Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the beginning of the year was quite frustrating for us Judo practitioners. With the closing of all Dojo and the temporary prohibition of practicing any martial arts, due to the unavoidable closeness of the two opponents who must face each other, we have been deprived of our passion.
This is in this context that we decided to handle a small quiz, to allow our customers to learn a little bit more about their passion while providing them the opportunity to win some valuable prizes.
Also, we naturally also organized the quiz to gather some email addresses for our newsletter (we always have been transparent with our customers, we will not stop now) to consolidate and enhance our audience.
It is now time to discuss some of the results and the process we implemented to handle this quiz.
For this first edition of the KuSakuraShop Judo Quiz, we wanted to make an interesting quiz in order to provide some good knowledge to our customers. In this objective, we meant not to make it too difficult and this is why we have been quite severe on the removal of all duplicated participation.
Some questions were quite challenging. Let’s give some explanations to these questions and their responses.
We can give some complement on the background of this question. Indeed, 12 Judoka has been awarded the 10th Dan between 1935 and 1984. The last 3 Judoka to be awarded this honor have all been promoted in 2006 and are now the only 10th Dan alive nowadays. Also, we can note that only one woman has been awarded this high honor in 2011, Mme. Keiko Fukuda.
Indeed, Judo is a modern martial art. Kobudo (古武道) literally means old martial arts and gather a lot of old schools (古流) using armors, blades, firearms, etc… For instance, Jujutsu of which Judo is a true descendant, is a traditional martial art (古武道). Judo was the first martial art developed from traditional ones, this is reflected in its philosophy but also in the practice of the art itself, inspiring thereafter some other modern martial arts such as the Aikido for example.
The answer was quite simple to all passionate Judoka. Although Judo officially became an Olympic sport in 1964, during the Tokyo Olympic Games, it was not the first time that Judo made an appearance in this famous sport gathering. Indeed in 1932, Judo was seen for the first time during a demonstration handled by Jigoro Kano himself.
In August 2019, the decision was made to change the current location of the IJF headquarters from Lausanne, Switzerland to Budapest, Hungary. This news is quite recent and it is understandable that some participants weren’t aware of it.
The false answer was the third one. Indeed the Sashiko, used in most Judogi nowadays, is woven horizontally while it is the opposite of Kendogi.
The answer to this question is hidden in one of our blog articles called "The story of the Iconic Judogi - Focus on the Sashiko fabric". The information is at the bottom of the article, just above the picture illustrating this specificity of the two Keikogi. This information is pretty interesting when we know the advantages and the drawbacks of the two weaving techniques. Naturally if you are interested to know more about it, you can consult this article at any time.
A significant number of participants failed this question. Indeed, the answer wasn’t that obvious and it is not something everyone knows. Although he is more of a Ju-Jutsu person, he also has his black belt in Judo and learned a lot through the values this martial art is passing.
First, we exported all data coming from the Quiz platform: email addresses, scores, etc.. Everything that would be useful for us in the process, for the draw or for the conception of this article.
Then, we processed some cleaning of all false entries and duplicated participation, as it seemed natural to us that everyone has the same chance to win the jackpot, the JOF Judogi. After a tedious cleaning, we merged all participation from the Quiz (both English and French versions) into a single document, and from here, we could start the final step: the draw and the conception of the article.
As most of you know, we always handle our activities with ethics and values. For this purpose, we wanted to find the best way for the draw to be as close to “true randomness” as possible, the randomness you have just like when you play dice roll or in lottery drawings.
We first thought about using an algorithm, which is something used by a lot of social media contests. While it can be enough for some brands, it did not appear like the best solution for us. The thing is that sequences randomly generated by computers are “pseudo-random”, meaning that they are always based on mathematical algorithms or a precalculated list following some kind of logic that can eventually be “predictable”, as a computer follows a list of instructions and therefore, never generates “true randomness”. This is called PRNGs, standing for Pseudo-Random Number Generators.
After a lot of research, we heard about TRNGs (True Random Number Generator) with the website RANDOM.ORG, offering a service providing number sequences close to real randomness. With this website, came the possibility to generate comprehensive sequences based on atmospheric noise. Several random generation ways are concisely explained in RANDOM.ORG’s dedicated description page (such as randomness based on radioactive sources), but their solution seemed to be the perfect solution to provide equal opportunities to our customers. If you would like deeper explanations on how atmospheric noise randomness works, we strongly recommend that you check out their page.
Important to mention: When some participants were not able to claim their prizes on time, we selected the following numbers of this same sequence that we first generated. This way, we ensured to work with the same draw during the whole process.
This first edition of the KuSakuraShop Judo Quiz went far beyond our expectations. With more than 1600 passionate participants, our goal to provide our customers with interesting information through a fun little game on social media is well reached.
After some reflection and self-criticism, as we mentioned above, we underestimated the passion of our community and we have made this first KuSakuraShop Quiz quite too easy. Lessons learned! For the next edition, we will implement some more challenging questions while keeping the content interesting.
As an ending note, this is a project we totally enjoyed building and that has been well appreciated by our community, especially after these few months of lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak. A good experience that will result in an even better Quiz next time.
If choosing a Shinai is actually quite simple for a beginner (classic and not too heavy), it is a more complicated task for a confirmed practitioner that needs a weapon adapted to his working style. The weight, the balance, the type of bamboo (or carbon) will greatly influence the behavior of the Shinai and therefore both the qualities developed in training and the possibilities during Shiai (match).
