Basic knowledge of Judo therapy

1 Introduction to Judo therapy

The Origins and Foundations of Judo Therapy

Judo therapy (Judo Seifuku, Sekkotsu) is a traditional Japanese medical system that evolved from the martial art of Judo. Historically, it was developed as a means to treat injuries sustained in combat and training—such as fractures, dislocations, sprains, and contusions—without the need for surgery. Over time, Judo therapy matured into a recognized orthopedic treatment modality, grounded in anatomy, biomechanics, and manual therapeutic techniques.

This discipline is not merely a folk practice. In Japan, Judo therapy is a licensed medical profession, legally regulated by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Practitioners are known as Judo therapists (Judo Seifukushi, Honetsugi) and must undergo rigorous academic training at specialized colleges or universities for a minimum of three years. In order to qualify, they must also pass a national licensure exam, which has a pass rate of approximately 50–60%, reflecting the difficulty and depth of medical knowledge required.

Judo therapists treat not only acute orthopedic injuries but also chronic musculoskeletal disorders, including:

Chronic low back pain
Cervical stiffness and pain
Shoulder immobility (commonly known as “frozen shoulder”)
Joint dysfunctions due to muscular imbalance

The techniques are characterized by precise manual manipulation, joint mobilization, and soft tissue reconditioning, often performed in a matter of minutes.

The Challenge for International Learners

Although interest in Judo therapy is growing globally, access to formal education is extremely limited. The barriers for non-Japanese students include:

Language: Most educational materials and national exams are conducted entirely in Japanese.
Residency requirements: Training must typically be completed in Japan, which imposes geographic and financial burdens.
Clinical hours: Students are required to complete extensive hands-on training in Japanese clinics.

As a result, many international practitioners and healthcare professionals abandon their studies midway or are unable to start due to these restrictions.

Kumazawa J.T.’s Mission: Globalizing Judo Therapy

My name is Kumazawa J.T., a licensed Judo therapist, educator, and the founder of the Kumazawa Judo Therapy Academy. I currently operate a high-volume Judo therapy clinic in Kanagawa, Japan, while also teaching at Kanagawa Judo Therapy College.

Patients from all over the world travel to Japan to receive my care, especially for conditions like:

Chronic low back pain
Neck and shoulder pain
Postural and joint dysfunction

Many are surprised by how quickly and effectively their symptoms improve—often within a few minutes. That is the beauty of this discipline: it provides rapid results through non-invasive methods.

Recognizing the global demand and local inaccessibility of Judo therapy education, I launched this online platform to teach Judo therapy in English, making it the first of its kind in the world.

What Is the Kumazawa Method?

While my foundation is classical Judo therapy, my method—known as the Kumazawa Method—goes beyond traditional practice. It is a hybrid model that integrates:

Classical Judo-based manipulation
Modern orthopedic biomechanics
Neuromuscular reeducation techniques
Clinical insights from over a decade of patient care and anatomical research

The Kumazawa Method is not only effective but also structured and teachable, even to those with no prior medical experience. I have designed this curriculum so that Judo practitioners, massage therapists, physiotherapists, chiropractors, and even beginners can understand and apply it.

Why Judo Practitioners Should Learn Judo Therapy

Judo therapy was created to treat injuries from Judo. Many of its manual techniques—such as realignment, reduction, and joint traction—have direct parallels to Judo’s biomechanical principles. This makes it especially suitable for:

Judoka seeking to prevent and treat their own injuries
Coaches who want to care for their athletes
Martial arts therapists expanding their clinical skill set

Though Judo therapy is based on scientific medicine, I present it in a way that is clear, visual, and action-oriented, tailored to learners with a martial arts background.

Evidence-Based Medicine and Clinical Trust

Everything taught at the Kumazawa Judo Therapy Academy is grounded in:

Peer-reviewed anatomical research
Clinical outcome data from my own practice
Japanese orthopedic and manual therapy science

Students can be confident that what they learn here is not experimental—it is clinically proven, medically valid, and culturally authentic.

A Final Message

Judo therapy is not just a medical technique—it is a philosophy of healing, born from martial arts, refined through science, and delivered with the intent to relieve suffering.

If you are ready to help patients recover quickly and safely, and you want to learn from someone who practices, teaches, and lives this method, then you are in the right place.

Welcome to the Kumazawa Judo Therapy Academy.

Let’s begin the journey together.

Let’s bring Japanese healing wisdom to the world!

2 History of Judo Therapy

Epic Story of Japan’s Healing Superpower

If history puts you to sleep, don’t worry—this isn’t a boring lecture. It’s the story of how a martial arts technique turned into one of Japan’s most trusted medical practices. Buckle up, because this tale includes ancient scrolls, fearless samurai, battlefield injuries, and even a few doctors who basically invented bone-fixing magic.

Chapter 1: The Ancient Origins – Medicine Meets Martial Arts

Over 1300 years ago, way before anyone had MRIs or X-rays, Japanese warriors were already figuring out how to snap bones back into place after battles. That’s where Jiu-jitsu comes in—the ancestor of both Judo and Judo therapy. It wasn’t just about fighting. Warriors had to heal themselves and each other too.

