By exploring forgotten corners of their respective civilisations, they will succeed in inventing two monuments of sport: modern Olympism and judo. Both movements, in their rescripts, were to go beyond sport and serve the only ambition worth having, that of human progress through education.
Marius Vizer, IJF President, stated in the preface of the book, "Throughout these pages, we learn with interest that Kano Jigoro Shihan and Baron Pierre de Coubertin crossed paths. More than that, they exchanged their points of view on society and its future as well as on youth. Their respective ideas often came together and agreed.
Apprehending Kano Jigoro Shihan and Pierre de Coubertin in a documented and detailed manner offers us new ideas, a new approach to modernity and can allow us to find the keys to a fairer society, based on the values of judo and those of Olympism.
In a world where distances have shortened, time has accelerated and antagonisms seem exacerbated, taking a step back and rethinking a model in which mutual aid and mutual prosperity (jita kyoei) and the best use of energy (seiryoku zenyo), as Kano thought, are placed at the heart of our development approach, has become crucial. Doing so in accordance with the precepts advocated by Coubertin can only be beneficial to everyone. This book makes a notable contribution to this."
Philippe-Martial Moreau is an engineer, entrepreneur and essayist. He is interested in sport, its ethics and its contribution to our societies. A former competitive judoka, he delivers in this book his analysis of the works of Kano Jigoro Shihan and Pierre de Coubertin, and puts them into perspective.
French version available:
Olympisme et Samouraï - Pierre de Coubertin et Jigoro Kano: combattants du sport et de l'éducation, Auteur: Philippe-Martial Moreau.
Editions de l'Harmattan - Espace et temps du sport