Judo & American Culture: Prelude, Acceptance, Embodiment

The origins of Asian martial arts in the United States reach back to the Pacific Rim and immigration. This anthology is dedicated to the profoundly significant period-roughly from mid-eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century-in which gifted Japanese taught their brand of jujutsu/judo to small groups that gradually disseminated knowledge of combatives into the American mainstream.Wingard provides insightful coverage of the ＂manly arts＂ in America as they swept the land along with moving populations. Hlinak analyzes Japanese-American immigration into the American West, specifically by examining a series of contests between judoka and wrestlers from 1900 to 1920 in California. Svinth details the establishment and functioning of two important dojos in the Seattle, Washington, area, and their exhibitions, intraclub tournaments, and war-time influences on practice. Webb’s chapter focuses on one of the early prime movers for the growth and establishment of judo in America: Vincent Tamura. His practice has roots in ancient Heike-ryu jujutsu. Behrendt writes about polishing judo skills as an aid to build character in the fashion that Kodokan judo founder Kano Jigaro intended. In these chapters you will find the early hotbeds of jujutsu/judo in America and see how these arts tumbled with European-American ＂manly arts,＂ making their own way across the country to form and strengthen judo centers in various states. The authors have utilized their scholarly and practical experience to present a rare view of judo as it traversed the Pacific to enrich American culture. Their writings should clarify the early history of judo in America and bring both practitioners and armchair scholars a deeper appreciation for the art.

James Behrendt began studying judo in 1954, when he was a marine stationed in Opama, Japan. He studied under Maseo Ichinoe, John Osako and Mas Tamura. His love of competition led to his winning the Iowa State Championships, then the regional finals of the Pan Am Games. Behrendt has been teaching judo in San Diego, California. Matt Hlinak, M.A., J.D. is an academic coordinator and lecturer for the School of Continuing Studies at Northwestern University. He holds a J.D. from the University of Illinois. In addition, he has more than a dozen year martial experience, including, wrestling, jujutsu, and taekwondo. He recently won the NGA Midwest Submission Grappling Championships. Joseph R. Svinth, M.A. received a master’s degree in history from the Univerisity of Washington in 1983. After researching the history of combative sports in the Japanese and Korean communities of the Pacific Northwest before 1950, he eventually published a book on the subject. James Webb, M.A., was educated at West Point, graduating in 1976. He has since received master’s degrees in engineering and business. He has studied judo and jujutsu since 1966, for the past twenty years under Vince Tamura. The former national judo champion holds sixth-degree rankings in both judo and jujutsu, a second-degree rank in karate, and is currently the treasurer of the U.S. Judo Association. Geoffrey Wingard, M.Ed. is a secondary-school teacher and a former college instructor and police officer. He holds an M.A. in Asian history and an M.Ed. in social studies education from the University of Maine. He is also a Maine Criminal Justice Academy graduate. Mr. Wingard began his martial arts training in Moo Duk Kwan taekwondo in 1984. Since 1994 he has trained in Shotokan karate. He holds dan ranks in Moo Duk Kwan taekwondo and Shotokan karate and teaches Shotokan in Orono, Maine.