Episode 148 - President Theodore Roosevelt & Judo

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President Theodore Roosevelt not merely studied Jiu-jitsu and Judo, he was instrumental in bringing Japanese grappling arts to prominence in the US.

President Theodore Roosevelt & Judo - Episode 148

Theodore Roosevelt Judo

Theodore Roosevelt Judo

It's time for episode 148 of whistlekick Martial Arts radio, and nosotros're going to talk about President Theodore Roosevelt, who not only studied Jiu-jitsu and Judo, he was instrumental in bringing Japanese grappling arts to prominence in the United states of america.Let me introduce myself. I'grand whistlekick'south founder but I'grand better known equally your host on this prove. My name is Jeremy Lesniak. whistlekick makes the best sparring gear yous can get every bit well equally some great apparel and accessories for practitioners and fans of traditional martial arts.  I'd like to welcome all of you new listeners and give thanks anybody that's come back.All our past episodes, evidence notes, and another good stuff is at whistlekickmartialartsradio.com. From that site, y'all tin sign up for our newsletter, and I hope you do because nosotros offer exclusive content to subscribers, discounts and information technology'southward the only identify to discover out most upcoming guests.Today's episode has a full transcript on the website.

For bear witness notes please visit:    http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/148-theodore-roosevelt-judo/

Earlier we talk about the grappling antics of our 26th president, I wanted to share some feedback I received. It striking me pretty hard and I wanted to respond to it, a bit.

Listener Feedback

Hi, Jeremy. Thanks so much for the Whistlekick podcast. I recollect you lot may have changed my life today.

I'm twoscore, and just started Krav Maga and Kung Fu in October (yep, I know I shouldn't do ii at once, but I love both and couldn't decide on just one).Anyway, I only finished listening to Episode 79, and subsequently hearing your story, I had to finish and write. This is the first time I've emailed a stranger like this; I promise you don't mind.Then I had a similar upbringing. Picked on, abused, bordering on torture by other kids both physical and mental...more often than not for existence black, female, and dark-skinned. Plus, being bigger than most girls, with glasses, and pretty smart, I never fit in anywhere. By high school, in that location were times when I was afraid to get to schoolhouse, knowing that either I would be cornered or somehow humiliated.I think 1 incident sitting in the back of the jitney, and ii of the more than popular boys sat on either side of me. They got very quiet, and someone in forepart of me chosen my name. So I looked upwards, everyone was looking dorsum at me, and the two boys punched me. Difficult. On either side of the face at the same time.I was then ashamed, and tin't actually call back of some other time where I felt and so stupid, so ashamed, and couldn't do anything about it. Had I had something like martial arts, I highly incertitude I would have concluded upwards there that day. Even now, reading that, I want to throw up. I experience silly about it, but there y'all go.After that, my confidence and self-esteem was so low I ended up in an abusive relationship - however in loftier school - with ane of those boys. I wanted to exist accustomed then much, I was willing to be a victim to have some connexion with someone. God, even now the thought of how I allowed myself to be treated makes me sick.What's even sadder is that I even so recognize that immature girl in me, fifty-fifty at present. Fast forward to today, and I'm outwardly confident, I accept a good chore, my kids are amazing, and I'g generally happy. But everyday, I run across myself in the mirror and wonder where the next punch is coming from. Not really physically, only you know what I mean. Every time I see someone whisper, I wonder if it's nearly me. I jump when people speak too loudly, as well. I guess I likewise have put myself in the situation to still exist treated, while not badly, definitely not demanding the kind of relationship I deserve.And then, I decided to take matters into my ain easily lately with martial arts. I wish I would have washed information technology when I was younger, just at to the lowest degree I'one thousand hither now.Ok, wow, that was tougher than I thought. So...the point: Thank you for your podcast. I retrieve hearing about all of these folks who have been through these things really help me feel like I'm not lone anymore. I am sure yous're spammed with these kind of emails all the fourth dimension, and I definitely appreciate you taking the time to read this. I just wanted to reach out and thanks so much for sharing your story.Thanks, and Merry Christmas!!~Vanessa I've already written to Vanessa privately, just I want to thank her publicly for her email. She's clearly taken a huge step frontward. She's proof that it's never too late to face up your fears and make your life better. I appreciate all of the feedback I receive and do effort to write dorsum to everyone that writes in.

