Historical archive
Kanō Jigorō — What judo is for (1915 and 1922)
The founder of judo defines his art and its goal in his own words: seven lines translated by us.
柔道本義 (1915) · 講道館文化会綱領 (1922) · Date: 1915 and 1922
The story of the text
Kanō Jigorō (1860–1938) studied old jūjutsu schools as a student in Tokyo and in 1882 opened the Kōdōkan, where he taught what he called jūdō: a system of throws and holds practised with full resistance but without the most dangerous techniques. In 1909 he became the first Asian member of the International Olympic Committee.
He wrote constantly about why people should practise. The two texts below are the clearest: a definition published in 1915 in the Kōdōkan’s magazine, later read in dōjōs as his “testament”, and the three principles of the Kōdōkan Cultural Society of 1922, from which come the mottos seiryoku zenyō (best use of energy) and jita kyōei (mutual welfare and benefit).
Source and rights
Kanō Jigorō died in 1938. His works are in the public domain in Japan and the EU, and these texts, published in 1915 and 1922, are also in the public domain in the United States. Japanese text as reproduced by the Kōdōkan and judo historians (old spelling kept). Translations: WABUKAN.
Passages: original and our translation
柔道は心身の力を最も有効に使用する道である。Judo is the way of using the power of mind and body most effectively.
柔道の修行は攻撃防禦の練習に由って身體精神を鍛錬修養し斯道の神髄を體得することである。Training in judo means forging and cultivating body and spirit through the practice of attack and defence, and making the essence of this way your own.
さうして是に由って己を完成し世を補益するが柔道修行の究竟の目的である。And through this, to perfect oneself and contribute to the world: that is the ultimate aim of judo training.
Winning matches does not appear anywhere in the definition.
精力の最善活用は自己完成の要訣なりThe best use of energy is the key to perfecting oneself.
Origin of the motto 精力善用, seiryoku zenyō.
自己完成は他の完成を助くることに依って成就すPerfecting oneself is achieved by helping others to perfect themselves.
自他完成は人類共栄の基なりThe perfection of self and others is the foundation of humanity’s shared prosperity.
Origin of the motto 自他共栄, jita kyōei.
世界全般に亙っては人種的偏見を去り文化の向上均霑に努め人類の共栄を図らんことを期すAcross the whole world, we pledge to remove racial prejudice, to work so that the progress of culture is shared by all, and to seek the common prosperity of humanity.
A striking line for 1922 Japan, three years after the racial equality proposal was rejected at the Paris Peace Conference.
Related
Sources
- 講道館 — 令和8年 年頭所感 (Kōdōkan, quotes the 1915 text) — kdkjudo.org
- 嘉納師範遺訓 — eJudo — www.ejudo.info
- 講道館文化会 綱領・宣言 (1922) — judo3.org
- 嘉納治五郎 — Wikipedia (ja) — ja.wikipedia.org
- Kanō Jigorō — Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org
- Racial Equality Proposal (1919) — Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org
Cite / use this content
You may quote and share this page with a link to WABUKAN. Suggested citation:
WABUKAN 和武館, «Kanō Jigorō — What judo is for (1915 and 1922)», https://wabukan.com/texto-kano (accessed 2026-10-30).
Translations on this page are by WABUKAN unless stated otherwise.