Episode 13: Historical Evolution of Jōdo

Jōjutsu, a martial art created by Musō Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi in Kyūshū, beginning in the 17th century. Originally developed under the Kuroda clan, the art was enriched by integrating other disciplines such as Ikkaku-ryū Jittejutsu and Ittatsu-ryū Hojōjutsu, only to encounter internal divisions that limited its lines of transmission. Key figures of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, such as Shiraishii Hanjiro and Uchida Ryōgorō, helped shape the art by introducing new techniques and initiating its spread outside Fukuoka. The most significant transformation occurred thanks to Shimizu Takaji, a student of Shiraishii, who, at the request of Jigorō Kano, brought the art to Tokyo, renamed it Jōdo in 1940 to adapt to modern times, and standardized it with the introduction of kihon and the creation of the Seitei Jōdo, ensuring its survival and admission into the Zen Nihon Kendō Renmei. Despite Shimizu's modernization