Jean de Herdt
Jean de Herdt
FRA
1923-07-23 - 2013-01-05
Paris - Bourges
history_edu35.2 · Recorded
Description

French judoka, the first European judo champion and the first French pupil of Mikinosuke Kawaishi, whom he met in 1935. During Kawaishi's absence from France he co-directed French judo with Paul Beaujean, and his students included André Kolychkine, who introduced judo to Cuba.

Teachers (1)
Ranks (3)
  • military_tech4 dan 3
    Confirmed
    The 2018 review by judo historian Michel Brousse, drawing on Jean Gailhat's period account in the Bulletin officiel de la Fédération française de judo jiu-jitsu, documents that de Herdt was awarded the 4th dan on 6 December 1951 at 11 pm, the grade being remitted by Risei Kano, president of the Kodokan; Brousse explicitly debunks the book's claim that ambassador Yotaro Sugimura offered 4th, 5th and 6th dan in the name of the Kodokan
    Dan-Kyu System (1951-12-06)
    granted by Kanō Risei, Kodokan
    expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
    Frederico Muñoz
    Researcher, Martialis
    2 sources
    fact_check
    The 2018 review by judo historian Michel Brousse, drawing on Jean Gailhat's period account in the Bulletin officiel de la Fédération française de judo jiu-jitsu, documents that de Herdt was awarded the 4th dan on 6 December 1951 at 11 pm, the grade being remitted by Risei Kano, president of the Kodokan; Brousse explicitly debunks the book's claim that ambassador Yotaro Sugimura offered 4th, 5th and 6th dan in the name of the Kodokan
    assessed by FSMverified
    Frederico Muñoz
    Researcher, Martialis
    "la presencia de Jean de Herdt, cinta negra cuarto dan, campeón de Europa y ocho veces titular de Francia"
    — EcuRed contributors. (2026). André Kolychkine Thompsonlinkinfo
    "Le récit de Jean Gailhat s'en tient à la réalité lorsqu'il conclut le déroulement de la journée du 6 décembre: «De Herdt est nommé 4e dan. Il est 11 heures du soir.» Car il s'agit bien du 4e dan mais du 4e dan seulement. Le grade est remis par Risei Kano, président du Kodokan et de la fédération japonaise de judo."
    — Michel Brousse. (2018). Compte-rendu de lecture - Livre sur Jean de Herdt - Michel Brousselinkinfo
    military_tech5 dan 2
    Probable
    de Herdt's own account in Claude Thibault's Les Pionniers du Judo Français (p. 360-361) records that he passed the 5th dan in June 1956 under Kawaishi's direction, Kawaishi (technical director of the FFJJ) calling him one day to say he was appointed; the Bushido-Kwai Mechelen club history likewise describes de Herdt as 5th dan
    Dan-Kyu System (1956-06)
    expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
    Frederico Muñoz
    Researcher, Martialis
    3 sources
    fact_check
    de Herdt's own account in Claude Thibault's Les Pionniers du Judo Français (p. 360-361) records that he passed the 5th dan in June 1956 under Kawaishi's direction, Kawaishi (technical director of the FFJJ) calling him one day to say he was appointed; the Bushido-Kwai Mechelen club history likewise describes de Herdt as 5th dan
    assessed by FSMverified
    Frederico Muñoz
    Researcher, Martialis
    "Je passai le 5e dan tout naturellement en juin 1956 sous la direction de M. Kawaishi. Il m'appela un jour pour me dire que j'étais nommé."
    — Claude Thibault. (2011). Les Pionniers du Judo Françaisinfo
    "Je passai le 5e dan tout naturellement en juin 1956 sous la direction de M. Kawaishi. Il m'appela un jour pour me dire que j'étais nommé."
    — Le premier 4e, 5e et 6e dan français (Judo Pour Tous)linkinfo
    "further training under Jean De Herdt (5th dan, European champion)"
    — (2006). Club historiek - Felix De Smedt, stichter van de Judo-Karate Academie Bushido-Kwailinkhistoryinfo
    military_tech6 dan 1balance
    Uncertain - conflicting evidence recorded
    Contested claim - the 2013 over-blog tribute states de Herdt was 6th dan (Rokudan), but de Herdt's own account in Les Pionniers du Judo Français records that the Kodokan experts proposed the 6th dan in December 1951, which he refused in agreement with Kawaishi, and that his 6th dan certificate was never signed because Kawaishi was by then already ill
    Dan-Kyu System
    expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
    Frederico Muñoz
    Researcher, Martialis
    3 sources
    fact_check
    Contested claim - the 2013 over-blog tribute states de Herdt was 6th dan (Rokudan), but de Herdt's own account in Les Pionniers du Judo Français records that the Kodokan experts proposed the 6th dan in December 1951, which he refused in agreement with Kawaishi, and that his 6th dan certificate was never signed because Kawaishi was by then already ill
    assessed by FSMverified
    Frederico Muñoz
    Researcher, Martialis
    "Il était Rokudan de Judo et Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur."
    — (2013). Jean DE HERDT, le pionnier .... - patrickdimayuga.over-blog.comlinkinfo
    blockdisputes
    "les experts du Kodokan me proposèrent le 6e dan. En accord avec M. Kawaishi, je refusai ce grade. ... Je ne lui fit jamais signer mon 6e dan car il était déjà malade..."
    — Claude Thibault. (2011). Les Pionniers du Judo Françaisinfo
    blockdisputes
    "les experts du Kodokan me proposèrent le 6e dan. En accord avec M. Kawaishi, je refusai ce grade. ... Je ne lui fit jamais signer mon 6e dan car il était déjà malade..."
    — Le premier 4e, 5e et 6e dan français (Judo Pour Tous)linkinfo
Students (3)
Sources
"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, cinta negra cuarto dan, campeón de Europa y ocho veces titular de Francia"
— 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."
— Lyonne.fr (Le Bien Public). (2012). Jean de Herdt, 88 ans, une légende du judo - Lyonne.frlinkhistoryinfo
"Despite this, de Herdt was the first European judo champion, a 4-time European champion actually. He is considered as one of Kawaishi's first judo student (according to certain sources, #21), and started judo the same year as Fukuda Keiko (1935)."
— Cichorei Kano. (2013). Jean de Herdt article - E-Judo forumlinkinfo
"Le grade est remis par Risei Kano, président du Kodokan et de la fédération japonaise de judo."
— Michel Brousse. (2018). Compte-rendu de lecture - Livre sur Jean de Herdt - Michel Brousselinkinfo
"Je passai le 5e dan tout naturellement en juin 1956 sous la direction de M. Kawaishi."
— Claude Thibault. (2011). Les Pionniers du Judo Françaisinfo
"les experts du Kodokan me proposèrent le 6e dan. En accord avec M. Kawaishi, je refusai ce grade."
— Le premier 4e, 5e et 6e dan français (Judo Pour Tous)linkinfo
Linked data
https://martial.is/entity/01KZMEB6EEGNN58328J45YXA9T
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