Kanō Jigorō was born in 1860 in Japan. His father was a major influence on his life after his mother died when he was 9 years old. With income from a sake business, Kanō’s father ensured that he had a good education. Kanō was enrolled in private schools and had a private English tutor.
When Kanō was sent to an academy run by Europeans, he experienced bullying. His small stature and his intellectual nature made him an easy target. He was beaten frequently. A friend of the family helped Kanō defend himself by teaching him some jūjutsu moves. This became a crucible moment in Kanō’s life. He became so proficient at jūjutsu that he was asked to perform a demonstration for former U.S. President Ulysses Grant.
As Kanō increased his proficiency in jūjutsu, he began to evolve a new martial art that had more of a focus on physical and character development. This new martial art was called judo.
Kanō remained an educator at heart even though he was at the top of all those who practiced martial arts. He served in a number of education positions throughout his life. He also was influential in making judo a part of the education curriculum. Kanō saw judo as a way to develop discipline and character.
He also introduced the concept of different color belts to designate proficiency levels. This concept has been widely adopted today in many different areas outside of martial arts.
Kanō’s pioneering efforts extended beyond martial arts and education. He was the first member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) selected from an Asian country. He served on the IOC for 29 years. Through his efforts, judo became an Olympic sport.
Kanō passed away in 1938 at 77. He was a well-known opponent of Japanese militarism, raising some suspicions about the cause of his death.
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“Nothing under the sun is greater than education. By educating one person and sending him into the society of his generation, we make a contribution extending a hundred generations to come.” – Kanō Jigorō