Originally posted by Kevin73
Just another aside: When the US occupied Japan after the war during their rebuilding. Karate and Judo were allowed to be practiced because they were viewed as sports and not a threat to US troops. However Aikido (not called that at this time though) was banned by the gov't because they new it was for military purposes.
Actually, Judo was banned along with all the other martial arts.
Some say the modern emphasis on sport competition originated in the post-war era, with the efforts made by those at the Kodokan (and elsewhere) to have the ban lifted. I seem to recall that the ban lasted a couple of years.
Karate was (mistakenly) seen as a dancelike form of exercise, and escaped the ban.
Yours in Judo,
Brian P. Griffin