The early history of judo and that of its founder, Japanese polymath and educator Kano Jigoro (surname first in Japanese) (1860-1938), are inseparable. Kano was born into a well-to-do Japanese family. His grandfather was a self-made man, a sake brewer from Shiga prefecture in central Japan; however, Kano's father was not the eldest son and did not inherit the business, but instead became a Shinto priest and government official, with enough influence for his son to enter the second incoming class of Tokyo Imperial University. Kano was a small, frail boy, who, even in his twenties, did not weigh more than a hundred pounds, and was often picked on by bullies. He first started pursuing jujutsu, at that time a flourishing art, at the age of 17, but met with little success -in part due to difficulties finding a teacher who would take him on as a serious student. When he went off to the University to study literature at the age of 18, he continued his martial efforts, eventually gaining a referral to Hachinosuke Fukuda, a master of the Tenjin Shinyo-ryu and ancestor of noted Japanese/American judoka Keiko Fukuda, who is one of Kano's oldest surviving students. Fukuda is said to have emphasized technique over formal exercise, sowing the seeds of Kano's emphasis of randori, or free practice, in Judo. A little more than a year after Kano joined Fukuda's school, Fukuda became ill and later died. Kano then became a student in another Tenjin Shinyo school, that of Masatomo Iso, who put more emphasis on formal kata than did Fukuda. Through dedication, Kano quickly earned the title "shihan", or master, and became assistant instructor to Iso at the age of 21. Iso, too, took ill, and Kano, feeling that he still had much to learn, took up another style, becoming a student of Tsunetoshi Iikubo of Kito Ryu. Like Fukuda, Iikubo placed much emphasis on free practice; on the other hand, Kito Ryu emphasized throwing techniques to a much greater degree than Tenjin Shinyo Ryu.
In the second part of the article Burtt argues the shortcomings of Guttmann’s point of view argues that taking kids out of class does not compromise the public schools civic mission, and tha...
Takeda Shingen was a swift and meticulous daimyo in feudal Japan during the late stage of the Sengoku period. He ruled the Kai Province from 1541-1573. Born on December 1, 1521, Takeda Shingen was the eldest of 3 sons of Japanese warlord, Takeda Nobutora of the Kai Province. During his childhood, Shingen was called “Taro” (a commonly used pet name for a Japanese family’s eldest son) or “Katsuchiyo.” Around 1535, Katsuchiyo had an elaborate coming of age ceremony which included court notable Sanjo Kinyori, a retired Dainagon, whose daughter Katsuchiyo would soon marry. In addition, shogun Ashikaga Yoshiharu sent word for Katsuchiyo to add “Haru” into his adult name, thus he became known as Harunobu. In feudal Japan, it was common practice for a high-ranking warrior to grant a character from his own name to a subordinate as a symbol of recognition. Upon discovery that his father, Nobutora, was planning to name his second son, Nobushige, as his heir, it caused great strife between Harunobu and Nobutora. It was in 1541 that Harunobu rebelled against his father and Nobutora was exiled to Suruga, ruled by the Imagawa clan. Many of Nobutora’s top Takeda retainers saw advantage in supporting Harunobu, as many held personal grudges against his father. An alliance was formed with the Imagawa clan for their support in this bloodless coup.
Miyamoto Musashi was born in 1584 in the village of Miyamoto in the province of Mimasake. Musashi’s full name was Ben no suke Shimmen Genshin no Fujiwara no Kami Miyamoto Musashi Masana no Kensei. When Musashi was a child his mother died when he was six years old and his father abandoned the family a year after her death. Musashi was raised by a number of family members and started to train in the ways of Kendo (fencing) under his uncle’s guidance. Musashi proved to have tremendous talent with a blade. He was also very big and strong for a boy of his age. But with this strength and size came aggression. Musashi was not known a calm and mannerly youth. Rather he was considered a troublemaker and a uncontrollable child by the town elders.
Within the past thirty years, researchers have found strong evidence linking genes and disease. The development of predictive genetic tests followed shortly after the isolation of certain candidate genes. Although predictive genetic screening is only available for a handful of diseases, its effects and ramifications have become hotly debated issues in a wide range of areas, from government to religion. The debate began in the 1993 when researchers isolated the BRCA1 gene, which is associated with increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. The discovery of this gene led to excitement and speculation of developing a predictive genetic test to identify those women at risk for these cancers. In this paper, I will first describe the biology of genetic testing, and then discuss the pros and cons of predictive genetic testing.
In recent years, genetic testing has become a popular topic in the media. Usually involving cheek swabs, blood samples, or amniotic fluid samples, the procedure is relatively simple and can help diagnose genetic disorders, determine ideal medication types, or simply determine the patient’s heritage. It has saved many lives from cancer and other afflictions, but to say that genetic testing is always the correct choice is false. There are many issues with the tests, considering that they are new to the medical world. Genetic testing is mostly harmful because of privacy concerns, how underdeveloped it is, and the risk of it pushing a mother to abort her child.
