The development of Kano’s judo within Japanese civilizing/decivilizing processes

Abstract

This paper analyses the complex development of judo from the figurational approach of Norbert Elias. Judo was not the creation of a sole genius, Jigoro Kano, but was progressively developed within a social blind process of whole figurations affected by specific balances between civilizing/decivilizing trends. Jigoro Kano systematized judo in order to offer a modern, formal educational tool for character-building of the youth. Nonetheless, it is argued that some unintended consequences from his original plan resulted in a very different and contrary phenomenon: Kano’s innovations gave birth to systematized mass education means that would be later used to instill a militarized ethos among the whole population; Kano helped to link judo and modern budo with the sport world (through the Olympic movement) and tied their future development to the sport figuration towards professionalization and ‘striving achievement’.