was defeated. I ended up with a very painful elbow and it took more than half a year to heal. That happened to me in Hawaii.
In Denmark, I was able to train sometimes at the dojo of the Tokai University Boarding School founded by Dr. Shigeyoshi Matsumae in Denmark, where Mr. Noboru Tanaka, a teacher at the boarding high school, occasionally coached me. I also participated in the Judo demonstration, one of the events for the Japan-EU Year of People-to-People Exchanges, and exhibited some techniques with the assistance of Mr. Tanaka.
On another occasion, the chairman of the Aikido Federation in Denmark, who was also my friend, asked me to exhibit Judo techiniques at the Aikido national convention. As my partner, I chose a friend of mine who had won the Danish Judo championships several times, so I asked him to support me in showing the techniques, and we exhibited some techniques including tachi-waza, ne-waza and shime-waza (strangulation techniques), with a Danish commentary based on a script I prepared. I performed a very good shime-waza on him, which caused him to have a coughing spell. It must have had a tremendous impact on the audience, because they all erupted in cheers and applauses.
Even in such a small country like Denmark, I saw how widespread the Japanese martial arts were, as many people practiced martial arts other than Judo, like Aikido, Iai, and Bo-jutsu. Through Judo, I felt the strong and deep interest people had in Japan in many countries, and was very proud of it.

The Environment of Judo in Developing Countries
On the other hand, in the hot and humid Southeast Asian nations, it was hard to practice Judo. The dojo I frequented in Manila was located underground, and it was not well ventilated, so just a little bit of movement made my dojo uniform soaking wet. It made a glass of beer after the training extra tasty, however.
In Cambodia, as you know, 1,700,000 people were said to have died due to the civil war caused by Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge. Among them were many Judo practitioners, and hence there were no Judo instructors left anymore. When I was assigned there, peace had returned to the nation, but in regard to Judo, it was just like starting anew, and a young man from Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) was coaching. They set up a national team. Even though it was called a national team, the members were mainly young people with little Judo experience. There was only one very small dojo and they practiced there.
(The first JOCV volunteer went Cambodia to teach Judo in 1966.)
For your reference, I will show you some pictures provided by Japan International Cooperation Agency’s Cambodia office. One of them is very valuable, as the first JOCV volunteer who went there to teach Judo, back in 1966, about 40 years ago. Back then, Cambodia was peaceful and prosperous, and in good condition even compared to neighboring countries, so there were many people attending the lessons.
(Mr. Shosida of Kodokan visited Mr. Sunimoto of JOCV, and the national team was guided.)
The second picture, on the other hand, was taken in 2002 at a practice of the national team coached by the JOCV volunteer. In Cambodia, where the country itself is quite poor, the Judo lessons have began anew with insufficient tatami mats, uniforms, and coaches. However, everybody is quite serious in their lessons. I was impressed by scenes where elementary school age children got down on their knees and bowed at the beginning and the ending of the practice, and went up to the teacher to give thanks for the lesson, one-by-one. In 2003, there was an event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Japan-Cambodia relationship and there was a Judo exhibition as well, so I participated in it.