KuSakuraShop offers all types of Shinai whether they are in bamboo or in carbon graphite with the exception of the Kobangata model that does no longer exist within our Shinai line. All our Shinai Keichiku and Madake scrupulously follow the quality standards set throughout the years by KuSakura, Japanese leader in martial arts equipement supply.
The Shinai was originally made from bamboo (Take) Madake from Japan, then later from Keichiku from Japan and Taiwan (for supply reasons, but also for technical reasons). A Shinai generally features 3 parts: the Tsuka (handle), the Do (body, large part above the Tsuba), and the Monouchi (1/3 superior). The leather covering the tsuka is the Tsukagawa (tsuka skin). The guard is called Tsuba, and the rubber retaining ring is called the Tsubadome. The wire used to hold the whole weapon and to maintain the tension between the bamboo slats is called a Tsuru. It is held at its base (Tsuba side) by the Komono (small piece - optional), in the middle by the Nakayui (central knot) and above by the Sakigawa (tip skin). Bamboo knots are called Fushi (they are sometimes given a meaning, but originally there was none). The upper 1/4 between the Nakayui and the Sakigawa is called Datotsubu. it is with this part that you must touch for the cut to be valid (point granted).
The Shinai is generally made from Keichiku or Madake Bamboo, but can be carbon graphite made as well. If all shapes/sizes are not available in every material, it is crucial to choose this latest wisely as it will determine the flexibility and the durability of the Shinai. Therefore, the first thing to think of when choosing a Shinai is the material it is made of.
Keichiku and Madake are both very specific species of bamboo, both from the Poaceae family, Bambusoideae subfamily, Bambusaeae Shibataeinae tribe . Only the last subgenus, called species, differs, P. bambusoides for the Madake and Phyllostachys makinoi for the Keichiku. Despite their similarities, we can distinguish them through two main characteristics. The Madake has an average diameter from 10 to 15 cm for a size of 15 to 22 m (hence its nickname of the giant bamboo), while the Keichiku does not exceed 9 cm in diameter and 18 m high. It should be noted that the second characteristic, have much more consequence in the manufacturing of a Shinai, especially regarding its resistance/flexibility ratio. A Shinai Madake would be more solid, more durable but less flexible that its Keichiku counterpart. Alternatively, this latest will be more liable to absorb impacts given its improved flexibility but in return, the Shinai's overall durability will be logically impacted. If the Keichiku is native of Taiwan while the Madake seems more specific to Japan, today we can find Keichiku bamboo in Japan, and Madake in Taiwan or in mainland China. Then, it is the drying process and the conception of the Shinai that will make a big difference. A dried, made in Japan Keichiku, in the Japanese tradition will probably be more resistant than a made in Taiwan Madake. Indeed, the Taiwanese bamboos (we will exclude mainland China which really does not make good quality Shinai) are machine dried, which tends to reduce the resilience qualities of the fibers. That being said, today more than 90% of the Shinai used in Japan are Keichiku from Taiwan. Therefore, we can easily concede an excellent average quality of Keichiku Shinai and an excellent price/durability ratio.
Smoked Shinai are called this way due to their smoky appearance visible on the Take (bamboo slats) and their slightly resinous smell. This is due to the treatment they receive during the production process. The slats are first heated at low temperature in order to fill the small pores of the bamboo with its own resin. Consequently, this Shinai tends to be slightly more rigid than its standard counterpart but still more flexible than the carbon graphite made models. Once solidified, this same resin provides the Shinai with better resistance against the harms of humidity enhancing the overall durability of the weapon. If the latest characteristic might seem pointless in some areas, it is actually pretty useful in a country like Japan where the humidity rate can reach 80% in summer and collapse to 20% during winter. This type of Shinai can sometimes be called "Bio" Shinai, but it should be noted that this term does not refer to anything "ecologicaly", "Biologicaly" or "eco-friendly" related, as we can sometimes read on some merchants' website. There is absolutely no ecology notion in the manufacturing process.
The carbon graphite Shinai is quite special. Designed by the Hasegawa high-tech company which president is passionate by Kendo, the company manages to develop, aside from its activities in the chemical industry, a Shinai made from a heart of bamboo covered with carbon fibers and reinforced with a synthetic polymer. Carbon graphite Shinai does not let any splinter as the exterior polymer get worn out little by little like any sort of plastique allowing practitioners not to perform the regular upkeep planing, sanding, oiling. Even though carbon graphite Shinai are 10 times more solid and durable than traditional bamboo Shinai, it should be noted that they are also more rigid making them absorb less vibrations. They do not allow to use the rebound to optimize the speed of the strike. Generally speaking, considering their overall durability, we recommend these Shinai for training sessions as they will not be able to satisfy practitioners who almost exclusively work on openings and who do not use any "feints" or "soft strikes" to take benefit from the rebound strength. Therefore, they also are not recommended for beginners who usually do not have enough muscular strength to absorb vibrations without causing any damages to their articulations in the long run.
5 main styles of Shinai exist and some of them can be combined: Classic, Dobari, Jissengata, Kotogata (or Chokuto) and Kobangata. The shape of the Shinai has a huge impact on the type of practice and on the technical range you will have access to in competition. Most of the time, one would prefer to choose a Kendo Shinai accordingly to its own type of practice.
