Founder

Instructors (2)

• 
  Gunji Koizumi

  Head instructor

  1918

  expand_morefact_check 1 source

  "Koizumi founded the Budokwai in 1918 and served as its head for decades"

  — Gunji Koizumi - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo
• 
  Tani Yukio

  Instructor

  1918 - 1950

  expand_morefact_check 1 source

  "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) linkinfo

Trained here (2)

• 
  Sarah Mayer

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 3

  Confirmed

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

  under Tani Yukio badge (1926 - 1933)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

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

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "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 linkinfo

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 3

  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.

  under Gunji Koizumi badge (1926 - 1933)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  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.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

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

  — Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Sarah Mayer - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

  "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 linkinfo
• 
  Moshé Feldenkrais

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 2

  Probable

  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; FEFNA and Nativ both place him studying judo under Koizumi at the London Budokwai. Probable

  under Gunji Koizumi badge (1948 - 1950)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  5 sources

  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; FEFNA and Nativ both place him studying judo under Koizumi at the London Budokwai. Probable

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "He took judo classes with Gunji Koizumi at the London Budokwai."

  — Who Was Moshe Feldenkrais?linkinfo

  "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 Masterylinkinfo

  "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 IIlinkinfo

  "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

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