Trevor Leggett · Lineage tree

Also known as

Trevor Pryce Leggett · T. P. Leggett

Description

British judoka, author and translator, one of the first Europeans to hold a dan rank (London Budokwai shodan in 1935). He taught judo at the Budokwai from 1945 and became a senior instructor in 1954, chaired the July 1948 London conference that founded the European Judo Union, and is named 'Chairman of the European Judo Union' in Moshe Feldenkrais's preface to Higher Judo (1952), which thanks him for critical reading of the typescript and advice on the mat. He held 6th dan from the Kodokan, founded the competition-oriented Renshuden dojo in 1959, headed the BBC's Japanese Service for 24 years, and wrote extensively on judo, Zen and Indian philosophy, being awarded the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure in 1984.

Teachers (2)

• 
  Tani Yukio

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Probable

  Probable

  Single source; Wikidata repeats it.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  location_onBudokwai badge

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Single source; Wikidata repeats it.

  “student of: Yukio Tani”

  — Wikidata - Trevor Leggett: student of (P1066) Yukio Tanilink

  “At the age of 16, therefore, the sport he chose was judo and he started taking lessons at the London Budokwai. After training under the famous judo masters Yukio Tani and Gunji Koizumi, he made swift progress”

  — Brian N. Watson. (2008). Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kanoinfo
• 
  Gunji Koizumi

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Probable

  Probable

  Single source.

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  location_onBudokwai badge

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Single source.

  “At the age of 16, therefore, the sport he chose was judo and he started taking lessons at the London Budokwai. After training under the famous judo masters Yukio Tani and Gunji Koizumi, he made swift progress”

  — Brian N. Watson. (2008). Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kanoinfo

Ranks (3)

• sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō

  military_tech1 dan Probable

  Probable

  de Crée lists Trevor P. Leggett as a London Budokwai shodan of 1935 among the early European black belts

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  Dan-Kyu System (1935)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  de Crée lists Trevor P. Leggett as a London Budokwai shodan of 1935 among the early European black belts

  “Trevor P. Leggett (London Budōkwai shodan: 1935)”

  — Carl de Crée. (2013). Shōnen Jūdō-no-kata ["Forms of Jūdō for Juveniles"] - an experimental Japanese teaching approach to Jūdō skill acquisition in children considered from a historic-pedagogical perspective - part IIlink info

  military_tech5 dan Probable

  Probable

  Feldenkrais's preface to Higher Judo, written for the 1951/1952 edition, names Leggett as 5th dan

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  Dan-Kyu System (1952)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Feldenkrais's preface to Higher Judo, written for the 1951/1952 edition, names Leggett as 5th dan

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “I am greatly indebted to Mr. T. P. Legget, 5th Dan, Chairman of the European Judo Union, for critical reading of the typesceipt and his very instructive advice on the mat.”

  — Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010). Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo

  military_tech6 dan Probable

  Probable

  English Wikipedia states he held 6th dan from the Kodokan

  The evidence favours the claim and nothing credible contradicts it, but it falls short of establishing it.

  Dan-Kyu System

  granted by Kodokan

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  English Wikipedia states he held 6th dan from the Kodokan

  “He held the title of Shihan, and the rank of 6th dan in judo from the Kodokan.”

  — Trevor Leggett - Wikipedia. Wikipedia (English) link history info

Offices held (1)

• corporate_fareChairmanEuropean Judo Union Confirmed

  Confirmed

  A contemporary book and Wikipedia agree.

  The evidence establishes the claim: it is sufficient and consistent, and any conflicting evidence is resolved.

  1948

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  A contemporary book and Wikipedia agree.

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “I am greatly indebted to Mr. T. P. Legget, 5th Dan, Chairman of the European Judo Union, for critical reading of the typesceipt and his very instructive advice on the mat.”

  — Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010). Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo

  “The Budokwai's Trevor Leggett was elected the conference's chairman and a constitution drafted by the Budikwai was tabled.”

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Budokwai. Wikipedia (English)link history info

Students (1)

• 
  Moshé Feldenkrais

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Possible

  Possible

  Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo (1952) thanks T. P. Leggett for critical reading of the typescript and 'his very instructive advice on the mat', and the same book's foreword says he deepened his judo practice with Leggett in London; both passages come from the same single source.

  Some evidence points to the claim, but it is thin, indirect, or in unresolved conflict with other evidence.

  (1948–1952)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo (1952) thanks T. P. Leggett for critical reading of the typescript and 'his very instructive advice on the mat', and the same book's foreword says he deepened his judo practice with Leggett in London; both passages come from the same single source.

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “I am greatly indebted to Mr. T. P. Legget, 5th Dan, Chairman of the European Judo Union, for critical reading of the typesceipt and his very instructive advice on the mat.”

  — Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010). Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo

  “In London he deepened his friendship and judo practice with legendary practitioners Gunji Koizumi and Trevor Leggett.”

  — Moshe Feldenkrais; Elizabeth Beringer. (2010). Higher Judo: Groundworkinfo

Sources

Identifiers