(Enbukai of the 50th anniversary of Japan and Cambodia diplomatic relation establishment event in November, 2003.)
Judo Spreading in the World and Emerging Challenges
Just through my own experiences of which I spoke today, you can tell that Judo has spread to the corners of the world. Having said that, I would like to talk about the meaning of Judo being widespread in the world, and what is happening as a consequence.
First, we cannot forget the fact that many people in the world are trying very hard to learn not only physical judo but also the discipline and spiritual side of Judo and put it in to practice.
Second, such countries include developing nations like Cambodia, and many of them are asking for assistance and cooperation in both human resources and materials from Japan. Outside the Asian and African nations, it is no different in places like the Middle East, where countries have become wealthy but are also seeking teachers.
It is important to know that Judo has a big role to play in the world. It has spread this far in the world because people are interested in the spiritual aspect of the sport, and that also means Japan has made a significant contribution to the world’s spiritual culture and thus has helped the amity and friendships in the world.
In addition, when considering the meaning of Judo’s spread across the world, we cannot overlook the fact that the rules of Judo tournaments have been changing with the internationalization of Judo, and was followed by a gradual change in the quality of Judo itself. I believe it will be a big challenge for us to think about how to approach all these issues.
The Similarity between International Sports and Diplomacy
Now I would like to change the topic a little bit and talk about the “similarity between international sports and diplomacy,” based on my 40 years of experience in Foreign Service.
The United Nations currently has 192 member counties. In comparison, the International Judo Federation has 199 member organizations, more than the UN. Considering this number, just like in diplomacy, it is a fact that mutual understanding is difficult for members with diverse cultures and attitudes. Most of the member countries are always clear about their positions and act accordingly, and assert themselves strongly, sometimes even coming close to being offensive. It is also common in both diplomacy and international sports to play various politics when you negotiate. In this respect, the Japanese Judo circles is exceptionally quiet, and in some cases, I feel it is left behind. In Japan, there is an idea that “silence is golden,” but it is necessary to be aware that when it comes to diplomacy and international sports, “silence is unprofitable.”
In international affairs, forming alliances and strategizing is something you do all the time, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering and gamesmanship are essential. Especially when deciding on international rules and electing members of the board, information gathering is important as well. If you want to exert influence, the effective way to do so is gaining a post after all, and for that purpose, every country spends much energy on elections.
In diplomacy, especially United Nations-related affairs, there are many elections, and Japan stands in these elections in order to play as great a part as possible, which means a massive workload for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As each election is quite important, the Ministry headquarters is always sending directives all over the world to “persuade concerned countries it them and persuade them against us.
Therefore, we need to have numerous approaches for even one election. Moreover, you need to talk to not just one person, but you have to visit many different concerned parties and strenuously persuade them all of how important is it for Japan to get in. Situations sometimes arise where they ask for different conditions and you have to consider them.
In any case, we really put an effort into these elections and spend considerable energy on them. I believe it is the same in the international sports world, and different nations must be making the same kind of efforts to win positions as a chairman or a commissioner. When it comes to elections, even a superpower like the United States has a hard time winning a post. If you think about it, you recognize the fact that it is obviously important to have qualifications, but it is also essential to have trusting relationships built on regular honest dialogue. Just like personalities are important on a personal level, the character of a country can be important on a national level, and I believe things like goodwill and friendly relationships have a significant effect.
The Challenges for Internationalizing Judo
Let us go back to Judo again.
I believe there are various challenges for Judo now that it has become so international, but I would like to focus on the following three challenges today.
First, I believe that how to keep the essence of Judo will become an increasingly difficult challenge for us. Large-scale international tournaments such as Olympics and world championships are held more frequently now. In such big international tournaments, the expectations of people from your country can be so much pressure, and with internationalization, the sport becomes more commercial as well. It will be a big challenge for us to live up with the real essence of the sports under such circumstances.
Second, Judo has been going through transitions because of the changes in tournament rules, and we need to think about how we will cope with it. As is often pointed out, it has gone to a weight system, and then to a point system, and there are trends such as narrower sleeves on the uniforms, which makes it harder to hold them. Although there is a gradual improvement recently, we see Judo techniques that resemble tackling. In regard to ne-waza, I believe that having athletes frequently stop the movement and stand up while working on ne-waza is preventing its further development. I believe it will be a huge challenge for us to decide how to deal with these issues.
The third challenge would be to go beyond the “medal-first policy.” What I mean here is that I believe we have to think about the balance between the requirement to win a gold medal and the necessity to keep the essence of Judo, as both are important and it is difficult to choose one over the other.
The Responsibility of Japan: Birthplace of Judo
Regarding how to handle these challenges, I believe we have to accept the fact that internationalization cannot be avoided and we need to actively respond to this trend. It is in fact important for us to use this huge powerful wave of internationalization to our own advantage. Judo has spread this much because there is so much interest in and appreciation for things Japanese. We need to recognize this as a big asset for Japan and an opportunity to increase Japan’s influence by promoting the authentic Judo from the founding nation of the sport.
In doing so, it is important for Japan, as the founding nation of Judo, to go beyond the medal-first policy and fulfill the responsibility of promoting the right kind of Judo. As the fate of the birth nation of Judo, you cannot ignore the importance of winning tournaments, but when that becomes too important, there is a risk of losing sight of other things. Winning is necessary, but you have to also pay attention to other things as well.
