柔道 jūdō Judo

柔道 is judo, the martial art and sport Kanō Jigorō founded in 1882. The characters say the gentle way. The word is older than the art. A Han emperor said he would rule the empire by 柔道, and Edo schools of jūjutsu wrote it for their inner teaching. The license Kanō's own teacher gave him in 1883 already reads 柔道. In 1889 Kanō explained why he kept the old name. The common word, 柔術, jūjutsu, had come to suggest a dangerous art, and show booths had cheapened it. He also wished the work of the masters before him not to be lost. It became the art's general name slowly: the Dai Nippon Butokukai wrote it for the art by 1914, and a Ministry regulation in 1919.

The Japanese word 柔道 meaning "Judo" is composed of the kanji 柔 (read jū) meaning "supple; gentle; soft" and 道 (read dō) meaning "the way; teachings".

柔道 was a word of the Edo schools of jūjutsu, for their inner teaching above the technique, before Kanō Jigorō took it as the name of what he taught at the Kōdōkan, which he opened in 1882, and it became the art's general name slowly, in the Dai Nippon Butokukai's rules by 1914 and in a Ministry regulation of 1919.

We want you to be as happy with the meaning as you are with Master Takase's art. To learn more, visit Philology of 柔道.

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