A fascinating new academic study has uncovered evidence showing how Kodokan Judo significantly influenced the development of jujutsu in the United Kingdom during the early 20th century, reshaping our understanding of martial arts history in the West.
The research, published in Martial Arts Studies journal by authors David Brough, Slaviša Bradić, Mike Callan, Lance Gatling, and Llyr Jones, examines recently discovered documents from the British Ju-jitsu Society (BJS), an organization established in 1926 that has been largely forgotten in martial arts history.
“These findings challenge the conventional narrative about how Japanese martial arts developed in Britain,” explains lead researcher David Brough. “While we’ve long known about The Budokwai’s importance in London, these documents reveal another significant organization operating throughout the UK during the same period.”
The British Ju-jitsu Society emerged during a critical transition period in martial arts history. Following the initial boom of jujutsu popularity in the Edwardian era, when Japanese masters like Yukio Tani and Sadakazu Uyenishi demonstrated seemingly invincible techniques in music halls across Britain, the BJS helped formalize training methods nationwide.
What makes this discovery particularly significant is the clear evidence that the BJS syllabus incorporated numerous elements from Kodokan Judo, despite using different terminology. Analysis of the BJS instruction manuals shows that all throws taught by the organization match techniques from Jigoro Kano’s Kodokan system.
“The BJS documents explicitly state that the fifteen formal throws they practiced were ‘the grammar of the art’ – a direct parallel to how Jigoro Kano described kata in judo,” notes co-author Mike Callan. “This demonstrates Kano’s influence even on organizations that weren’t directly affiliated with the Kodokan.”
The researchers identified that the BJS operated through correspondence courses, with members progressing through three examination levels to become “Graduates,” “Fellows,” and ultimately “Masters” of the Society. The organization featured distinctive blue enameled badges, monthly journals, and even a “secret sign” for members.
This study also sheds light on the complex interrelationship between judo and jujutsu during this formative period. While early British jujutsu pioneers like Tani and Uyenishi came from the Handa dojo in Osaka rather than the Kodokan, their techniques already shared similarities with Kano’s developing judo system.
“The boundaries between judo and jujutsu were more fluid than previously understood,” explains martial arts historian Llyr Jones. “Many techniques were common to both arts, and Kano himself regularly incorporated effective methods from various jujutsu schools into his Kodokan system.”
The paper provides valuable context for understanding how Jigoro Kano’s 1920 visit to London, where he promoted Gunji Koizumi and Yukio Tani to 2nd dan in Kodokan judo, represented a strategic move to incorporate existing jujutsu practitioners into his growing international judo network.
This research transforms our understanding of martial arts transmission between Japan and the West, revealing that even organizations using the term “jujutsu” were often teaching techniques and methodologies developed or systematized by Kano’s Kodokan.
For martial arts practitioners today, these findings highlight the interconnected nature of Japanese combat systems and demonstrate how Jigoro Kano’s technical and pedagogical innovations influenced martial arts development far beyond direct Kodokan affiliations.
The study appears in the journal Martial Arts Studies, Volume 13, and represents a significant contribution to understanding the early development of Japanese martial arts in the Western world.