Since the days of Mendal and his peas, there have been leaps and bound in knowledge. These advances have developed to the point that we ha...
Prenatal genetic screening in particular is a polarizing topic of discussion, more specifically, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). PGD is one of the two techniques commonly used to genetically screen embryos in vitro; it is usually done at the eight-cell stage of division. PGD is most often performed when there is the risk that one or both parents carry disease-causing mutations. It is extensively used by high-risk individuals trying to conceive babes who will be free of particular mutations. PGD can test for over 50 genetic conditions and even allows for sex selection if there are underlying gender-associated medical conditions. When the results are satisfactory, the selected embryo is implanted into the mother’s uterus. While a controversial technique, preimplantation genetic diagnosis is one example of some of the good genetic testing can do, more benefits will be furthe...
Taekwondo is being taught as an art for the self defense and the development of personal
I bowed and then stepped into the dojo where a mirrored wall revealed an image of me dressed in a beltless white uniform, ready for my first karate lesson. “Kiotsuke,” ordered the Sensei from his position at the front of the room. I followed the other students’ example and lined up in front of the instructor, where we performed a series of bows. We then began to practice punching and kicking, and although I certainly executed the moves poorly, I enjoyed the physical challenge. At the end of the hour-long lesson, we sat in a kneeled position and recited the Dojo Kun: “Seek perfection of character, protect the way of truth, endeavor to excel, respect others, and refrain from violent behavior.”
As I said before, I am a martial artist. I do not take karate, or tae kwon do, or kung fu. I study a style that is still in its infancy. My instructor is a bit of a maverick, and has created this style himself. It changes often and is not set stone. It is called Te Da Kuen Do, meaning “free flowing fist way.” It is a combination of several martial arts. My instructor, Sijo Mike Giles, is a sixth degree black belt in tae kwon do, a certified instructor of Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu (Bruce Lee’s style), and has lesser degree belts in a number of other styles. Sijo is Japanese for “founder,” as he is the founder of his style. Instructors are called “sensei” which means teacher.
Before I get into the history of Taekwondo, I would like to define what it means. I
One of the most popular sports at present is Taekwondo. It is loosely defined in Korean as "the way of the foot and fist". It is from the word "Tae", which means "foot", "Kwon" for "fist" and "Do" for "the way or method". (Southwick, 1998) Thus, taekwondo is a free-fighting combat sport using bare hands and feet to repel an opponent. (Lee, 1995) It requires proper and skillful execution of techniques such as punching, jumping kicks, blocks, dodges, parrying actions with hands and feet. Taekwondo is a sport that uses the entire body as a weapon to attack and beat the opponent with his hands, feet, elbows, knees or any part of his body. A person who knows Taekwondo should be able to stand against any opponent, but its code forbids unfair assaults or unnecessary use of force. (Lee, 1995) This essay will define Taekwondo’s history, expected learning outcomes and how it is used as a means of self-defense.
...of Yokohama. Furthermore, Fusaku represents the ever-present western philosophy, as she is constantly surrounded by imported Western goods and the entailed modern lifestyle. On the other hand, her son Noboru holds manliness and more traditional Japanese values dear to his heart, as presented politically in the final execution of Ryuji. This fall from grace of Ryuji is abruptly halted by his death, thus presenting Mishima’s concept that Japan will restore its original splendor once westernization becomes discarded and diminished from the originally traditional Japan. The assasination of Ryuji presents an enlightening moment for the character as in the blink of an eye, Ryuji understands his weakness: death alone is the only way to correct his massive blunder.
1980). Today it still exists as well as practiced by over 30 million people around the world. The name originates from the Korean word "Tae" meaning foot. "Kwon" meaning fist, and "Do" meaning way of. When you put it altogether, Tae kwon do literally means "the way of the foot and the fist." It is an unarmed combat of self defense with a physical fighting skill and strict discipline that trains both the mind and the body. The techniques I have learned include, punching, jumping kicks, strength training, blocks, dodges, sparring, and board breaking. "Taekwondo, under the leadership of the World Taekwondo Federation has grown into an international art and sport practiced in over 190 countries worldwide." (Southwick,
There are many historical aspects of the Japanese, but the most interesting is the history of the Samurai. In Japans history war played a large role in the country. Controlling clans fought for parts of the land and overall control of the country. These clans were powerful families that resided in the country and who all wanted power and control of Japan for themselves. The families that would be in control were known as Shoguns. These shoguns would have warriors that fought for them if any of the other clan families would try to attack him in order to overthrow him and take his power from him. The Samurai followed a code that developed from Chinese beliefs when in battle. The Samurais code was known as the Bushido. This code was also known as “The Way of The Warrior” which was the main belief s...