And in ancient Japan, respect was everything. Before a fight, warriors bowed. After a fight, if you broke someone’s arm, it was your duty to help fix it. That healing side of martial arts? That’s the seed that would grow into Judo therapy.

Chapter 2: The Heian Period’s Ancient Scrolls

(749–1185)

Imagine a giant medical textbook written over 1000 years ago. That’s the Ishin-ho, Japan’s oldest medical book. Inside Volume 18? Descriptions of how to treat bruises, sprains, and even dislocations! These ancient healing methods inspired what would later become Judo therapy.

Chapter 3: The Samurai Era and the Art of Healing

(Sengoku Period 1467–1615)

Now we enter the age of the samurai—the warrior class who lived by the sword... but also studied healing. Every good samurai had to master two arts:

Sappou = how to defeat an opponent
Kappou = how to heal that opponent afterward

Yes, they knew how to break a bone and how to fix it. Kind of like a warrior-doctor combo. Judo therapy is descended from this noble tradition of Kappou—the art of healing with respect.

Chapter 4: From Scrolls to Science

(Edo Period 1603–1868)

Judo therapy began to level up. Martial artists and early doctors started writing books and codifying techniques. A major milestone came in 1746, when a martial artist named Hoyoku Takashi wrote the first-ever textbook on Sekkotsu (bone-setting). That book was inspired by Chinese medicine but made it uniquely Japanese.

Then came Dr. Hanaoka Seishu—a legend in Japanese medicine—who mixed Eastern wisdom with Western ideas from Dutch medical books. He even created a secret bone-setting map. Think ancient surgery mixed with martial arts philosophy.

Chapter 5: The Global Influence

By now, Judo therapy had some swagger. And like any good martial artist, it wasn’t afraid to learn from others. Doctors in Japan began mixing techniques from Germany, England, Spain, and France into their practice. It was like turning Judo therapy into the Avengers of manual medicine.

Chapter 6: The Crisis and the Comeback

(Meiji Era to WWII)

In 1894, disaster struck. New Western-style medical laws basically outlawed Judo therapy. Things were looking grim.
Enter: Jigoro Kano—the founder of modern Judo. He fought to bring Judo therapy back from the ashes. Thanks to his efforts, laws were changed in 1920, and Judo therapy made a comeback stronger than ever.

But then came WWII. Under U.S. occupation, Japanese martial arts and traditional medicine were seen as old-fashioned. Judo therapy nearly disappeared again. But guess what? The Japanese people trusted their local Judo therapy clinics more than hospitals for injuries. The government had no choice—they made it official. Schools were opened, exams were created, and Judo therapy became a certified medical profession.

Today: Judo Therapy Lives On

Now, Judo therapy isn’t just some ancient tradition—it’s an officially licensed healthcare profession in Japan. If you visit Japan today, you’ll see clinics called Sekkotsuin, where licensed Judo therapists treat everything from sprained ankles to chronic back pain.

To become one, you need:

At least 3 years of study
A national license
A lot of dedication (because the pass rate is only 50–60%!)

But here’s the twist: until recently, unless you could move to Japan and learn in Japanese, you were out of luck.

The Future: The Kumazawa Method

Now, thanks to the Kumazawa Judo Therapy Academy, you can learn these techniques online and in English—from a licensed Judo therapist who has taught at colleges and treated thousands of patients.

The Kumazawa Method is a powerful evolution of Judo therapy that blends ancient techniques with modern medical science. It’s fast, effective, and made to be taught clearly—even if you’ve never taken a medical course before.

Final Message

So, if you’ve made it this far, you’ve just learned 1300 years of history without even yawning.
Judo therapy is more than just tradition—it’s a living, evolving, pain-fighting art form.
And now, it's your turn to carry that legacy forward.

Ready to begin?

Welcome to the future of Judo therapy. Welcome to the Kumazawa Method.

3 Treatment for soft tissue injury

Understanding Soft Tissue Injuries in Judo and How to Handle Them

Let’s talk about something every athlete, especially those who practice Judo, needs to know—soft tissue injuries.

These are some of the most common injuries that happen during sports or workouts. In fact, if you’ve ever twisted your ankle or pulled a muscle in your thigh, you’ve already experienced a soft tissue injury!

So, what exactly is a “soft tissue”?

It’s the skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments—basically, all the soft parts of your body that support movement and hold everything together.

Why Judo Therapy is Great for Soft Tissue Injuries

Judo therapy is a traditional Japanese healing method that’s especially good at treating these kinds of injuries. It was actually created to treat injuries from Judo itself, so it knows a thing or two about sprains and strains.

When a soft tissue is injured, the main goal is simple:

Bring the torn edges back together and help them heal.

We use two important steps in Judo therapy:

Seifuku – This means manually realigning the injured tissue, like putting the torn parts close together.
Kotei – This means keeping the area still, so the healing process isn’t disturbed.

