# Essential Principles of Judo by Kyuzo Mifune



## Xue Sheng (Mar 25, 2014)

Essential Principles of Judo by Kyuzo Mifune, judan



> *Pliable action of mind and physique surpass stiffening and sturdiness. *True spirit of Judo is nothing but the gentle and diligent free spirit. Judo rests on flexible action of mind and body. The word flexible however never means weakness but something more like adaptability and openmindedness. Gentleness always overcomes strength.
> 
> *To display best vitality in the worst plight.
> *
> ...


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## Shai Hulud (Nov 17, 2014)

That first principle you've mentioned I find to be the golden rule of Judo, as is with the spirit of the "Ju" character, or "gentle" or "giving way" principle of the sport. Strength and cardiovascular conditioning are all good in the sport of Judo, but the essential principle is that you learn to economically/efficiently use your energy in harmony with your opponent's, and not necessarily ramming heads and locking horns. It's a very naturalist approach to combat.

From the application of _Kuzushi_ (off-balancing of opponent) to the application of the throw, both physique and mind must be in perfect coordination. There is no difference between strength (physique) and technique (mind). Pavel Tsatsouline, in his _Naked Warrior _book, defined strength as the ability to generate power under certain conditions, a concept I find incredibly relevant in Judo.


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