From my own long experience of practicing Judo in France, I have come to notice that French people, even when they are not large-framed, have big chests and strong muscles. I was often surprised, as they would easily flip me around when I had them held under me with ne-waza. Just like this example, there are so many people in the world that are more muscular than Japanese, so it is no wonder that they can become stronger than Japanese people with as much training and mental strength. I believe we need to accept this kind of fact to move forward.
The originating nation of a sport has not always kept the top position. This applies not only to Judo, but to other sports as well. I would obviously prefer Japan to win when it comes to Judo tournaments, and I think it is necessary for Japan to win, but should Japan lose a fight, we have to be aware of this.
I am repeating myself here, but for Japan, as the birthplace of Judo, it is obviously important to win fights, but nothing is more important than restoring the right kind of Judo. I believe it will be increasingly necessary to make efforts to promote Judo in the world according to this line of thinking.
Fortunately, I do not think Japan is isolated in this regard. As you can see from the comments of the Ecole Polytechnique students I introduced earlier, I believe there are many people who share this vision that world Judo has to change and return to the original, so I think we need to work together with people from other nations such as France.
Japan should Participate in International Management of Judo
All these things are related to the matter of “international management of Judo.” What should Japan do in order to be more involved with it? To start with, it is necessary to reinforce Japan’s international activities, but since there are many counterpart nations, drastically reinforcing Japan’s manpower for international activities is necessary.
I believe Japan is blessed with many people who have experienced Judo outside of Japan, such as former JOCV volunteers, senior volunteers, and expatriate employees, so what we have to do is to gather these people and work together with them. We need people with Judo experience, foreign language skills, and international experiences for our purpose. However, I believe there are people who can become involved in the international Judo activities without all these qualifications. As long as one can speak a foreign language or has an interest in Judo, even if the person has very little experience in Judo, I believe that with a certain amount of training, he would be able to understand what he has to do. It is therefore necessary to gather as many as possible of these kinds of people and work together with them.
As a way of approach, cooperation is important to achieve our objectives. Even with countries who oppose the issues Japan advocates, it is necessary to always deal with them and persuade them with patience, while finding nations who share the same ideas with Japan and work hand-in-hand with them.
In addition, when there is a need to change the international tournament rules, Japan must be able to rationalize what has to be changed, as well as why it has to be changed, persuasively. To do so, it is important to have a series of domestic discussions first in order to consolidate different opinions in Japan. I believe the All Japan Judo Federation is already leading in this task at the initiative of Executive Director Haruki Uemura.
When cooperating with the International Judo Federation based on this step, Japan has to express her opinions as clearly as possible without reservation in international conferences. Every country will be there to say what they want to say to the fullest, and Japan needs to make her own claims as loudly and clearly as possible. To do so, it is crucial to first clarify the message and then repeat the message over and over, relentlessly, in order to persuade the concerned parties. If Japan, the birthplace of Judo, keeps explaining her opinions eloquently and repeatedly, I am convinced that nations who would listen and support the Japanese path would emerge.
To do so, public relations would obviously be important, but we can do this in many ways. For example, prominent people like Mr. Yasuhiro Yamashita can contribute a clear message to Judo and sports-related magazines in foreign countries, or advocate the message repeatedly on Japanese Judo websites.
In addition, elections are quite important, as I mentioned earlier, so I believe it is necessary to take time to prepare and mobilize as many people as possible and campaign repeatedly. To gain the advantage in an election, strengthening international exchanges can be useful. In addition, including the non-profit organizations like the Solidarity of International Judo Education, I believe the All Japan Judo Federation needs to step up its efforts to promote different kinds of activities.
In fact, I was asked to join the All Japan Judo Federation’s international committee as a special member. I attended the meeting the other day and discovered that they are already promoting various activities, but I believe we have to be ready to go further. Among developing nations of the world, there are many who would like to ask for assistance and cooperation in Judo from Japan, so it would be important to support these countries as much as possible.
Considering how many countries need our assistance, it would be crucial to gather both internal and external talent. Some former Foreign Ministry officials might be able to help, or the Ministry could work together with non-profit organizations, so we just need to promote and spread the activity as much as we can. We might also want to consider asking former JOCV volunteers and senior volunteers who have Judo teaching experience in developing nations to go back occasionally to the countries where they were stationed and continue their work.
In regard to the crucial issue of budget, I believe it is important to gain the support of corporations as much as possible. You can see that many Japanese companies are already sponsoring various international Judo tournaments. To accomplish Japan’s aims, as well as to obtain budget, we need people with knowledge and techniques from outside the Judo circles, and we must work on Japanese corporations to support us. None of these things would be easy, but it would be necessary to form a clear strategy and pursue it with a long-term perspective.
Summary
To summarize my points roughly, first, Japan needs to step up its efforts in terms of the international management of Judo. In order to deal with the complex and diverse international community, we have to gather talent from both inside and outside the Judo circles and reinforce the lineup with a long-term perspective. As a leading nation of Judo, Japan has to clarify its thoughts and return to the spirit of realizing international Jita Kyoei (mutual welfare and benefit) taught by Master Jigoro Kano. Japan, with its clear assertions, has to keep up its efforts to cooperate internationally with countries and organizations that share the same vision, and continue the exchanges and cooperation through Judo as a long-term challenge.
Things Judo has taught me