We can often see some frequent combinations:
Picture | Model | Balance | Practice type | Drawbacks | Techniques example |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Classic Shinai | Around the Do (Body) | Everything | Classic practice style, without specific personality | All technique. | |
Dobari Shinai | On the Tsuba (under the Do) | Speed | Slight loss of strength | Fast strikes. | |
Jissengata Shinai | On the Tsuka (handle) | High speed | High loss of strength, a little strength return | Very fast strikes, Koteuchi for example | |
Kotogata Shinai | Towards the center | Take of the center | Slow | Kensen control. Technical practice. | |
Kobangata Shinai | Towards de Do (body) | Powerful grip of the Tsuka | Generally slightly heavy. | Focus on precision. |
As far as the fitting has been well done, the choice of the fitting pieces do not have any great impact over the practice. Undoubtedly, the most important piece is the Tsukagawa, which is the leather skin covering the handle. The latter can be made of linen (entry line) or most commonly in tanned leather. The Tsukagawa can be hand-sewed, with a simple or double stitching. Although double stitching is more durable, the difference with a classic one is not really evident and the type of stitching has only little effects on the handling of the Shinai.
It should be noted that leather pieces are usually used upside down, the tanned part facing the bamboo so that the part benefit from an optimum grip.
If the weight of the Shinai plays a important role in the technique, you actually don't really have the choice as the weight is usually determined by standards implemented in competitions. You may use a heavier Shinai, but, Suburi model apart, they are quite rare as they make the practice more difficult and represent a huge disadvantage in competition.
The size of the Shinai is also regulated according to competition standards, however, as opposed to the weight that is expressed in "minimum weight", the size is determined in "maximum size". Therefore, you can definitely use shorter Shinai. For small Kendoka, so as not to unbalance the strikes, it seems evident that the longer the Shinai is, the easier it is to touch, and especially if the opponent also uses a long Shinai...
De facto, 95% of the men Kendoka use a Shinai in size 39 and a large proportion of women use the size 38. We can also find some 37 sizes in Japan, but as western women tend to be taller, this case is quite unusual. In fact, a lot of western women would use a size 39.
It is important to keep in mind that a shorter Shinai can be used during training, especially if it is more adapted to the morphology of the practitioner (especially for beginners), but during Shiai / competitions, it is quite difficult to fight without a Shinai of the maximum size allowed. All Shinai within KuSakuraShop's line follow competition standards, according to the tab below.
- | Gender | Junior - 15 years old | Teen 15 to 18 years old | Adult 18 years old + |
---|---|---|---|---|
Length | Men Women | Size 37 max (Inf. 114 cm) | Size 38 max (Inf. 117 cm) | Size 39 max (Inf. 120 cm) |
Weigth | Men | Over 440 g | Over 480 g | Over 510 g |
Women | Over 400 g | Over 420 g | Over 440 g |
Naturally, you could choose a Shinai for its appearance or for what it represents (tradition above all, I am taking a Kotogata!), but the choice of a Shinai should not rely on what you like or think to like. Actually, you must choose a Shinai according to your practice style, your qualities, your flaws and your techniques.
For instance, you might want to take a Jissengata in order to focus a maximum on your speed, but the lightness of this type of Shinai will force you to strike increasingly faster to the detriment of the precision or of the center taking. As a result, it will make your technique imperfect and eventually, make you take bad habits which would be a serious disadvantage in Shiai.
The other way around, if you tend to focus too hard on your speed and not to work enough on your precision and your take of the center, practicing with a Kotogata will help you to slow down and improve your accuracy and your take of the center.
Roughly speaking, the Shinai is not only a technical tool, but above all, it is a tool to help you fix your flaws and balance your technique.
In Japan, two labels exist , the SSP label and the SG label. These labels are extremely different from one another.
Indeed, SSP (standing for Shinai Safety Promotion), implemented by the association of martial arts manufacturers in Japan (Zen Nihon Budogu Kyodo Kumiai) and in collaboration with the Japanese Kendo Federation is a technical label that guarantees official recognition of the Shinai in competition. The Shinai are meticulously controlled, whether it is in terms of safety and quality or in terms of specifities (density, dimensions and so on).
The SG label, standing for Safe Goods, is a much broader "quality label". Not only martial equipements, this label also concerns any potentially dangerous product sold on the Japanese market. Implemented by the government and the Consumers' Unions of Japan, this label guarantees, in any field, a minimum level of quality guaranteeing the use of the product under reasonable safety conditions. The SG Shinai can usually be used in competition in Japan and are widely allowed in all European competitions. However, their standardization is not guaranteed by this label (weight/size ratio for example). Every Shinai sold on KuSakuraShop can be used in competition but, while some are SSP certified, some others only have the SG label.
AA, AAA, AAAA labels, are not recognized in Japan. These labels were invented by Chinese manufacturers and sellers of low quality equipment to distinguish the quality of the bamboo used for their products. We actually do not have a lot of information regarding these specific labels but we can assume that the AAAA is better than the two others... probably of a quality equivalent to some Japanese Shinai. That said, given the danger that represents a low quality Shinai, we do not recommend purchasing this type of Shinai on the Internet. If you would rather get a cheap Shinai, it would be wiser to go directly to a store so you can control by yourself the quality of the bamboo and make certain that the product is safe to use.
