Mikonosuke Kawaishi was born in Kyoto in 1899. Having studied Ju-jitsu at the Dai Nippon Butokukai (Greater Japan Association of Martial Virtue) in Kyoto a form of Aiki-ju-jitsu he left Japan in the mid-1920's to travel and see the world.

He began by touring the United States of America, teaching jujitsu particularly in New York and San Diego. By 1928 he had arrived in the United Kingdom and soon established a school in Liverpool, where he principally taught Aiki-ju-jitsu. His close friend Gunji Kouzumi (nearly 10 years his senior) was now well established in the UK having formed the London Budokwai Club and a school at the famous Oxford University. In 1931, he moved to London where he founded the Anglo-Japanese Judo Club and also began teaching Judo at Oxford University with Kouzumi.

With the Asian martial arts still relatively new to England, he was forced to supplement his meagre earnings as a teacher by becoming a professional wrestler. For this purpose he assumed the stage name of "Matsuda", and soon he was taking on wrestlers and boxers in the ring and on stage in music halls.

In that latter part of 1931 he returned to Japan for a short time, and it was during this trip that he renewed his association with Professor Jigoro Kano, who awarded him with a third Dan in Kodokan (Kano) Judo.

In 1936, then a Kano fourth Dan, Kawaishi moved to Paris where he was commissioned to teach Ju-jitsu to the French Police. As an employee of the French secret service (the French equivalent of the British MI5), Kawaishi became friends with a Russian born Jewish scientist named Moshé Feldenkreis, who was also a member of the secret service. It was at this time, that he opened the first public school of Ju-jitsu in a small yet humble dojo in the Latin Quarters of Paris.

Though it was his aim to only accept men of 16 years or older, he relented in the case of one young and eager boy who was only twelve. I was fortunate enough to be that boy, having been introduced through a close family friend who happened to be Moshé Feldenkreis. I was therefore one of the twelve founding members of the first European school of the Kawaishi system, an honour not realised until many, many years later.

Unfortunately with the unpleasant events of World War II looming, Kawaishi made an attempt to return to Japan, but he was imprisoned in Manchuria for a time. It is believed that he soon made contact with many allied soldiers (in particular with a young intelligence officer called Wally Strauss) who where to become eager students of jujitsu. Following the end of the war and his subsequent release, he returned to Paris to continue with his teaching.

In his absence, Paris seemed to fair well under German occupation, and in some ways things had continued as usual as had been the plan of the occupying government. Moshé had also fled Paris for a short time, though when it was considered safe he returned to France and used his time well in developing a number of new clubs. The key to his success was in using the core of Kawaishi's original students to create a number of satellite schools throughout Paris.

During the war I was also incarcerated, though not Manchuria. I was transported off to a Czechoslovakian work camp from where I escaped only to find my way to the heart of Germany taking refuge in Munich. There I survived under an assumed identity, until the end of the war after which I also returned home to Paris seeking out my remaining family. Much to my delight in 1945 I was also reunited with Kawaishi and my training soon resumed.

Though Judo sport was now moving throughout the world like a brush fire, Kawaishi continued to defy the Kodokan Hierarchy by teaching many of the techniques that they had decided to remove from the allowed teaching syllabus. Though he was considered defiant by the new board of the Kodokan institute, he did not draw his students into the politics of the new modern form of Judo seen predominately as a sport. Kawaishi was a man that that they could not control and he soon published his own manuscript "Kawaishi Shihan Judo" which I am proud to say that I personally received one of the original edition leather bound copies.

Some critics will therefore suggest that Kawaishi had departed from the spirit of Kodokan Judo, though in reality his teachings remained closer to Kano's original form than any other system. The Kawaishi Method has not only retained the myriad of Ju-jitsu techniques that had been distilled to become Judo, but he also retained those techniques intentionally removed following the death of Kano to ensure the successful transition of Judo from martial art to sport.

In 1947 Kawaishi joined forces with Kouzumi to promote the first ever-recorded Judo International tournament between two countries (UK and France). This became known as the Kawaishi Cup, with the prestigious medal bearing his name being awarded to the division winners only. Kawaishi chose twelve competitors to represent France and Kouzumi selected 12 of the best players from Britain. Though the United Kingdom was to win the overall tournament, the Kawaishi team won a good proportion of the bouts. I was not only fortunate enough to be selected for this tournament, but I also brought pride to my master by winning my division by an Ippon score.

Kawaishi is clearly noted as having been the prominent person responsible for the spread of Japanese martial arts throughout France and most other parts of Europe. He with Moshé Feldenkreis founded the French Federation of Judo in the 1946/7, becoming the technical director for many years. He has been the author of several publications on Jujitsu and Judo, and he is most well known for his book entitled the "Seven Kata's of Judo", which is still the most widely used Judo Kata reference available in print today.

Quite simply to implant this Judo in Europe, to make it grow and prosper while following step by step the principles of Japanese instruction without transposing them, nor adapting the to the occidental mentality, was to expose them to grave miscalculation. I have had occasion to travel through many countries.

During these journeys I have many times had opportunities to observe that the Judo which was taught was not adapted to the surroundings and was in some way or other out of its element, uprooted. It was not the Judo, which was at fault nor the men who lacked natural aptitudes. It was the method of instruction, which was not appropriate. That is why I have created a method of Judo intended for Europeans, the Kawaishi Method."

Master Kawaishi passed away on the January 30, 1969, and his body was laid to rest in his adopted home of Paris. Thankfully, today his teachings are alive and strong throughout France and in many other countries, including here in Australia at the Jishin Academy clubs in Western Australia and under the expert instruction of my dear friend Kancho Brad Bradshaw (a master student of Wally Strauss) and his clubs throughout Victoria.