Things Judo has taught me by Gotaro Ogawa

Note: The following is the English translation of the article appeared in the French magazine L’Esprit du Judo in its June-July issue of 2011.
(Editors’ comment) Gotaro Ogawa, our special correspondent in Japan, is a retired diplomat and 6th Dan judoka who practices judo every week. Looking back on his half-century of judo training, he presented us his candid thoughts, as found below. While they represent a Japanese view (vision) of judo, they can in fact be considered a universal vision as well. (Ogawa is 67, married, father of three children, Kodokan 6th Dan, retired diplomat and member of the International Committee of the All-Japan Judo Federation. For his opinions, see www.judo-voj.com.)
50 years of judo training
As I was preparing to write this article, I realized I have now been in judo training for exactly 50 years. Looking back to the early days, I remember that practice was really tough. Especially in the beginning, those senior to me would throw me with no trace of mercy and press me down at will, refusing to loosen their strangleholds on my neck even when I signaled “Maitta.” Kangeiko practice in the early mornings of the coldest part of winter was held in dojos with no heating or anything to keep us warm. In the process of several decades of practice, I have been injured time after time. When I think about it, I have to say I like this physically and spiritually demanding judo. But why?
With me, I probably get some sort of spiritual satisfaction from being able to endure difficulty without giving up. When absorbed in practice, I have a feeling it might not be unlike being in a state of Zen meditation. I think about nothing. After a hard practice session, my body’s fatigue releases my mind and makes me feel as if I can be freer than before. Maybe that gives me some kind of feeling of achievement. But could this somehow be of any use? And is there any point in which we can call it something particular to judo? Sometimes people I know tell me that long years of judo practice are what have instilled deeply in me a character of perseverance, calmness, composure and not losing control in the face of trouble.
Pursuing what is essential
Things like the will to endure practice and seeking persistently after the best movements have built up in me the attitude of pursuing only what is truly important. Just as when I am on the tatami mat, so in my daily life, I do not need anything fancy and there is no need to put on superficial airs. The great thing that judo has taught me is the value of being simple. You could even call it plainness. In fact, I prefer simplicity. Simple things are useful in my everyday life, and they are worthwhile. I think many of my judo friends, at least those older than I am, feel the same way on this point. It seems all of us, through judo and perhaps thanks to judo, share the same understanding.
From Japan to Denmark
Whether the act of “rei” performed while seated Japanese style at the beginning and end of practice sessions or that exchanged repeatedly between opponents during practice itself, rei, through having been made the custom and an act to be conformed to, has in the course of practice become an ingrained habit, and as a result, traits like humbleness, humility and respect for others just naturally follow. This is something that could originally be said of Japan, but I am moved every time I feel it also applies all over the world. I was deeply impressed when I found the attitude of humble respect for others in French judoka I met 40 years ago at the dojo of Master Michigami in Bordeaux. I came across this character and attitude in people learning judo everywhere, even in places thousands of kilometers away from Japan. It was the same in all the places where I lived and worked, including with the children in the dojos of Denmark and Cambodia.
Long years of training
I knew that if I underwent proper training in judo for a long enough time, then I myself could attain this kind of character. On the other hand, I also understood that while it is possible to appreciate overall what judo gives us and shows us, one obstacle is the tendency to attach too much or even absolute importance to judo matches, the inclination toward, to use what has become a common phrase, “judo where winning is everything.” That is not the only problem, but the tendency to attach too much importance to matches has in fact been causing trouble.
Judo in confrontation with “Death”
Kaori Yamaguchi, leader in the field of Japanese women’s judo, told me as follows of her feelings at the time of the huge earthquake that hit Japan on March 11th.
“The moment I felt the violent shaking, the thought flashed across my mind of how I should face death when confronted with it. After the earthquake, I thought about how to grasp the meaning of life and death in the context of judo, and about what people who practice judo could learn from it.
“When you think about it, the core importance in the martial arts in olden times was the very concept of how to cope when confronted with death. When I think about whether I would be able to make calm and wise decisions when faced with a situation as serious as death, I feel judo can give some useful lessons.
“Children are not always with their parents when a big accident strikes. In case they have to face things on their own, I think training in judo might help put them in the right frame of mind. It’s natural for anyone to want to save himself in the face of crisis, but you shouldn’t forget to help others, too. It’s the spirit of ‘jita-kyoei (mutual well-being).’ “
There is fact and truth in these words. Judo teaches these things, and what Kaori Yamaguchi says comes from her personal conviction. While constantly busy with work that includes being professor at Tsukuba University and commentator for Japanese television broadcasts covering major tournaments, she still spares much of her time and effort for judo training for children.
Keeping going（Keizoku ）
Teruyuki Miura (70), an educator with nearly 40 years of service at Rikkyo High School as well as having a hand in judo instruction at the Kodokan, gave me this reflection.
“Perseverance and a harmonious spirit are fostered through training in judo. I’ve been able to observe this firsthand throughout all my years in education.”
On the day of this year’s All-Japan Championships in late April, I came across a 76-year-old lady in the auditorium. She shouldered a backpack and moved lightly, and I thought she must be in her 50s. When I asked the secret of her energy, she lit up with a smile and answered, “Keeping going.” She said she started judo when she was 30 and continues practice even now.
Judo, more than just simple drilling, is also the cultivation of a way of living. It is not just a mere expression. In relation to the massive challenge Japan must now confront, my inward feeling is that I would like to stay optimistic. With the start of the new school year next April, the martial arts will be returned to their former position as a required subject in Japan’s middle schools.