In sum, let's keep in mind that this article is only a technical reference guide to help you in your decision. The real sensation of the Shinai once in your hand can significantly change from a practitioner to another depending on its body shape and its technical preferences. Before choosing a style or a model of Shinai, we can only recommend you to try beforehand the Shinai of your Sempai, you may find what you are looking for. A good Kendoka will try every style of Shinai, in several situations before being able to find the one that will allow him to express its art. In short, choosing your Shinai is something personal, something that will vary depending on the practitioner and its experience.
]]>After a first description of Judogis' manufacturing steps, let's focus our attention on the Sashiko fabric that covers most of KuSakura Judogi Jackets. Although this fabric appears to be traditional and aesthetic, some of its characteristics turned out to be a huge advantage in martial arts. This is actually why we can find the Sashiko fabric on all Judo, Aikido as well as Kendogi today.
In the west, the term Kimono is usually used when referring to Judo training suits. However, this term turns out to be a deceptive cognate as we would rather employ the word Kimono to refer to the traditional Japanese clothing, usually made from silk.
Martial arts training suits are called “Dogi”, meaning “the cloth of the way”, but can also be called Keikogi (cloth of training). Consequently, in Judo, “Judogi” is the exact term to refer to. Written in Kanji, it is usually spelled "柔道着" with sometime the last Kanji being replaced by 衣, both pronounced the same way “Gi”. The latter one would be seen as a “traditional” way to write it and therefore, less common than the first spelling.
As opposed to the Kendo Keikogi, Judogi are not fully made with Sashiko. Nowadays they are mainly composed of two types of fabric: the Hishisashi (diamond weaving), usually present on the lower part of the jacket, and the Sashiko, usually on the upper part. This is this latter that we will keep our eyes on here, in this article.
The Sashiko is a traditional Japanese weaving made of little straight running stitches forming usually different patterns. This embroidery style can either have a decorative use or a more functional one as in martial arts like Judo. Indeed, as the threads are intertwined with each other over several horizontal and vertical layers, it provides the fabric enhanced traction resistance. The result is a stronger and durable fabric, designed to absorb the shocks endured during falls, which is a quite interesting feature in a martial art within which grappling and overthrow techniques are ubiquitous.
Appeared around the 6th century, the Sashiko fabric "刺子" tends to democratize itself during the Edo era (1615-1868) where it was especially used as a functional garment by firefighters. Now the Sashiko fabric is most widely known as the “Rice-grain" weaving, due to its typical appearance with stitching recalling this aforementioned cereal.
Although the Sashiko is mainly used in martial arts today, it is also possible to find it as functional garments, rugs or in tapestry. Let's note that, in its conception, different fibers were traditionally used, while nowadays, a conception entirely made from cotton is preferred.
In addition to being shock-resistant and being an extremely solid fabric, the Sashiko is well known for having several advantages when used in a context like martial arts. Indeed, this fabric turned out to efficiently soak sweat up while remaining a fast-dry fabric after washing. Finally, the Sashiko is well known to be antiseptic and made as deodorant as possible.
It is Jigoro Kano, that implemented the Sashiko fabric in Judo’s Keikogi due to the multiple advantages that this fabric gives to practitioners but also to the sport itself. Afterwards, the Sashiko fabric was highly recommended in other martial arts such as in Aikido or in Kendo, which introduced little by little this new fabric into their own Keikogi.
Nowadays, the unit of measurement used to refer to the weight of a textile is the gram per square meter (or shorten g/m²). However, within Japanese workshops, craftsmen are more used to talk in “Brin per meter,” indicating the quantity of fabric used in a single meter square width. In the past, it was customary to count referring to the size of the Sashiko grain, that was indicated in “Bu.” Moreover, it is important to note that in Judo, the gram per square meter has been first implemented by the International Judo Federation (IJF) as part of their plan to create standards for competitions, but its use in traditional workshops is still insignificant.
As detailed in our article about The manufacturing steps of a Judogi, the Sashiko fabric is produced using two impressive weaving looms. Although they can seem to be “old-fashioned”, these machines remains the most efficient and powerful in their domain of activity, and KuSakura is the only Judogi maker to possess such a jewel of technology. Also, let’s not forget that KuSakura is also the only Judogi maker to master its whole production process, allowing the company to guarantee the high-end quality of its products.
After the weaving, results several rolls, stocked in a dedicated room for approximately 45 days and piled up on each other to limit as much as possible the shrinking rate and thus, increase the accuracy of the final measurements given to KuSakuraShop customers. Let’s also note that a 36-meter roll allows our craftsmen to produce around 15 Judogi jackets.
All in all, the production of the Sashiko fabric, due to its long history and the specificity of its conception, requires special attention that only experienced craftsmen can acquire through a timeless savoir-faire.
The coloration process can begin, and even though some unbleached Judogi exists such as the Dojin Master JOZC available on KuSakuraShop, 95% of the Judogi currently on the market are bleached.
During the process, the fabrics are just immersed during 3 to 5 weeks into huge coloration tanks containing chlorine derived solution. However, as this method turned out to be quite polluting, workshops are increasingly more reluctant in using it. Other more environment-friendly methods exist, but they are more expensive and would significantly raise the production costs.
It should also be noted that when purchasing a Judogi, its ecological impact is significantly different depending on whether it was manufactured in Japan or in countries such as Pakistan, as the environmental standards are known not to be the same.
