From Samurai to Society

3ca564b8

So, let’s start at the very beginning—feudal Japan, where the samurai weren’t just swinging swords around, but also had to think about what happened if, say, their blade snapped or they were suddenly unarmed. That’s where jujutsu, the so-called “gentle art,” comes in. And I always find that phrase a bit poetic, don’t you? “Gentle” in the sense of yielding, redirecting, not brute force. But on the battlefield, it was anything but gentle—throws, joint locks, pins, all designed to take down armored opponents without a weapon. It’s a bit like learning to dance with gravity, but the stakes were, well, life or death.

John Harvey

Yeah, and what’s fascinating is how those techniques—throws, pins, joint locks—were all about efficiency. You couldn’t outmuscle someone in armor, so you had to use leverage, timing, and, honestly, a bit of cunning. I mean, the samurai weren’t just warriors, they were strategists. Jujutsu was their insurance policy when things got unpredictable. And, Nikki, you’ve actually trained in Japan, right?

3ca564b8

I have, and I’ll never forget this one winter in a tiny rural dojo outside Kyoto. The sensei must have been in his eighties, and he moved like water—just impossibly smooth. He told us, “If you can’t fall safely, you can’t fight safely.” At first, I thought, “Well, that’s a bit anticlimactic, isn’t it?” But then he demonstrated—over and over—how learning to fall, to yield, was as important as any throw or lock. It’s humbling, really. You realize the art isn’t just about defeating someone, but surviving, adapting, and, sometimes, letting go of your own stubbornness.

ea97ee05

Yielding as survival—there’s a lesson for modern life, isn’t there? I love that the so-called “gentle art” was born from necessity, not nicety. It’s a paradox: the softest approach can be the most devastating. And, Nikki, your story reminds me—sometimes the most profound wisdom comes from the quietest corners, not the grandest halls. The battlefield may have faded, but the need to fall, to adapt, that’s eternal.

John Harvey

So, fast forward to the late 1800s—Kanō Jigorō enters the scene. He’s this young, bookish guy, but he’s got a mind like a steel trap. He studies Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū and Kitō-ryū, two of the big jujutsu schools, and he starts thinking, “What if we could take the best of these traditions, but make them safer, more… I don’t know, educational?”

3ca564b8

Exactly. Kanō wasn’t just collecting techniques—he was reimagining the whole purpose of martial arts. In 1882, he founds the Kodokan, and suddenly, it’s not just about self-defense or even winning. He strips out the most dangerous moves, introduces randori—free sparring—so people can actually test themselves without, you know, ending up in hospital. And he’s got these big ideas: “maximum efficiency, minimum effort,” and “mutual welfare and benefit.” It’s not just about you getting stronger, but about everyone growing together.

John Harvey

That “maximum efficiency” principle—Seiryoku Zen'yō—really resonates with me. In the military, you learn quickly that brute force only gets you so far. It’s about adapting, using what you have, and not wasting energy. Sometimes, survival depends on being able to change tactics on the fly. Kanō’s approach was almost… strategic, in that sense. He wanted judo to be a way of life, not just a set of moves.

ea97ee05

And there’s something quietly radical about that, isn’t there? Kanō takes this battlefield art and turns it into a philosophy for living. He’s not just teaching people how to throw each other around—he’s teaching them how to move through the world with intention, with care. The shift from kata—those rigid, pre-arranged forms—to randori, where you have to improvise, feels almost like a metaphor for life. You can rehearse all you want, but when the moment comes, you have to respond, not just recite.

3ca564b8

And that’s what makes judo so different from its roots. It’s not just about what you do on the mat, but who you become off it. Kanō saw judo as a tool for personal and social transformation. I think that’s why it’s endured, and why it keeps evolving.

ea97ee05

So, let’s talk about how judo leapt from the tatami mats of Tokyo to, well, pretty much everywhere. After Kanō’s reforms, judo gets picked up by Japanese schools—suddenly, it’s not just for warriors, but for kids, for communities. And then, by 1964, it’s in the Olympics. That’s a wild journey for something that started as a samurai’s last resort.

John Harvey

Yeah, and that global spread changed the art again. The focus shifted even more from kata to randori—real, live practice. But it wasn’t just about sport. Judo became a way to teach discipline, respect, and, honestly, how to be a better citizen. There’s this case in Paris—schools using judo to help at-risk youth. Instead of channeling aggression into violence, they’re learning to work together, to respect boundaries, to build community. It’s mutual benefit in action.

3ca564b8

It’s beautiful, really. Judo’s not just about medals or technique—it’s about character. I’ve seen it firsthand, too, in my own workshops. The kids who struggle most with anger or self-doubt often become the most dedicated judoka. They learn to fall, to get up, to try again. And that lesson—falling safely, rising stronger—it ripples out into their lives, their families, their futures.

ea97ee05

It’s a kind of alchemy, isn’t it? Turning conflict into connection, chaos into discipline. And as we’ve seen in other episodes—like when we talked about Yi Quan and the power of intention, or the art of balance in Um-Yang—these martial traditions aren’t just about fighting. They’re about transformation, about finding your place in the world and making it a little better, one throw at a time.

John Harvey

And that’s the real legacy of judo. It’s not just a martial art—it’s a philosophy, a community, a way of living with purpose. I think Kanō would be proud to see how far it’s come, and how it keeps adapting to new challenges, new cultures, new generations.

3ca564b8

Absolutely. And that’s where we’ll leave it for today—judo’s journey from the samurai’s gentle art to a global force for good. Thank you both for sharing your stories and insights. And thank you to everyone listening—whether you’re on the mat or just curious about the world, we hope you found something to take with you.

ea97ee05

If you’re still standing after all that, give yourself a bow. We’ll be back soon with more stories, more questions, and, hopefully, a few more gentle falls. Until next time, Nikki, John—always a pleasure.

John Harvey

Thanks, Eden. Thanks, Nikki. And thanks to all of you out there. Stay curious, stay resilient. See you next episode.