- George Chung
- Jul 29, 2024
- 4 min read
Shiro Saigo (1866-1922) is a legend in Japanese budo, no doubt well-known to many Black Belt readers. The second student to enroll at the Kodokan, he was one of the stellar pupils there, famed for his ability to defeat much larger opponents.
SAIGO lived and thrived in the tumultuous era of Japan’s early modernization. Jigoro Kano’s Kodokan was emerging as an influential force in budo. This was a period when many martial arts schools were trying to adjust to the post-feudal changes that were shaking all of Japan.
The aristocratic samurai were gone. Budo dojo — particularly those that dealt with swordsmanship and jujitsu — struggled to attract students. Com- petition was fierce and lively. Kano’s judo, the “new kid,” was a target for many established jujitsu dojo. The challenges and competitions that came his way provided fodder for numerous fictional treatments, including Sanshiro Sugata, a famous movie based loosely on the life of Saigo.
SAIGO WAS NOT a physically dominating person. He was small, wiry and exceptionally strong by all accounts. His real talent, however, seems to have been an intense spirit devoted to a technical study of judo. In fact, he’s credited with creating several throws in judo’s curriculum.
More important, he applied himself to a specific strategy that minimalized his limitations — the lack of size and sheer muscular power — while accentuating his strengths. He accomplished this primarily in one way: Shiro Saigo never adopted a position or an attitude of defense.
Kano wrote the following about Saigo’s approach: “As a judo practitioner, he was in regular training among those who were thrown most often. In being thrown, he developed a skillful method of breakfalls that allowed him to use movement to avoid a technique and to be thrown in any way without experiencing any discomfort.
“Many judo exponents do not attack fully for fear of exposing them- selves to a counter. Saigo did not concern himself with this. He exclusively took the strategy of attack, circumventing his opponent’s attacks by forcing them to take a defensive posture. Consequently, his opponents constantly gave him openings for his own attacks.”
SERIOUS MARTIAL ARTISTS should examine Kano’s description of Saigo’s approach. First, it’s important to note that Saigo took more falls in training than other students did. Rather than focusing on winning, Saigo chose to take so many falls that he eventually could see ways to escape mid technique. He was willing to lose, repeatedly, to learn.
Second, by learning to fall so that no matter how he was thrown, he was able to recover, maintain his posture and land on his feet, Saigo could begin to concentrate on attack. Think about this. How would it affect your mentality if you were confident that you could not be beaten? How would your approach to a gun-wielding opponent differ if you knew the gun had no ammunition? That’s an exaggeration, but if you don’t need to worry about being defeated, your commitment to attack can be undiluted. This was critical to Saigo’s mindset.
IN 1886 the Tokyo police sponsored a series of matches between several jujitsu dojo, including the Kodokan. Saigo faced Hikosuke Totsuka of tot- suka-ha yoshin ryu, who was certainly among the premier martial artists in Japan at the time. For 10 minutes, Totsuka unleashed a barrage of attacks. Saigo deftly avoided them — or took the falls in a way that enabled him to land on his feet and be ready to continue. Finally, Saigo uncorked a throw that put Totsuka on the mat so hard he received a concussion.
Probably more than any other single event, this match pushed Kodokan judo to the forefront of martial arts in Japan.
Saigo was successful at least in part because he didn’t concern him- self with the possibility of defeat. In today’s budo, competition is often characterized by exactly the opposite. In kendo, judo and karate, practitioners frequently display behavior that reflects a fear of being scored on. Note that Saigo’s approach is not the same as being suicidal. “I’ll allow my opponent to break my jaw in order to get in a punch that I think will drop him” is not a wise way to enter a fight, not even one in the competition arena. Instead, Saigo’s strategy was to become so adept that he could handle whatever an opponent sent his way — then adapt, deflect or avoid — and be free to deliver his own attacks.
NOTE, TOO, that the defensive positions many budoka take today in sparring or competition create a different character. Consolidating one’s points, protecting them by taking a defensive crouch in hopes of “run- ning out the clock” or frustrating an opponent — all are inconsistent with the qualities that define budo. The martial ways do not promote fool- ish bravado. They do, though, when they’re pursued correctly, generate an unflinching sense of confidence and determination.
To enter a contest unprepared, thinking all will be OK because you’ve got confidence, is not a great idea by any means. It’s a mischaracterization of Saigo’s approach. His determination was firmly grounded in reality — the reality that his technique was solid and well-polished.
Karateka and other martial artists need to follow his example. Strengthen your technique until you can depend on it. Develop your flexibility, both physical and mental, as that was key to Saigo’s success. Once those things are mastered, there’s no need to think defensively.
Dave Lowry has written Karate Way since 1986. For more information about his articles and books, visit blackbeltmag.com and type his name in the search box.
This article was published in a 2019 edition of Black Belt Magazine.
