Kosen Judo is a style of Japanese Judo that emphasizes ground-fighting tactics. The techniques and strategy of Kosen Judo are very similar to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The reason for this is simple: both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Kosen Judo share the same roots in Judo as it was practiced before World War II. Despite their shared history and similarities, there has been something of a rivalry between the two styles.
Fusen Ryu
When Jigoro Kano first created Judo in the late 19th century, he proved the validity of his art through a series of tournaments and challenge matches, in which students of Judo fought the representatives of classical jujutsu schools that relied on more traditional methods. In most of these matches, the Judo fighters were victorious. However, one of the classical schools defeated the Judo fighters in every match. This school was called the Fusen Ryu, and its emphasis was on "ne waza" or ground-fighting tactics. Kano realized that he had to adapt his art to incorporate ground-fighting.
Kosen Judo
The new emphasis on ground-fighting led to a rivalry within Jogoro Kano's Kodokan organization. Judo fighters that excelled at ground-fighting called their art "Kosen" Judo. Kosen Judo fighters were able to dominate those who relied on standing methods. Kano made the decision that he did not want Judo to become a primarily ground-based martial art, so he changed the rules of Judo to put the emphasis back on stand-up fighting. A handful of Judo schools did not go along with the new rules, and continued to practice Kosen Judo. Kano also sent a number of Judo ground-fighters abroad to spread Judo around the world while removing the source of the rivalry within the Kodokan. One of these men was Mitsuyo Maeda, and after an extremely successful competitive career he settled in Brazil.
Masahiko Kimura
Mitsuyo Maeda studied at the Kodokan during the era of ground-fighting Judo, so the version of Judo he taught in Brazil continued to put the emphasis on ground techniques. His art was refined and developed into the new art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by the members of the Gracie family, especially Helio Gracie. In 1951, Gracie defeated a Japanese Judoka named Kado by choking him unconscious. Masahiko Kimura accepted Gracie's second challenge and defeated him by breaking his elbow with an "ude-garami" or arm-lock technique. This fight is the most famous example of a public bout between Kosen Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu experts at the highest levels.
Kosen Judo Today
Since Mitsuyo Maeda himself was a Kosen Judo teacher, some people consider Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to be simply another name for Kosen Judo. However, the Gracie family took what they learned from Maeda and expanded on it considerably through experimentation and competitive experience, and the two arts are not really the same. Kosen Judo, as of this writing, is still practiced at Kyoto University and at the Hirata Kanae dojo in Japan. Some competitions in Kosen Judo are still held, but this version of Judo is very much in the minority compared to the sport version now practiced in Kano's Kodokan school.
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