Title: Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano
Author: Brian N. Watson
Publisher: Trafford
Publication Date: October 3, 2008
Format: Hardcover / Paperback / Kindle
Pages: 218, 6 in x 9 in
Cover Price: $29 / $26 / $8.99
ISBN: 978-1425163495
Content
Brian Watson is a long time judo practitioner, ranked as a 4th dan at the time of writing his previous book The Father of Judo. He was a Special Research Student at the Kodokan in the 1970s, a university lecturer and translator, and an English correspondent for the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. Mr. Watson has written several books on judo and its history, the first of which was The Father of Judo, reviewed previously.
Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano is primarily based on Mr. Watson’s “English rendition of Torahei Ochiai’s… Japanese-language reports that first appeared in print as a series of articles issued from January 1927 to December 1928 in the monthly Kodokan Culture Council magazine Sako. In 1992 all of the above discourse [discourses?] by Kano, together with a number of his essay contributions to the monthlies Judo and Yuko no Katsudo, were collated and re-published in Kano Jigoro Chosakushu (Collected Works of Jigoro Kano), Volume III.”
The first part of the book, divided into 88 essays, is based on Torahei Ochiai’s interviews. These focus on professor Kano’s recollections of events spanning 1882 to 1928. Kano does speak of his pre-judo training in Tenshin Shinyo-ryu and Kity-ryu jujutsu, from 1877 to 1882 and slightly beyond. He describes the founding, growth, and development of the Kodokan; his experience as an educator; his theories on judo; and his work for the International Olympic Committee. The second part of the book, titled “Judo’s influence on Japanese society,” along with the preface and afterword, contain Mr. Watson’s commentary on professor Kano’s life and contribution to judo and Japan. The book concludes with a lengthy glossary with several hefty entries. Example subjects include the Butokukai, and English translation of the Imperial Rescript on Education, and short biographies of key people.
Pros
I expect Mr. Watson encountered some consternation with the invented dialogue of his earlier book, The Father of Judo. That feedback may have encouraged him to begin this book with a quote he attributes to the Hozoin school, dated 1600: “Talk not about who does well or badly; seek where you yourself fall short.” Nevertheless, his reliance on professor Kano’s own words in Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano make for good reading. There may be some overlap between the content of this book and the 2005 book Mind Over Muscle, reviewed previously and cited in the bibliography. However, I enjoyed Mr. Watson’s presentation and translation of this material, as it represents a lot of original work.
Cons
I have very few concerns with this book. I did notice that in a section on famous judoka, Mr. Watson wrote: “Currently one of the world’s most famous politicians, Angela Merkel, Germany’s first female Chancellor, also trained in judo and holds a black belt.” This is unsourced but likely based on one (or both) of two news articles. The German newspaper Der Spiegel published a story on 22 November 2005 with the line “Whereas [former German Chancellor Gerhard] Schröder was a prima donna, Merkel is a black belt in judo.” Similarly, a 29 December 2005 article in the Irish Times included this statement: “She has earned a new nickname too – the ‘Judo Chancellor’ – because of her talent for using her opponents’ strength against them and adapting well to changing circumstances.” These are the only references to Angela Merkel and judo prior to Mr. Waton’s 2008 book. There is no evidence that Merkel trained in judo or holds a black belt. Her “judo” is apparently a description of her political style. It might actually be a play on her interactions with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who is indeed a high ranking judoka.
Conclusion
I give this book 5 out of 5 ninja stars.
I enjoyed reading Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano. It is a wonderful source for judo and martial arts historians and enthusiasts, as it adds another book to the short list of English language resources. I also appreciate having the book available in three formats. Those wondering about the quality of the Kindle version will be pleased to learn that it renders nicely on my old Paperwhite. I recommend buying a copy today!
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