Today’s Doodle, created by Cynthia Cheng of Los Angeles, CA, honours Professor Kan Jigor, Japan’s “Father of Judo,” on his 161st birthday. The doodle comes with images in a carousel displaying judo artists bowing to each other and preparing for a bout. The images come as a representation of Kan Jigor’s training curriculum. 

Judo’s name translates to “gentle method”, and the sport is based on values like justice, courtesy, safety, and modesty. Even while hurling opponents to the mat, Kan saw martial arts as a tool to bring people together. 

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Kan was born in Mikage (now part of Kobe) in 1860 and went to Tokyo with his father when he was 11 years old. Despite his reputation as a kid prodigy at school, he faced adversity on a regular basis. He got motivated to learn the martial art of Jujutsu in order to gain strength. He was a student at Tokyo University at the time, where he found Fukuda Hachinosuke, a former samurai and jujutsu teacher, who ultimately agreed to train him. 

According to the google website, “Judo was first born during a Jujutsu sparring match when Kanō incorporated a western wrestling move to bring his much larger opponent to the mat. By removing the most dangerous techniques used in Jujutsu, he created “Judo,” a safe and cooperative sport based on Kanō’s personal philosophy of Seiryoku-Zenyo (maximum efficient use of energy) and Jita-Kyoei (mutual prosperity of self and others). In 1882, Kanō opened his own dojo (a martial arts gym), the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo, where he would go on to develop Judo for years. He also welcomed women into the sport in 1893.”

Kan was the very first Asian member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1909, and the IOC officially recognised Judo as an Olympic sport in 1960.