Jigoro Kano’s Judo - Lessons from the Master for Constructing a Martial Art

[u/Lgat77]

Very highly recommended reading.

https://substack.com/home/post/p-167919097

Martial Mastery, Part III: Jigoro Kano’s Judo
Lessons from the Master for Constructing a Martial Art
Jul 10, 2025
by Matt Larsen

Great, thought-provoking essay on how Kanō shihan created and fine-tuned judo as a "self-correcting mechanism of cultural influence" through
"five levers,
kata, randori, shiai, rank, schools, and moral education,
formed an interlocking system:
a living lab to test reality,
a safe vault for dangerous knowledge,
a rank structure to bind them,
a civic base to scale them,
and an ethical vision to make the dojo more than a gym."

Very nicely done, with an eye to history and Kanō shihan's grand plan.

Matt Larsen [u/mattlarsen511756]()
Matt Larsen is a career Army Ranger who is best known as a hand-to-hand combat expert and the father of the U.S. Army's Modern Army Combatives Program. He is currently the Director of Combatives at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

[u/fleischlaberl]

Great Post Lance - as always!

Looking forward to part II.

Another important part of Kano Shihan's didactical system was "Mondo" 問答 = "(guided) Q & A"

Note:

Origins and Roots of Kano's Thoughts on the Principles and Methods of Judo

https://www.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/cogdt3/origins_and_roots_of_kanos_thoughts_on_the/

What was new in Ju Jitsu with Jigoro Kano's Judo?

https://www.reddit.com/r/judo/comments/ajnper/what_was_new_in_ju_jitsu_with_jigoro_kanos_judo/

[u/Lgat77 → u/fleischlaberl]

actually that is Part 3 - check out his Substack for Part 1, which includes some Kano info

[u/Otautahi]

Thank you - this is a really interesting formulation. I had not considered the different components of how Kano structured judo as a system working together.

Is this the authors own theory? Or did Kano leave evidence that this was a conscious organisational strategy on his part?

[u/Lgat77 → u/Otautahi]

AFAIK it's the author's theory. I haven't seen anything that suggests that.

Kano shihan did write about succession, evolution and response, but nothing like this with interlocking levels.

Suggest you go to his Substack, post a response, and let us know what he says.

[u/Otautahi → u/Lgat77]

Great idea - will do

[u/No_Afternoon6743]

Very interesting. The moral/civic level is something we often talk about as secondary or superfluous nowadays--"Why are we spending class time on a lecture"--or something restricted to children's classes. I guess a major difference is that most senseis today have no moral education. As an ethicist, I obviously think that's a shame. 

On the other hand, that approach to martial arts is, more cynically, about population control. Often, these replicate existing social norms to the benefit of the state. Of course, as judo changes and evolves, so too can its philosophical basis. Lots to think about

[u/Lgat77 → u/No_Afternoon6743]

Post Kanō shihan and post WWII, the Kodokan abandoned any attempt at moral or ethical instruction and adopted sport judo as its response to directives from General Headquarters GHQ / Supreme Commander Allied Powers (SCAP) to purge militaristic training.

All of Kanō shihan's notions were cast aside or so watered down as to be unrecognizable except for lip service and some slogans.

One man's population control is another man's proper education.

More here:
www.kanochronicles.com