Referee Articles

Jita Kyoei

by Roy Englert, Jr.

Reprinted from April 1997 Shufu Shimbun

I recently entered my 30th year as a Judoka. Within the last year, I had the privilege of serving as a Technical Official (not a referee) at the Judo event of the 1996 Olympic Games, and also the good fortune to be certified by the International Judo Ferderation as an "A" referee. These milestones of mine have provided an occasion for serious reflection about what is important in Judo.

What is important in Judo? Stamina? Speed? Strength? Technique? Well, all of them are important at one level, but they are merely means to an end. I'm looking for something deeper.

Winning? Certainly not! Winning is terrific, but not when other values are sacrificed to it.

Taking part? No, I don't think that's enough either. I watch many people take part, fail, get discouraged and quit. They have gained little or nothing by taking part. So taking part can be good, but it is not the ultimate important thing.

How about something more profound? Seiryoku Zenyo - maximum efficiency - perhaps? No, I still don't think that's it. We can do harm as well as good with maximum efficiency (many of histry's greatest atrocities have been carried out with great efficiency, for example), so we still need something more profound.

My answer: jita kyoei - mutual welfare and benefit. In my opinion, when we keep our sights set on jita kyoei we act in the true sirit of Judo, amd we do good. (We may also do well, but my point is that we do good, not tht we do well. Now, jita kyoei is a decidedly abstract principle. Can I make it concrete? Yes, very much so. Here are some examples from my experience.

The Olympic medalist who declares that he did it all himself and owes no one thanks is not practicing jita kyoei. The Olympic medalist who writes a touching article about his father's role in helping him win the medal is practicing jita kyoei. The new black belt who struts his rank is not practicing jita kyoei. The new black belt who looks for opportunities to help mudansha, either by opening his own club or by helping a higher ranking instructor, is practicing jita kyoei.

The high ranking referee who belittles lower ranking referees when they make a mistake is not practicing jita kyoei. The high ranking referee who uses a lower ranking referee's mistake as an occasion to teach that referee is practicing jita kyoei.

The low ranking referee who is oversensitive to critiicism and takes it personnally is not practicing jita kyoei. The low ranking referee who wants to get better so that the right player wins every time is practicing jita kyoei.

The coach who screams at a referee may be practicing jita kyoei, despite the apparent disrespect. If he is acting out of love for his players, not hatred for the referee, then he may well be practicing jita kyoei to the best of his ability. The referee who takes the screaming personally is not practicing jita kyoei. But, by the same token, the coach who makes it personal is not practicing jita kyoei either.

The player who pounds the mat is anger when he loses is not practicing jita kyoei. The player who exults in victory is not practicing jita kyoei, unless the victory is truly meaningful. The player who is pleased that his opponent did such a great technique to beat him is practicing jita kyoei. The player who humbly bows out in victory and who gives credit to those who taught him the winning technique is practicing jita kyoei.

I could go on, but i want to conclude this article by thanking some of the people who have practicing jita kyoei on my behalf.

Jim Takemori has nutured my Judo career literaly from day one. I had no natural athletic ability, but Jimmy and I both did the best we could with what we had to work with, and I had a few very modest competitive successes. I think Jimmy instinctively knew, however, that I had want it takes to be a reasonably good referee. So when I was 14 he told me I was going to start refereeing. Through the years, he gave me much guidance - a fine example of jita kyoei.

As time went on, I rose through the refereing ranks, and I began to take guidance from other people as well as from Jimmy. Jimmy never was jealous because I expanded my universe of mentore; he was practicing jita kyoei.

Eventually, in October 1996, I was the only U.S. candidate for the IJF "A" refereeing rank at the test given at the U.S. Internatyional Invitational in Colorado Springs. I was nervous, and I did not perform at my best. I thought I had failed. Nevertheless, I had a wonderful experience. Why? Becasuse every single "A" referee in the United States who was there - as well as several of the foreign referees - practiced jita kyoei. Without maning to slight anyone by omission, I wil give several examples.

George Uchida, who probably not spoken 10 words to me in the last decade, offered warm encouragement. Gary Berliner offered consolation when I thought I had failed. Joon Chi gave me excellent advice. Dave Long (as well as Joon) worked well with me when we officiated one of the finals together. Kei Narimatsu and Russ Scherer, with whom I have become good friends, offered moral support of friendship. So did Martin Bregman, Rick Celotto, Frank Morales and Fletcher Thornton. Each of them practiced jita kyoei.

Jay Kim was an examiner. Jay was not in a position to talk much to me. In adition, Jay and I do disagree sometimes. And I put Jay (and the other examiners) in a very difficult position by making one particularly bad call. Nevertheless, Jay was supportive in subtle but appropriate ways. He was practicing jita kyoei.

Finally there were the "A" referees from Shufu - Tim Dalton, Dick Hugh, Dr. Eichi Kowai, Tom Seabasty and Gaile Spadin. Each has given me enormous amounts of help (in his or her own way) through many years. And two other people have continued to help me grow, my original sensei Jim Takemori and another person who I feel privileged to call "sensei", Dr. Sachio Ashida. All of these people have practiced jita kyoei, and I have benefited.

So, I my 30th year of Judo, I strive to become a better practioner of jita kyoei myself. I owe it to the many judoka who have practiced jita kyoei to help me.