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)

• 
  Takahashi Kazuyoshi

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 2

  Probable

  According to Kawaishi Norikazu, eldest son of Kawaishi Mikinosuke, his father identified Takahashi as one of his teachers at Waseda University

  sports_kabaddiWaseda University badge (1881)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  According to Kawaishi Norikazu, eldest son of Kawaishi Mikinosuke, his father identified Takahashi as one of his teachers at Waseda University

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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
• Mi
  Miyakawa Ikkan

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 2

  Probable

  According to Kawaishi Norikazu, eldest son of Kawaishi Mikinosuke, his father identified Miyakawa as one of his teachers at Waseda University

  sports_kabaddiWaseda University badge (1881)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  According to Kawaishi Norikazu, eldest son of Kawaishi Mikinosuke, his father identified Miyakawa as one of his teachers at Waseda University

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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)

• linkKōdōkan Jūdō

  military_tech7 dan 2

  Probable

  Achieved 7th dan rank during his lifetime, as documented in his book 'My Method of Judo' published in 1955

  Dan-Kyu System

  granted by Kodokan

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  Achieved 7th dan rank during his lifetime, as documented in his book 'My Method of Judo' published in 1955

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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 Europelinkinfo

  "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 2

  Probable

  Posthumously awarded 10th dan by the French Judo Federation (FFJDA)

  Dan-Kyu System

  granted by French Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Kendo and Associated Disciplines Federation

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  Posthumously awarded 10th dan by the French Judo Federation (FFJDA)

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Kawaishi Mikinosuke 川石酒造之助 (1899-1969), Kōdōkan 4th dan (later 7th dan and FFJDA 10th dan posth.);"

  — Tony Papenfuss. Mikonosuke Kawaishi: Judo Teacher in Europelinkinfo

Students (3)

• 
  Moshé Feldenkrais

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 3

  Confirmed

  Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo (1952) calls Kawaishi 'my friend and teacher of many years' (primary); Brousse's foreword to the 2010 edition describes Feldenkrais as Kawaishi's 'assistant, disciple, and friend'; de Crée (2013) confirms the shodan was issued by Kawaishi in 1936, not by Kano; corroborated by English Wikipedia and dcjudo.com. Confirmed

  (1936-1940)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  4 sources

  fact_check

  Feldenkrais's own preface to Higher Judo (1952) calls Kawaishi 'my friend and teacher of many years' (primary); Brousse's foreword to the 2010 edition describes Feldenkrais as Kawaishi's 'assistant, disciple, and friend'; de Crée (2013) confirms the shodan was issued by Kawaishi in 1936, not by Kano; corroborated by English Wikipedia and dcjudo.com. Confirmed

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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)linkinfo

  "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 linkinfo

  "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
• Fe
  Fernando Franco de Sarabia

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 2

  Probable

  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.

  (1952-1953)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  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.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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."

  — Fernando Franco de Sarabia Jim (?-1988) linkinfo
• 
  Jean de Herdt

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 3

  Confirmed

  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

  (1935)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  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

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "En París fue alumno del sensei Jean de Herdt ... quien a su vez era discípulo de Mikinosuke Kawaishi ... fundador del judo europeo."

  — EcuRed contributors. (2026). André Kolychkine Thompsonlinkinfo

  "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, il était parmi les premiers à obtenir la ceinture noire, à 17 ans."

  — Lyonne.fr (Le Bien Public). (2012). Jean de Herdt, 88 ans, une légende du judo - Lyonne.frlinkhistoryinfo

Sources