An important fact to note is that the Sashiko fabric can be woven either vertically ("Tatezashi") or horizontally ("Yokozashi"). It is this latter method that is generally used in the Judogi production. The goal here is to prevent the opponent from easily grasping the garment and weaving the Sashiko horizontally allows for a tougher final fabric and therefore, more difficult to grasp. Conversely, a vertical weave will give a softer fabric, easy to grasp and therefore a disadvantage in a martial art like Judo.
Finally, let’s note that there are several different ways to weave Sashiko. Each Judogi manufacturer will have his own "secret recipe" and his own vision, giving a certain identity to his fabric and therefore, to his products. At KuSakura, there is no secret recipe, but a unique savoir-faire and a taste for quality that has been handed down from generation to generation and for more than a hundred years, justifying among other things the high-end nature of KuSakura’s Judogi.
]]>Almost 160 years ago, the founder of modern Judo was born in Kobe, Japan. After having mastered different styles of Ju-Jutsu with great masters such as Fukuda Hachinosuke and Iso Masatomo, he designed his vision of martial arts by creating his own: Judo. Determined to work for the international recognition of his sport, he created the Kodokan in 1882, where many generations of Judoka will train. On this special day, we would like to pay tribute to this great man through a brief article recounting some essential points of his life and his work for the development of Judo worldwide.
Jigoro Kano was born on October 28, 1860 in Kobe, Japan and is Jirosaku Mareshiba’s third son. His father was a humble sake brewer at the time. In order to follow his father, freshly promoted officer in the Meiji government, he left his hometown to settle in Tokyo, just after the death of his mother when he was eleven.
Raised in an environment where education was the first priority, he quickly showed a real gift for foreign languages and registered to a language private school from the age of fifteen. In 1877, he was admitted in The University of Tokyo (Todai), named Teikoku (imperial) University at the time, where he stood out thanks to his outstanding results, especially in English. It is actually important to note that most of the original texts written by Kano were written in English.
Kano Sensei was only around 160 centimeters tall and physically structured for rapidity and dynamism. This is the reason why he first tried some modern sports such as baseball, athletics or tennis. However, to respond to some bullying he was suffering from others, Kano decided to start a self-defense sport. He was advised to practice Ju-Jutsu (柔術) by a friend who had enrolled in the Shogun’s army, an activity in which he proved rather gifted. Let’s also note that his father was quite against this decision, preferring his son to practice a modern sport.
In order to understand the very essence of the creation of Judo, we need to have a broad vision of Kano’s history with Ju-Jutsu, Judo being one of its direct descendants.
Indeed, learning Ju-Jutsu with Fukuda Hachinosuke, a Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū teacher at the time, strongly built his vision of martial arts and allowed him to develop some new techniques, sometimes copied from western wrestling sports. These techniques will shape the modern Judo later. Fukuda died soon after a demonstration performed for the United-State’s President Ulysse S. Grant, and it is during this period that Kano decided to study with Iso Masatomo, a very close friend of his deceased Sensei. This period gave him great knowledge as well as strong basics in Kata.
When Masatomo Sensei died in 1881, Kano decided to emphasize learning an art rather than a succession of techniques intended to neutralize an opponent, as it was the aim of Ju-Jutsu when it was invented originally in the Samurai era. He started his Kitō-ryū training, a Koryu (traditional Japanese schools) practiced in full armor based on grappling and throwing techniques. Simultaneously, he developed his philosophy based on three fundamental pillars: knowledge, spirit education and physical training. Key values that will shape his art and the behaviors of his practitioners.
Moreover, there wasn’t any real distinction between the Ju-Jutsu taught by Kano, mixing Kitō-ryū’s throwing techniques with Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū’s grappling techniques, and the one taught by other teachers. But in fact, it is during this period around 1882 that the Judo we know today started to appear.
Undoubtedly, Kano launched a new transition in the martial sector aiming at transforming a “technique” into an “art”. A trend that will inspire other Sensei in the creation of their “Ways” (道), with which he always maintained friendly relations. Indeed, in order to improve their techniques and have a broaden vision of their art, Kano also sent some of his Judoka to train with Morihei Ueshiba, the creator of Aikido, an art also based on several Ju-Jutsu styles but emphasising on arm and wrist-locks.
In order to create his art, Jigoro Kano drew inspiration from the reed writhing without giving away under the sometimes violent power of nature. This flexibility and this discipline has greatly influenced Judo’s techniques repertoire as well as the spirit that practitioners need to adopt in order to become someday a master.
Kano has created the Kodokan around 1882 and the first aim of these premises has always been since the beginning to provide a place to share Judo’s values, organize its evolution and trained future masters. However, even though the Kodokan embodies Judo’s values and has a worldwide recognition nowadays, it took at least thirteen years for it to begin its rise in the martial art world. At the beginning, the Kodokan was not even as huge as it is today, sharing a small 12-mates space that belonged to the Buddhist temple Eishō-ji (永昌寺), located in Higashi Ueno. It is only in 1958, that the Kodokan settle in its current 8 floors, including whole sections dedicated to research and as much as five Dojo.
Furthermore, although Jigoro Kano taught at the Kodokan, he was also in charge of attributing the grades to his students. With this responsibility, he never had the opportunity to be graded during his lifetime. However, he was posthumously awarded the 12th dan by Jiro Nango, his nephew, creating a gap that even the greatest current 10th dan masters will ever be able to reach.