Controlling the Damage Early On

Right after an injury, a few things start happening inside the body:

Internal bleeding may begin, increasing pressure in the tissue.
Swelling may follow, reducing blood flow and slowing down healing.
Inflammation can cause stiffness and even lead to adhesions (when tissues stick together abnormally).

This is where the magic of early care comes in.

What Is RICE?

We use a method called RICE to care for soft tissue injuries in the early stages. It’s simple, powerful, and used all around the world—not just in Judo therapy.

RICE stands for:

Rest – Keep the injured area still. Movement can make the injury worse, so rest is your first line of defense.
Ice – Cooling the injured area helps reduce inflammation and pain. In Judo therapy, we use a special icing technique called Rei-anpou, which is super effective.
Compression – Wrapping the area (like with a bandage) helps keep swelling down. But remember: don’t compress if there’s heavy internal bleeding or high pressure—it could make things worse.
Elevation – Raise the injured part above heart level. Gravity helps move excess fluid away and reduces swelling naturally. Again, if there’s too much internal pressure, skip this step.

Together, these steps help control pain, reduce swelling, and prevent the injury from getting worse.

Why This Matters

If swelling isn’t managed properly, the tissue may heal poorly—leading to weakness, stiffness, or even long-term problems. That’s why following the RICE method as soon as possible is so important.

It’s not just a Judo therapy thing. RICE is the gold standard for soft tissue injury treatment in many types of medicine.

For Judo Practitioners: Learn Seifuku!

If you practice Judo and want to treat injuries effectively, you must learn Seifuku—the manual technique for realigning damaged soft tissue. It’s one of the core skills of Judo therapy, and it’s incredibly useful for athletes.

We go into all the techniques for soft tissue injury care in a separate course. But now that you understand the basics, you’re already one step ahead.

So, next time someone gets injured in training, you’ll know what to do—and why it works!

Let me know if you’d like an illustrated version or a printable handout for your class!

4 Keisappo (Light stroke method)

What Is Keisappo?

A Gentle Way to Wake Up the Body Before Treatment.

Let’s talk about Keisappo, a gentle and relaxing massage technique that is always the first step in any treatment. It might look simple, but it plays a very important role in preparing the body for healing.

What Exactly Is Keisappo?

Keisappo means "light stroking method." As the name suggests, the therapist lightly places their palm on the patient’s skin and gently strokes from the tip of the body (like the hand or foot) toward the center (like the chest or abdomen).

There’s no pressure, no digging into muscles—just smooth, light strokes over the skin.

Why Do We Start With Keisappo?

Right under your skin are tiny tubes called lymphatic vessels. These tubes collect and carry out waste and fatigue substances from your body, kind of like a sewer system. But unlike your blood, which has the heart to help it flow, lymph fluid doesn’t have a pump.

That means lymph can get stuck or build up in one place—especially if you're tired, stressed, or sitting too long.

Now here’s the key:

If you jump straight into deep massage, you might accidentally push too hard on those lymph vessels, and instead of helping, it could release too many waste substances into nearby tissue, making the person feel more tired instead of better.

That’s why we always start with Keisappo. It gently wakes up the skin and the lymphatic system, helping the fluid flow better. Once the flow is smooth, the body is ready for deeper treatment.

What Does Keisappo Actually Do?

Stimulates the skin and sensory nerves
Improves circulation in blood and lymph
Relaxes the nervous system and prepares the body for treatment
Feels good and helps patients feel safe and comfortable

Some patients even say that just Keisappo alone makes their pain better!

How Is It Done?

In most cases, the therapist:

Uses the whole palm to gently stroke the skin
Starts from the fingertips or toes and moves toward the center of the body
Keeps the pressure very light—just enough to move the skin

Sometimes, depending on the area or the patient’s symptoms, we might use:

Just the thumb
Four fingers together
Or a slightly different rhythm or direction

But no matter what, the golden rule of Keisappo is:
Keep it light. Don’t press too hard.

When Do We Use It?

Keisappo should be done before and after every treatment.
In some of my videos, you might not see this step because it’s such a basic routine, we often leave it out of the footage. But make no mistake—it is always part of the treatment.

Final Thoughts

Keisappo may look simple, but it’s one of the most important techniques in Judo Therapy. It gets the body ready to heal, helps the therapist connect with the patient, and sets the stage for everything that follows.

In another course, I’ll show you variations of Keisappo depending on the body part and the type of symptoms.

But for now, remember:

Always start with Keisappo. It’s gentle, smart, and powerful.

How was our online Judo Therapy trial lecture?

In our online course, you can learn not only Judo therapy but also Japanese traditions and cultures.

The lectures are arranged so that not only those who are already active as medical professionals, but also those without medical experience can enjoy learning Judo therapy.

If you are interested in our online course, please apply for enrollment and take classes.

We look forward to seeing you again!

BASIC COURSE

Kumazawa
Judo Therapy
Academy

255-0003

Kanagawa-ken Naka-gun Oiso-machi Oiso 1582

Japan

Tel. 0463-61-0749

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