Description
Mikinosuke Kawaishi (川石 酒造之助, Kawaishi Mikinosuke, born 13 August 1899 – 30
January 1969) was a Japanese master of jujutsu and judo who achieved the rank of
7th Dan. He led the development of Judo in France, with Shozo Awazu, and much of
Europe and is credited with introducing the colored belt system for
differentiating early grades. However, written accounts from the archives of
London's Budokwai judo club, founded in 1918, record the use of colored judo
belts at the 1926 9th annual Budokwai Display, and a list of ranked colored
judokas appears in the Budokwai Committee Minutes of June 1927. Kawaishi visited
London and the Budokwai in 1928, and was probably inspired to bring the colored
belt system to France. The Fédération Française posthumously awarded him 10th
Dan in judo and jujutsu.
Teachers (2)
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Takahashi Kazuyoshi
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
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According to Kawaishi Norikazu, eldest son of Kawaishi Mikinosuke, his father
identified Takahashi as one of his teachers at Waseda University
“According to Kawaishi Norikazu15, eldest son of Kawaishi Mikinosuke, the
teachers identified by his father as those from whom his father had learnt jūdō
at Waseda University were Takahashi and Miyakawa.”
— Kodokan Judo's Three Orphaned Forms of Counter
Techniques - Part 1: The Gonosen-no-kata (ResearchGate)link
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person
Miyakawa Ikkan
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
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1 source
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According to Kawaishi Norikazu, eldest son of Kawaishi Mikinosuke, his father
identified Miyakawa as one of his teachers at Waseda University
“According to Kawaishi Norikazu15, eldest son of Kawaishi Mikinosuke, the
teachers identified by his father as those from whom his father had learnt jūdō
at Waseda University were Takahashi and Miyakawa.”
— Kodokan Judo's Three Orphaned Forms of Counter
Techniques - Part 1: The Gonosen-no-kata (ResearchGate)link
Ranks (2)
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military_tech7 dan
Confirmed
Dan-Kyu System
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2 sources
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Independent sources state it, including Feldenkrais in 1952.
“His system of Judo is fully described in his book My Method of Judo written
when he was a 7th dan and published in English in 1955”
— Tony Papenfuss. Mikonosuke Kawaishi: Judo Teacher
in Europelinkhistory
info
visibilityFirst-hand
“I wish to express my gratitude to my friend and teacher of many years, Mr.
Mikinosuke Kawaishi, 7th Dan.”
— Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010).
Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo
military_tech10 dan
Probable
Dan-Kyu System
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
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Posthumously awarded 10th dan by the French Judo Federation (FFJDA)
“Several years after his death, the French Jūdō Federation, in recognition of
his achievements and out of gratitude for his contributions to the sport,
bestowed on him the highest rank of tenth dan.”
— The Seeds of Jūdō in France: Kawaishi
Mikinosuke's Enduring Legacylink
history
info
Offices held (1)
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1948
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4 sources
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A regional history names him the federation's technical director; a thesis
states he took back the lead of French judo in 1948.
alt_routeIndirect
“De retour en France en 1948, Mikinosuke Kawaishi, aidé par Shozo Awazu, va
reprendre l'enseignement de sa méthode.”
— Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Mikinosuke
Kawaishi. Wikipedia (French)link
history
info
alt_routeIndirect
“Durant l'absence de Kawaishi, Beaujean et de Herdt assurent l'intérim
et dirigent le judo français.”
— Michel Brousse. (2018). Compte-rendu de lecture -
Livre sur Jean de Herdt - Michel Brousselink
history
info
“Les archives fédérales montrent que sont également sollicités les avis du
directeur technique, Kawaishi, du président de la FFJJJ, Paul Bonét-Maury”
— Michel Brousse; Jean-Pierre Augustin; Jean-Paul
Callède. (1995). L'implantation du judo dans le grand Sud-Ouestlink
info
alt_routeIndirect
“En 1948, le Maître Kawaishi revint en France. Il reprit les rênes du judo mais
les choses avaient changé.”
— Martin, Grégory. (2011). Essai sur les territoires
du judo en Francelink
history
info
Students (5)
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Moshé Feldenkrais
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Confirmed
(1936–1940)
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4 sources
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Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo (1952) calls Kawaishi 'my
friend and teacher of many years' (primary); four other sources corroborate
it.
“In September 1933, he met Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo in Paris. Kano
encouraged him to study judo under Mikinosuke Kawaishi. Feldenkrais became a
close friend of Kano and corresponded with him regularly.”