Despite all its efforts, Kano Sensei will not be able to see his art introduced in the Olympics Games, in 1964 in Tokyo. Nevertheless, he had the occasion to participate in a demonstration during the Los Angeles Olympics in 1932, showing Judo for the first time to the world on the international scene.
Since its 22 years old and a life spent to enrich his art as well as to promote its values, Kano remains one of the pioneers who shaped the modern Japanese martial arts world. Without a doubt, Judo had a huge influence over other Budo, ideologically undeniably, but also in a more tangible way, with the Judogi that imposed itself as the reference when talking about martial arts Keikogi, as we saw in our article The Story of the Iconic Judogi.
Kano died in 1938 during his trip on the boat Hikawa Maru. He was enthroned in 1999 as the first member of the International Judo Federation (IJF), and is still considered nowadays as a master and a father by thousands of Judoka across the world. Nowadays, Judo became the most popular martial art in the world, carrying on the values and the traditions that Jigoro Kano strived to hand down during his life.
]]>The production steps of a Judogi can be quite complex for non-specialists. With a century of experience in the conception of martial art pieces of equipment, KuSakura always strived to have a transparent and ethical production. As we explained in our anniversary article, KuSakura has been the very first company to modernize the production of the 'Sashiko' fabric after the Second World War, fabric entirely handmade before then. Take this article as a guided tour through KuSakura's workshop, the only one in the world to master the entire production line!
The ‘Sashiko’ fabric is a type of decorative stitching that finds its origin back to the 6th century but democratized during the Edo era (1615-1868). This fabric was known at the time for its traditional pattern consisting of a succession of ‘rice grain’ stitching said to recall snow falling around farmhouses giving it its typical appearance and offering enhanced durability to clothes. This weaving process was then mainly used to patch pieces together, to repair ripped clothes or for decoration. Although several patterns could be woven, the rice grain pattern was one of the most used and is widely known around the world nowadays. The functional properties of this type of traditional weaving brought it to be widely used among Japanese society and by the Meiji era (1868-1912) evolved into winter clothes for farmers and functional clothes for firefighters.
Therefore, the great strength of the ‘Sashiko’ weaving was perceived as an undeniable asset in martial art. As one of the most famous martial arts then, Judo was the first (with Kendo) to adopt this kind of fabric meeting perfectly the needs of such practice providing comfort during falls, durability considering its enhanced resistance specificity during grappling technics and it turned out to be particularly efficient at absorbing sweat.
Several other martial arts have been deeply influenced by Judo, as we explain in our article about the Iconic Judogi. Indeed the ‘Sashiko’ fabric was highly recommended to Morihei Ueshiba Dojo by Aikidoists having a past as Judoka, making it the main traditional weaving used today on Aikido Keikogi.
Eventually, KuSakura brought its stone to the democratization of the ‘Sashiko’ fabric by inventing the first machine capable of weaving this type of traditional stitching until then fully handmade, giving the company a certain competitive edge over its competitors. Nowadays, the ‘Sashiko’ fabric turned out to be the main standard for Judogi and mastering its conception from the beginning to the end is rather to be a competitive issue for companies in the sectors thriving to deliver top-quality equipment for Judoka.
The major part of Judogi are double-layered, meaning that the threads are woven on two levels, giving a thicker layer of fabric. This technique, in Japanese called ‘Nunokiji’, became rapidly one of the standards in some martial arts and especially in Judo where Judogi's sturdiness is key.
Generally, Judogi are composed of 3 different fabrics:
KuSakura is the only company in the sector to have full control over the production chain of its Judogi from weaving, sewing to the sales. And even though the cotton production is extremely low in Japan, resulting in a shortage of this essential material in most industries, most of KuSakura's top-of-the-line Judogi are 100% made from Japanese cotton, justifying the high-end nature and quality of these made in Japan Judogi.
Nevertheless, in order to meet the IJF standards, KuSakura’s engineers had to include some polyester in the production process, increasing the strength and the flexibility of the Judogi while maintaining its relative lightness.
After having successfully passed all the highly restrictive quality tests, cotton and polyester yarn spools are assembled separately to make one big roll that KuSakura will be able to weave using two of the most powerful looms in the world to weave ‘Sashiko.’ These two machines were made in Switzerland exclusively for KuSakura, being now the only company in the sector to possess such equipment.
The rolls are then piled up on each other for approximately 45 days in a room specifically dedicated to this process. The aim here would be to lay as much weight as possible on the rolls underneath in order to limit the shrinking rate at the end and increase the accuracy of the final measurements given to final customers.
Thus, the rolls are tested, selected for their quality, their resistance and sent to Saitama Prefecture to undergo the coloration process, during which they will be either bleached or colored in blue for some of our models such as the JNV or the JNF Judogi. During the process, the rolls are immersed in bulk into huge coloration tanks to be sent back thereafter to Osaka to proceed to the final steps of the conception of a Judogi.
Once the rolls are back to our workshop in Osaka, we can finally start to design the shape of the Judogi. The rolls are cut with a state-of-the-art printer, following a pattern defined according to the final model and the size. Moreover, the fabrics are checked for the first time to ensure the quality and the fineness of the cut.
Finally, all parts are assembled with sewing machines by highly meticulous seamstresses with a keen eye for details.
KuSakura certainly gained its reputation on the importance put on quality and the finishing touch of its products. As such, the final step of the production process, the quality check is one of the most fastidious tasks.
