Trevor Leggett answers questions about Japan in 1985
Q: May I ask, what was the Japanese opinion of the spread of Judo, and the popularity of Judo, in the West, and the standards of the West? A: They rather deplore the fact that it’s become a sort of sport in that way. Q: What was it before it was a sport? A: It was a system of spiritual and mental training. Q: How did it become a sport? A: Well, I can say that after the war it was one way of getting back on to the international stage. Q: American influence? A: Partly American, but they agreed with it, they wanted to have some sort of significance, and they did it through this. But it can be practised, and should be as the fighting situation is one where the very, anyway, the very deepest instincts are aroused, and to be able to practise meditation in that situation …