What was The College of Black Belts?

The College of Black Belts was instrumental in the development of judo in France. To understand its significance, you need to go back a bit before the Liberation. At that time, there were very few judo clubs in France, but once the first black belts were awarded by Kawaishi, people began coming from all over to Paris to practise judo and to take their grading exams. This was when The College of Black Belts was formed. It wasn’t an official organisation; it was a gathering of judoka.

Was it separate from the French Judo Federation?

It had nothing to do with any federal movement. The French Judo Federation was established later. During the war and shortly after, The College of Black Belts existed simply because judoka would come together to discuss judo and to practise it. It functioned without any official recognition.

Which judoka were involved?

The first black belts: Beaujean, De Herdt, Challier, Meyer, De Roubaix, Malaisé…

What was discussed and done within The College? What were its activities?

The main activity of The College was to develop the spirit of judo. The black belts would meet to award grades, define the practice, and establish teaching methods. This took place at Kawaishi’s dojo on Boulevard Auguste Blanqui. The tatami there was very large.

What kind of teaching was provided at The College?

There was no formal teaching or classes. There were free training sessions twice a week where you could do whatever you wanted, mostly randori. You could meet some excellent judoka there. On the tatami, Kawaishi was unquestionably the master, but the training was organised by The College. It represented a significant evolution for judo. We all progressed a lot thanks to The College of Black Belts. There were very few poor judoka, but even with them, there was an opportunity to practise and to enforce the form of judo. It was very interesting. It was a place for gathering.

So you would take your black belt exam at The College?

To take your black belt exam, you had to be enrolled in a club that would present you to The College.

What did the exam consist of?

First, you had to pass the kata exam, meaning you had to present the nage-no-kata. If you passed the kata, you could then compete. If you earned your points in competition, you had to pass a technical exam. And if you failed the technical exam, you had to start all over again.

What was this technical exam?

It took place in front of Kawaishi. He would ask you to execute certain techniques, and he would judge whether they were performed correctly.

Was it public? Were there other judoka present?

No, it wasn’t public.

So it was Kawaishi, not The College, who awarded the grades?

That evolved over time. As more black belts were awarded, clubs began to open in Paris and in major provincial cities. Among these new black belts were people who wanted something different from what Kawaishi offered. They preferred to be graded by the technical commission of The College rather than by Kawaishi alone. This is what I chose to do for my second dan. Kawaishi could have awarded it to me without any formalities, but I wanted to earn it in front of the technical commission, through competition. Kawaishi was still present, as he held the position of technical director, but he no longer had the same freedom. It was a good change. It was necessary for the exams to be conducted by The College of Black Belts. In the end, Kawaishi agreed with this.

How was the commission organised?

It wasn’t exactly a commission. There were different stations or tables, each with a jury of two or three people who evaluated the kata.

Is that how it worked for you?

To take my grading exam, I enrolled at the Club Voltaire on Rue de Nice. The instructor, Mr Philippe, had invited me several times to come and train at his club. So I accepted and stayed there for a year or two—without paying because I couldn’t afford it. When I was ready, he presented me for the exam. Mr Philippe was a very good judoka. He was a very strong man who moved with extraordinary flexibility and lightness. He taught me a lot.

Was it the instructor who determined when his students were ready to take the exam?

Yes, the instructor would recommend his students to Kawaishi on the day of the first dan exam. For me, it was a bit different. Mr Philippe and I had agreed that I was working towards this goal. And on the appointed day, we went together to see Kawaishi.