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Judo in the US Book by David Matsumoto

Judo in the U.S. describes the turbulent history of judo in the United States from its introduction in the early 1900s by Japanese immigrants. This book is one of the first to examine the important role judo played in cultural identity for Japanese Americans, and discusses the formation and sustenance of judo during the Japanese American internment camp era. Judo is shown as a cultural import that helps infuse and maintain traditional values of Japan in Japanese American communities.


All in all, Judo in the U.S. discusses six historical periods that greatly transformed judo and explains why the U.S. has three national organizations, why they are so fundamentally different, and the reasons and rationale for this structure as it relates to traditional judo philosophy. This book gives unprecedented information about judo in the U.S. and also interesting insight into the experience of Japanese Americans since 1900. A must-have for the history buff, who will gain an alternative perspective on Japanese immigration and culture, and the dedicated judo practitioner, who will learn the historical and social context of their martial art in the United States.