President Thedore Roosevelt & Judo

President Teddy Roosevelt Judo

President Teddy Roosevelt Judo

I was listening to a podcast the other twenty-four hour period when I heard i of the hosts brand an off-handed reference to President Teddy Roosevelt having practiced Judo. Information technology wasn't a martial arts podcast, simply the thought struck me and I did some research. Non only did President Roosevelt practise Judo, but there'south quite a story here.President Roosevelt was a fighter. If he were alive today, he'd probably be ringside at MMA events. Information technology wouldn't surprise me if he'd take shown up at a professional wrestling event – in the ring. Not merely did the man beloved competition, he loved combat, and all forms of it. He was a adept wrestler and boxer. He did things his mode, and enjoyed a challenge.Every bit a kid, boxing was self-defense for him. Asthmatic, weak and frequently picked on, young Theodore had a lot of bullies. "Having been a sickly male child, with no natural bodily prowess and having lived much at home, I was at first quite unable to concord my own when thrown into contact with other boys of rougher antecedents," he wrote in The Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt.  "I was nervous and timid."At fourteen he asked his Father if he could learn boxing, and his father said yep."I was a painfully dull and awkward pupil, and certainly worked 2 or three years before I fabricated whatsoever perceptible improvement whatever," he writes in his autobiography.During later schooling at Harvard, he competed in boxing but also wrestling. He wasn't on whatever college teams, but he was still an active competitor. In fact, he developed a modest following around Boston because of the heart he brought to competition. He certainly wasn't the best, but he just wouldn't quit.In 1899 Roosevelt became Governor of New York and preferred grappling as his athletic pursuit. The American middleweight wrestling champion was nigh his home in Albany, and then he hired him. Three to four time a week Roosevelt trained."Roosevelt, who was in his early 40s at the time (nearly double the age of the wrestler), looked forward to his preparation sessions so much that he eventually bought a wrestling mat for the workout room," Jon Finkel wrote in Teddy: Roosevelt: The U.S. President That Was E'er Tough And Prepare To Throw Down for The Post Game. "While neither combatant had a trouble with the wrestling mat, Roosevelt's Comptroller did, and he refused to inspect the pecker for the mat, claiming that wrestling wasn't 'proper Gubernatorial amusement.'"What did the comptroller advise as better? A pool table.Once he became President, he fix quite a few mats in the White Business firm basement and sparred with anyone that would spend the time – including his wife and sis-in-law. In fact, he'd spar with nearly anyone of any discipline – if they were willing to go hard and he thought it was worthwhile, he'd do it. It was part of his desire to keep his skills up and his weight downwardly.He learned Judo from one of Jigoro Kano (the founder of Judo) 's students, Yoshiaki Yamashita. Yamashita wasn't only any old judoka, though – he was 19th student of the school and considered one of Kano's four top students. He originally learned of Judo when a wrestling teacher of his showed him movements he'd learned during time in Japan. Yamashita taught him three to four afternoons a week for a few months.The president once said in 1905 "The art of Jiu-Jitsu is worth more in every way than all of our athletics combined." From inquiry it appears that Roosevelt confused Judo and Jiu-Jitsu, or else didn't know the difference. At that place are writings of his where he references his Judo teacher as having taught him Jiu-jitsu."The President's training partners included his sons, his individual secretary, the Japanese naval attache, Secretary of War William Howard Taft, and Secretarial assistant of the Interior Gifford Pinchot. When these people were unavailable, then Roosevelt tried tricks on husky immature visitors," Joseph R. Svinth wrote in an article titled Professor Yamashita Goes to WashingtonRobert Johnstone Mooney, who had been 1 of the visitors that President Roosevelt threw around, later wrote "[He] sprang to his anxiety and excitedly asked: 'By the way, exercise y'all boys understand jiu-jitsu?' Nosotros replied in the negative, and he continued, pounding the air with his arms, 'Y'all must promise me to acquire that without delay. You lot are then good in other athletics that you lot must add together jiu-jitsu to your other accomplishments. Every American athlete ought to sympathize the Japanese organization thoroughly. You lot know'—and he smiled reminiscently—'I practically introduced it to the Americans. I had a young Japanese—now at Harvard [A. Kitagaki]—here for six months, and I tried jiu-jitsu with him day afterward day. Simply he always defeated me. It was not like shooting fish in a barrel to learn. However, 1 mean solar day I got him—I got him—good and plenty! I threw him clear over my caput on his belly, and I had information technology. I had information technology.'"Professor Yamashita later said that while Roosevelt was his best pupil, he was also 'very heavy and very impetuous, and it had cost the poor professor many bruisings, much worry, and infinite pains during Theodore'southward rushes to avoid laming the President of the United states.The President became America'due south showtime Judo brown chugalug and, if the research I've done is correct, the virtually senior rank of loftier-level politics until Vladimir Putin. It seems that Putin has an eighth dan in Kyokushin karate.