Judo Forum Feb 98

. judo forum tremendous knowledge of the history of February 1998 Welcome the Kodokan prior to 1938. A must read Volume 1, Issue 1 piece about Classical Judo. Vernon Borgen Then Nels Erickson tells tales of a dojo After a stirring conversation on Steve outdoors and in an unheated garage - in Cunningham’s Judo List and years of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Brrrrrrrrr! complaining about the lack of a judo magazine I decided to start one. The third article is by Keo Cavalcanti, Inside this Issue Executive Director of Zen Judo in This past summer “The Judo Athlete” America. Keo shares with us the was born. All too early it died. Taking What is Classical Judo? importance of getting together with our this as a bad omen, “that profitable judo an interview with Steve judo friends on a regular basis for 2 magazines are entirely too unique,” this Cunningham practice and fellowship. magazine will be published for free. The Everywhere Dojo. 11 And finally Jana Seaborn shares with us Feel free to make copies of the the struggle and the courage to fight a magazine “as-a-whole” for free Crossing the Pond, river. This is a great story about Sei distribution (you can charge for Making Connections Ryoku Zen Yo. 12 printing expenses) and for the purpose expressed, i.e. to educate We are looking for good stories, Fargo Judoka Join Flood about judo. Any other use is research, interesting pictures and Fight 14 prohibited and subject to written cartoons. Feel free to contribute. request. The entire contents of this Atemi-Waza magazine are copyrighted. If you have comments visit our web site 15 at http://www.gentleways.com Our first issue starts with an interview 1998 judo forum with Steve Cunningham by Linda All Rights Reserved Yiannakis. Steve shares with us his air judo photo by Vern Borgen judo forum magazine Http://www.gentleways.com . February 1998 What Is Classical Judo? An Interview with Steven R. Cunningham 6th Dan, Kodokan Judo 7th Dan, Takagi Ryu Jujutsu 6th Dan, Mugen Ryu Karate by Linda Yiannakis 3rd Dan, USJA © 1997 Linda Yiannakis All Rights Reserved Myers Rob by photo Steven R. Cunningham is a respected authority on martial arts and on classical Judo in particular. Cunningham began his study of Judo at the age of 6 with Taizo Sone, who was a direct student of Jigoro Kano and uchideshi to Hidekazu Nagaoka (10th dan). Cunningham was trained in all aspects of traditional Judo and was uke and uchideshi to Sone Sensei. He is well versed in Japanese history, philosophy, language and culture, and is an expert with the sword and jo as well as other battlefield weapons. Cunningham Sensei teaches classical Judo and Takagi Ryu jujutsu at Budenkan Judo & Jujutsu Club at the University of Connecticut and at Ju Nan Shin Martial Arts Academy in Manchester, CT. When people today speak of Judo, training there of some kind and brought to him at all. It hurt him deeply. He they often classify the type of Judo it back home. The problem was that was concerned enough about this that he they practice as either sport or first of all, the Japanese were not went to the Emperor, and got the traditional (classical) Judo. Yet, a terribly crazy about the American GIs Emperor to stop them from using his clear definition of classical Judo has learning their guarded secrets. Also, Kodokan. The Emperor made him a proven to be somewhat elusive. How there is a strong sense among the promise, but the nature of the promise do you define classical Judo and what Japanese about martial art being was such that Kano was still concerned distinguishes it from today’s sport associated with being Japanese, with that things could happen. So Kano Judo? being part of what they are. And so to immediately set about dismantling a lot share its innermost parts with foreign of the Kodokan teaching and structure, I don’t think there’s any clear definition servicemen who had been conquerors is shipping it out to the different provinces that everyone would agree to. The Judo not something that would be terribly in an effort to protect the innermost that you call classical Judo would likely. teachings. He stopped teaching certain probably depend upon what your of the kata. He stopped altogether, and experience in Judo has been. That Also, during the decade before WWII, it’s because he didn’t want those to fall would vary with what traditions you’ve during the 1930s, Kano was approached into the hands of the military forces bent been exposed to. Most people have by the militant forces in Japan and they on world domination. One of them is been exposed to post World War II Judo suggested using the Kodokan as a Ippon Yo Goshin Jutsu No Kata. That’s and nothing before that. There are a lot training ground for soldiers. Since okuden [hidden] now; it’s not being of reasons for that. Kano was rather cosmopolitan and fond taught by anybody else that I know of. of the West, and fond of people Also there were kata such as Go No The first major inflow of Judo to the everywhere, and a very open and caring Kata, and there were several versions of United States and Europe came after person, and wanted Judo to be of benefit Renkoho No Kata. And also, all the ryu WWII when returning members of the to all of mankind and not used to wage that had joined the Kodokan had all Allied Occupation Forces had received war on others, this did not make sense brought in their kata. Those were meant 2 . judo forum to be preserved at the Kodokan. That clear thinking individual of high moral with the samurai shouldn’t be lost. So was the rationale for bringing these ryu value to make things right. They could he was trying to find a place where he in. So there were a lot of kata or see right from wrong. The weak could could archive and bring together all the techniques which were taught. Most of overcome the strong and make the best of these arts, all the best of the the Goshin Waza, the whole Goshin world right. So the sword is that sense knowledge that was gained through all Waza side of Judo, would not be taught of bond with nature and kami, it’s the the years since the feudal era. That was after that. Certain kata were actually focus of right and wrong, and the sense his Kodokan. created to take the place of them in that one person, even a small person, places where Kano thought something can make a difference. They say in He had masters from many, many had to be sustained. For example, he Japanese, “Zen, ken, ishoa.” “Mind, schools coming to join him. He studied thought it was important for the sword, oneness” - that if the man is many schools himself, and continued women’s division to have some self- true, then the sword is true, and if the his studies until he died. It’s true that defense being taught, so they created sword is true then the man is true. That not everybody came to the Kodokan, some kata so they could practice there. there’s that bond with the sword, and a but most of the major ryu did come. So So all that was because of the oncoming certain special power that the sword in those days they practiced not only the war. gives us and that carries through to the kind of 40 throws that we practice, and martial art. The Tokugawa Era ended in in fact in the early days, before about Could you describe what the early 1868, 8 years 1905, they didn’t practitioners of Judo were actually after Kano was do as much of He saw samurai and their swords being doing when they practiced Judo? born. With the the kind of taken away. He saw the samurai They weren’t just doing 40 throws establishment of become just sort of shells of what they matwork and some kansetsu waza ... the Meiji, the were before. They were lost; they were grappling as we military in great pain. do now. They I asked my instructor what made the old government fell did more ways so different. He reached over and and the Emperor throwing and picked up a samurai sword off of the was restored. So since the Emperor had striking and kicking. They did a lot of rack. He said, “This makes it different.” essentially been held hostage for over weapons work. Also, from the Tenshin So I said, “I don’t understand. You 250 years, or his family had been, the Shinyo Ryu, for example, there were a mean because you use swords, you first thing he did was take all the number of specialized methods by practice with swords?” And he pointed samurai swords. Well, it was a little bit which you can immobilize or kill out that the sword has a very special more than just emasculating warriors. It someone with grasps. So these were meaning to the Japanese. The Sun was taking away the entire spirit of very dangerous techniques. But what Goddess, Amaterasu, gave the sword to Japan. It’s what they were. To have Kano was able to superimpose on this the first Emperor as a covenant between that taken from them was more than knowledge was his sense of how all her and the people of Japan. She they could bear.

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