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Preface aux pages Judo

Preface to Judo pages
This chapter provides English or French version articles with regard to my thoughts and commentaries on various issues of Judo together with those of great judo experts. In a separate section, francophone readers may well refer to my articles contributed to the French magazine L’Esprit du Judo ( ).
Gotaro Ogawa

Préface aux pages Judo
Ce chapitre présente à mes chers lecteurs les articles en version française ou anglaise relatifs à mes pensées et commentaires, ainsi que ceux de grands judokas, aux sujets de judo. Lecteurs intéressés sont sollicités de bien vouloir visiter mes chroniques dans le magazine français L’Esprit du Judo à travers le lien ci-dessous.
Gotaro Ogawa

A new mission for Kosei Inoue

The value and significance of judo to the world

Feelings on today’s judo

Rallying talent for judo

Japanese judo should be strong: how to train for that?

Aims for the future

Different Ways of Conducting Judo Competitions: Japan Goes Its Own Way

(Gotaro Ogawa, July 15, 2009 )

Live up to the Principle of “Open Weight” Formula: A brief Analysis of the All Japan Judo Championship 2009

Sticking to Newaza( Groundwork )

Kaori Yamaguchi: “I want to play a role in thinking about judo”

Judo in the words of Isao Okano-Sensei

1. “Looseness” in the fit of judogi

2. Ban on use of the hand in direct attacks below the obi

3. Newaza

4. Riner’s manners

A young French Judoka talks about his experience in Japan

Judo in Japan: Training and Practice which Maintains the Interest of Adults

Newaza (Ground Work) Could it be a solution to the problems of contemporary judo?

Affirmation 1: The end of Newaza would cause the disappearance of ippon.

Affirmation 2: Newaza is the entry gate for adult beginners

Manners in Judo: Their International Significance and Hopes for the Role of University-Level Education From the Experiences of a Diplomat

December, 2009

Photos by National Institute of Finness and Sports at Kanoya

1. Cultural power of Japan and the martial arts

2. Judo’s penetration into the world and the underlying significance

3. Current challenges faced by Japanese judo

4. What should we be doing?

5. Hopes for the role of university-level education

Penetration of Judo in the world and Japan

Judo Experience in France

The Background of the French Judo Boom

Learning from the Efforts of Our Predecessors in France

Different Environments of Judo in Different Countries

The Environment of Judo in Developing Countries

Judo Spreading in the World and Emerging Challenges

The Similarity between International Sports and Diplomacy

The Challenges for Internationalizing Judo

The Responsibility of Japan: Birthplace of Judo

Japan should Participate in International Management of Judo

Summary

Things Judo has taught me by Gotaro Ogawa

50 years of judo training

Pursuing what is essential

From Japan to Denmark

Long years of training

Judo in confrontation with “Death”

Keeping going（Keizoku ）

Preface to Judo pages

Préface aux pages Judo