As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, a Judogi is made of 3 different kinds of fabrics. In order to ensure the harmonization of the color and the overall quality of the product, KuSakura’s employees in charge of the quality check use 2 kinds of light. A yellow one, showing the color of the Judogi under a near-natural light and a white one, revealing it under a light close to the one we can find in dojos, during practice. To keep this high standard quality of products, any conception default is naturally disqualifying at this stage of the production and considering the price as well as the time needed to make these high-end masterpieces, we can understand why KuSakura’s employees are meticulously selected among the best ones in their fields.
Considering this long and demanding production process, KuSakura definitely decided to emphasize on the quality of its products instead of the quantity as opposed to some other brands within the sector. Although this choice may seem less profitable economically, it lies in the fact that as martial art practitioners ourselves, we truly believe that Judoka are also looking for quality high-end products embodying their values as well as those of their art. And as a matter of fact, highly demanding customers can only be driven by a highly demanding brand.
]]>As we mentioned in our 100th-anniversary article, KuSakura is famous to be the inventor of the modern Judogi as we know it today and known as the only brand capable of producing Judogi based on the original one worn by its inventor, Jigoro Kano Sensei. With this article, we would like to share with you some key points about the evolution of this iconic training suit from its origins until nowadays. This article is also the beginning of a succession of few articles dedicated to the conception of this famous martial art garment that we all wear during our long training session.
Whether it is Aikido or Karate, many martial arts share a common history as well as similar codes and values with Judo. The training suit or the 'Gi' as we call it, is part of them. In fact, the Judogi was the first modern martial art training suit and as such, has deeply built the perception that we have of training kimonos nowadays.
The Judogi (柔道着 or 柔道衣) in Japanese, is the traditional training suit used in Judo invented by Jigoro Kano. It is generally thicker and heavier than other martial arts training suits, allowing practitioners to be firmly anchored on the ground during practice.
Initially, Kano Sensei was using a traditional Japanese Kimono as well as some other Japanese garments that turned out not to be suitable enough for the practice of his art. He altered it with a thicker fabric in order to ensure that the Gi doesn’t tear off, loosen it to ease the use of grappling techniques while designing it to give certain freedom of movement. After numerous attempts and one perfect 'Gi' later, his students were the first to benefit from the first version of the moderne 'Gi' that hasn't changed much until nowadays.
Some alteration later, the modern long-sleeved Judogi was adopted in 1906, resulting in the famous ‘traditional cut’ that we know today. However, Judo has achieved worldwide acclaim and as one of the most practiced Japanese martial arts in the world, increasingly important competition followed and with it, its batch of norms and rules.
One of the most widely known evolution is most certainly the blue Judogi suggested during the Maastricht IJF DC meeting in 1986 by Anton Geesink, the first non-Japanese judoka to win the World Judo Championship. Before then in Japan, one opponent would attach a red sash to his belt but the distinction was even harder to make overseas, as no definite standards were in place at the time to facilitate the distinction of two opponents for judges, referees and the audience. A color contrasting with the white Judogi turned out to be the solution to this issue and this is the actual and only purpose of the blue Judogi.
Although it is a worldwide standard today during competitions, the adoption of the blue Judogi provoked a public outcry among the Judo community, claiming that Judo should stay “pure” with only the traditional white Judogi as authorized uniform. This thinking was strengthened during the 2004 Olympics, when opponents wearing a blue Gi were seen as having some sort of advantage over their counterparts wearing a white 'Gi' most of the time being outperformed at that time. Several studies were conducted afterward, on the subject trying to find out whether the blue Judogi actually had or not a psychological effect on the opponents biasing competitions, but even until today no solid explanations have been exposed regarding this trend.
Naturally, the IJF (International Judo Federation) also contributed to the standardization of the Judogi. Even though they did not influence the basic conception of the Gi, they have a great impact on the way judoka have to wear it during competitions. Instead of evolution, we can rather call it an adaptation of Jigoro Sensei’s basic Gi's specifications to the worldwide phenomenon that Judo has become nowadays.
Let’s give some brief examples of the recent major changes in judo competition the IJF brought:
Back to the conception of this iconic training suit, the production process knew some radical changes since the invention of the modern Judogi. Handwoven at first, the mechanization of the process effectively implemented after the Second World War has rapidly become a standard, and in this environment, KuSakura grew as a forerunner in the sector with the mechanization of the ‘Sashiko’ (rice grain) fabric process. Nowadays, even though the process has technically not changed, manufacturers set as part of their mission toward customers, a social and ethical approach behind the conception of their Judogi which is likely to be drastically different depending on the brand.
In a nutshell, before you can use it on the mats, a Judogi starts with a simple thread of cotton, carefully selected for its resistance and its quality. Thereafter, the threads are woven by a sophisticated and powerful machine to form the first canvas that will be used for the manufacturing of the final Judogi. Depending on the final model, the weaving process is different, as it is the case for KuSakura’s models, most of them being assembled using the special ‘Sashiko’ fabric, famous for its outstanding resistance compared to other more classic fabrics. Then, all these canvases will need to be bleached or colored in blue for our JNV, JNF and JNEX models, to be cut and assembled afterward to form the first garments that will compose the Judogi. Finally, comes the quality check process, thoroughly carried out at KuSakura by some highly experienced employees ensuring the quality of all our high-end models preparing them for the final embroidery performed by our talented workshop in Tokyo and eventually the delivery to our customers.