— Moshé Feldenkrais - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia
(English)link
history
info
“Feldenkrais learned Judo from Mikonosuke Kawaishi earning his Shodan in 1936
and a Nidan in 1938.”
— McPartland, Terence. (2012). Moshe Feldenkrais and
Modern Judo: The Strange Forgotten Tale of a Physicist who Learned Judo
link
history
info
visibilityFirst-hand
“I wish to express my gratitude to my friend and teacher of many years, Mr.
Mikinosuke Kawaishi, 7th Dan.”
— Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010).
Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo
“The Japanese expert was certainly attracted by the rational nature of the
explanations given by the engineer. As a result, Feldenkrais became the
assistant, the disciple, and friend of Kawaishi.”
— Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010).
Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo
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person
Fernando Franco de Sarabia
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
(1952–1953)
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1 source
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Fernando Franco trained with Kawaishi Mikinosuke at a stage in Biarritz (1952)
and subsequently traveled frequently to France to study Kawaishi's method;
awarded green belt (1952) and brown belt (1953) under Kawaishi.
“Fernando Franco obtiene el cinturón verde, otorgado por el maestro Kawaishi,
uno de los fundadores del judo francés y creador del método que lleva su nombre,
en un stage celebrado en Biarriz (1952); para 1953 es ya cinturón marrón.”
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person
Marc Scala
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
history_eduTradition only
Tradition only: every supporting source is the lineage's own account of
itself
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1 source
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Judo Canada's own history only.
“Marc Scala, who had moved from Paris to Montreal in 1950 and was a disciple of
Mikinosuke Kawaishi, took home the coveted championship plaque courtesy of the
Japanese embassy.”
— Leyshon, Glynn A.. (1998). Judoka: The History of
Judo in Canadainfo
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Jean de Herdt
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Confirmed
(1935)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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EcuRed describes Jean de Herdt as a disciple of Mikinosuke Kawaishi, founder of
European judo; the 2012 Lyonne.fr press article presents de Herdt as the first
pupil of Kawaishi, who met him in 1935 at age 14 and was among the first to
obtain the black belt three years later
“En París fue alumno del sensei Jean de Herdt [...] quien a su vez era discípulo
de Mikinosuke Kawaishi [...] fundador del judo europeo.”
“Jean de Herdt est le premier élève de Mikinosuke Kawaishi, l'homme qui a
implanté le judo en Europe. En 1935, la rencontre entre l'ado et le maître
[...] J'avais 14 ans et c'était interdit aux moins de 17 ans [...] Trois
ans plus tard, Jean de Herdt est l'un des premiers à obtenir une ceinture
noire de judo. Il n'a que 17 ans.”
— Lyonne.fr (Le Bien Public). (2012). Jean de Herdt,
88 ans, une légende du judo - Lyonne.frlink
history
info
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person
André Nocquet
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1 source
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Martin states it directly, naming his grade at the time (1st dan).
“le Judo-Club d'Angoulême, est créé par le Professeur André Nocquet, élève
1er dan de Mikinosuke Kawaishi”
— Martin, Grégory. (2011). Essai sur les territoires
du judo en Francelink
history
info
Sources
visibilityFirst-hand
“According to oral reports, the only Judo Club existing in the San Diego area
prior to World War II was one located upstairs in Taiikukai Hall [...] The first
Sensei was Mikonosake Kawaishi (unable to discover his grade at that time) who
instructed there for two years (sic).”
— Holtmann, Al C.. (1970~). History of Judo in San
Diego, Californiainfo
Identifiers
https://martial.is/entity/01KJJAWN28MWKKSN4J02MVY1T3
Cite and reuse
CC BY-SA 4.0expand_more
Plain text
Muñoz, Frederico (YEAR_PLACEHOLDER). Kawaishi Mikinosuke. In Martialis: Martial
Arts Lineage Database. https://martial.is/entity/01KJJAWN28MWKKSN4J02MVY1T3 - CC
BY-SA 4.0. Accessed ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.
BibTeX
@incollection{martialis_01KJJAWN28MWKKSN4J02MVY1T3, author = {Muñoz, Frederico},
title = {Kawaishi Mikinosuke}, booktitle = {Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage
Database}, year = {YEAR_PLACEHOLDER}, url =
{https://martial.is/entity/01KJJAWN28MWKKSN4J02MVY1T3}, urldate =
{ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }
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