Kano Jigoro’s 161st birthday: Google honors the father of judo – Panorama

161st birth anniversary of Kano Jigoro: the name will be known mainly to insiders, but practically everyone knows his “invention”. Because Professor Kano Jigoro is considered the father of judo.

Judo is a Japanese martial art that translates to “gentle way”. Because sport is based on principles such as tact and tolerance. Google says, “Kanō Jigorō saw martial arts as a way to bring people together, even if he threw his opponents on the rug.” The search engine giant is celebrating the father of judo on his 161st birthday today with an animated logo on its homepage.

Kano was born in Mikage in 1860, but grew up in Tokyo in his youth. He studied jujutsu martial arts, and his teacher was a jujutsu master and former samurai Fukuda Hachinosuke.

Kanō Jigorō Jujutsu developed very quickly by combining his martial arts and throwing and floor techniques. In 1882 Kano opened his own martial arts school, the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo, where he continued to develop and refine his techniques for years. From 1893, women also trained judo with him.

Doodle Doodle for Kano Jigoro’s 161st Birthday

In the following years, judo experienced real overwhelming progress across the world. Gentle martial arts have also become popular in Germany. The first world championships were held in Tokyo in 1956. At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, judo was first seen as an Olympic sport. Today, judo is taught in countless schools around the world.

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Kano Jigoro didn’t live to see him anymore. He died in 1938.

Today, Google presented a judo master with an animated doodle. The doodle, created by Los Angeles-based artist Cynthia Yuan Cheng, shows in comic style how Kanō Jigorō develops and teaches the martial art of jujutsu in his school.