Throughout a succession of illustrated articles, we will bring you to the heart of KuSakura’s production process, from the first manufacturing steps to the social and ethical mission behind this production we strive hard to accomplish.
We hope that we will be able to give you some valuable information on how KuSakura’s products are made. Thank you very much for your interest in our work and see you soon on KuSakuraShop!
]]>KuSakura (九櫻 in Japanese) means "the nine cherry blossoms. A meaningful and historical symbol for a Japanese company, especially when we know that the brand logo is inherited from the armory of the Japanese warlord of the Namboku-cho era (14th century A.D.) that ruled over the company founder's region of origin. 100 years later, the company is still family-owned, eager to keep fulfilling the original mission entrusted by Mr.Hayakawa Juichi.
An anniversary that gives us the occasion to realize a small focus on the brand, its evolution through time and its activity nowadays. If you are wearing KuSakura's Judo Gi or if you just would like to know more about a brand that knew how to evolve while staying traditional in the martial sector, you might want to read this article until the end.
It all started in 1918 and against all expectations, KuSakura wasn't a Judogi maker yet. In fact, the company wasn't even named as such, as its first activity was the conception of Jukendo equipment (bayonet art), a modern Budo similar to Kendo practiced by the Japanese imperial army before and during World War II. The KuSakura with the philosophy we know nowadays appears in 1947, when the emphasis has been made on a full integrated production process, from the weaving until the distribution to final customers. Based in Osaka, it is only in 1964 during the Tokyo Olympic Games that Judo became the second most popular Japanese martial art and that KuSakura (named Hayakawa Textile Industries Co., back then) started to increase its Judo Gi production in order to equip the Japanese delegation.
Until the end of the Second World War, Judogi were fully handmade. Thereafter, mechanization began to set up as a norm in companies' processes within the martial art industry. What made KuSakura take the competitive edge over all its competitors present on the market at the time, is that the brand has been a forerunner concerning the mechanization of the "Sashiko" (rice grain) weaving process. This special weaving method, quickly became a standard when talking about high-end Judo Gi, due to its comfort and all the benefits it provides to practitioners. KuSakura successfully managed to make it its trademark and be renowned for this in the 70s. From this period, KuSakura started to be perceived as the inventor of the modern Judogi.
Later on, from 2014 onwards KuSakura successfully became a brand certified by the International Judo Federation making its products suitable for international competitions. Furthermore, it is only until recently in 2018, that the official name of the company has been officially changed both internationally and nationally from Hayakawa Textile Industries Co., to KuSakura.
Nowadays in constant partnership with the Kodokan, we are now providing some of the best Japanese universities in Japan like Tenri, Kokushikan or Hiroshima and are now aiming at strengthening our positions in international competitions.
Although our philosophy has improved year after year along with the evolution of the company, it stayed founded on the same basis, namely, providing martial arts practitioners with an outstanding quality of equipment. In order to fulfill this objective, we give a lot of importance in controlling the production chain from the beginning to the end, implementing strict quality standards even on made in China's product.
Consequently, this philosophy binds us to offer to our customers only high-end or at least medium-range models. This passes by an emphasis on strict control of the origin of our products or of the raw materials transformed during the production process. As such, we do not sell any productions coming from some countries such as Pakistan or Bangladesh due, on the one hand, to the usually poor quality of products coming from these areas, and, on the other hand, to the questionable work conditions within which these products were made. Besides, as access to globalized information speeds up the overall awareness of these kinds of issues, this positioning is now shared by the vast majority of our customers strengthening their self-association with the ethic of the brand. Nowadays this work ethic is considered as being part of our global philosophy and mission statement, but this topic will be debated in a forthcoming article.
Thanks to its thorough way to handle its production, KuSakura is nowadays the only Judogi maker in the world with the technical capacity and experience to produce Judogis based on the one initially worn by the inventor of Judo Jigoro Kano.
It is certain that KuSakura has a long-established and well-renowned reputation in Japan but it is certainly not enough to subsist in this competitive yet beautiful martial art sector. Our eyes are now turned toward the international market, eager to strengthen our positions and cast a favorable light on the Japanese 'Savoir-faire' in Judo and more generally, in martial art equipment conception.
To fulfill this objective, we are collaborating with Seido in a fruitful partnership. Seido is run by martial arts enthusiasts and the brand shares a very similar philosophy with KuSakura emphasizing on craftsmanship, tradition and high quality of service. Seidoshop.com is available in English in French and in Japanese and is an online shop dedicated to providing the finest quality of Budo and Kobudo equipment both in Japan and worldwide.
Finally, the fulfillment of our objectives whether national or international, have never relied on any aggressive marketing campaigns. What really differentiates us from our competitors is our focus on honesty, the quality of our services and the authenticity of our production. Our strategy may certainly not be the most profitable one financially, but we truly believe in the social and practical added value our products brings to practitioners. This is in the outlook to see our vision shared by more and more people from different cultures and nationalities around the world that we keep persevering along this path.
All in all, KuSakura's priority has always been to satisfy its customers above all bringing quality products with a real in-depth philosophy behind them. Our customers' satisfaction in our work and what we offer are the reasons why we keep doing this in-depth work and we strongly believe that we can do it for another century.
We hope that through this article, you have been able to learn more about KuSakura and the mission keeping its flame on.
See you soon on KuSakura Shop!