Affiliations

• corporate_fareBudokwai

  fact_check1 source expand_more

  “Koizumi secured a location in Lower Grosvenor Place, along the back wall of Buckingham Palace, and the Budokwai's premises opened on 26 January 1918.”

  — Gunji Koizumi - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link history info

Locations (1)

• location_onLondon

  warning No sources cited

Founder

Instructors (2)

• 
  Tani Yukio

  Head instructor

  1918

  Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Independent sources state it.

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

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  3 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Independent sources state it.

  “In 1918, Tani became the first professional teacher at the London Budokwai, created by his countryman Gunji Koizumi initially teaching jiujitsu.”

  — (2026). Yukio Tani - Wikipedia. Wikipedia (English) link history info

  “Koizumi became the first president of the Budokwai and Yukio Tani the first chief judo instructor.”

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

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “After leaving Italy, I journeyed to England to meet again Gunji Koizumi and Yukio Tani, both 3rd dan grade holders. They were living in London and were engaged as judo instructors at the Budokwai judo club”

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

  Instructor

  1928

  Probable

  Probable

  Kano's own account only.

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

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Kano's own account only.

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “After leaving Italy, I journeyed to England to meet again Gunji Koizumi and Yukio Tani, both 3rd dan grade holders. They were living in London and were engaged as judo instructors at the Budokwai judo club”

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

Trained here (3)

• 
  Sarah Mayer

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Probable

  Probable

  Callan/Heffernan/Spenn state the Budokwai ladies' classes at the time Mayer joined (1926) were taught by Koizumi and Tani Yukio.

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

  under Tani Yukio (1926 – 1933)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source expand_more

  fact_check

  Callan/Heffernan/Spenn state the Budokwai ladies' classes at the time Mayer joined (1926) were taught by Koizumi and Tani Yukio.

  “The ladies' classes, at that time, were taught by Koizumi, the founder, and Tani Yukio”

  — Callan, Mike; Heffernan, Conor; Spenn, Amanda. (2018). Women's Jūjutsu and Judo in the Early Twentieth-Century: The Cases of Phoebe Roberts, Edith Garrud, and Sarah Mayer link info

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Wikipedia states Mayer first trained in judo by Gunji Koizumi at the Budokwai in the 1920s; Callan/Heffernan/Spenn confirm the ladies' classes were taught by Koizumi at the Budokwai, which Mayer joined in 1926.

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

  under Gunji Koizumi (1926 – 1933)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Wikipedia states Mayer first trained in judo by Gunji Koizumi at the Budokwai in the 1920s; Callan/Heffernan/Spenn confirm the ladies' classes were taught by Koizumi at the Budokwai, which Mayer joined in 1926.

  “Mayer first trained in judo by Gunji Koizumi at the Budokwai in the 1920s.”

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Sarah Mayer - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link history info

  “In 1926, Mayer [...] first joined the Budokwai as the thirty-first female member. [...] The ladies' classes, at that time, were taught by Koizumi, the founder, and Tani Yukio”

  — Callan, Mike; Heffernan, Conor; Spenn, Amanda. (2018). Women's Jūjutsu and Judo in the Early Twentieth-Century: The Cases of Phoebe Roberts, Edith Garrud, and Sarah Mayer link info
• 
  Moshé Feldenkrais

  sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō Confirmed

  Confirmed

  Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo acknowledges Koizumi as someone he learned a great deal from (primary); de Crée (2013) confirms from the Budokwai dan-rank register that Feldenkrais joined the Budokwai in 1948; two other sources place him studying judo under Koizumi at the London Budokwai.

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

  under Gunji Koizumi (1948 – 1950)

  fact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  5 sources expand_more

  fact_check

  Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo acknowledges Koizumi as someone he learned a great deal from (primary); de Crée (2013) confirms from the Budokwai dan-rank register that Feldenkrais joined the Budokwai in 1948; two other sources place him studying judo under Koizumi at the London Budokwai.

  “He took judo classes with Gunji Koizumi at the London Budokwai”

  — Who Was Moshe Feldenkrais?link history info

  “After leaving the service in 1945, he moved to London and joined the Budokwai, where he studied judo under the great master G. Koizumi.”

  — Moti Nativ. (2017). On Better Judo: Moshe Feldenkrais on Learning, Balance, and Masterylink history info

  “Feldenkrais only joined the Budōkwai in 1948, thus well after he had left France and had moved to England.”

  — 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

  visibilityFirst-hand

  “It has been my good fortune to meet Mr. G. Koizumi, from which I have learned a great deal. The clarity of his knowledge is equal to the generosity with which he imparts it”

  — 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
• person
  Trevor Leggett

  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.

  under Gunji Koizumi

  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

  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.

  under Tani Yukio

  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

Tags

judo · oldest

Sources

Identifiers