The Living Spirit of Jigoro Kano: How Sensei  Wisler Jacques Embodies the Founder’s Vision

The Living Spirit of Jigoro Kano: How Sensei  Wisler Jacques Embodies the Founder’s Vision

A Tribute to a Master Who Lives the Philosophy of “Mutual Welfare and Benefit’’.

 

BOUKAN NEWS, 09/18/2025 – In February 1882, when Professor Jigoro Kano founded judo at the Eisho-ji temple in Tokyo, he envisioned far more than a martial art.¹ He dreamed of a philosophy that would transform not just bodies, but souls—a “gentle way” that would cultivate character, foster mutual respect, and create better human beings. Nearly 150 years later, in a dojo on Long Island, New York, that vision lives and breathes through the extraordinary life of Sensei Wisler Jacques.

At 75, surrounded by three generations of students at the Antillaise Catering Restaurant in New Hyde Park, New York, Sensei Wisler embodies every principle that Kano held sacred. His journey from a passionate young judoka, founder and President of La Vérité Judo Club Inc. to President of the New York State Judo Association mirrors the very transformation that judo’s founder intended—the evolution from student to teacher, from technique to philosophy, from individual achievement to collective upliftment.

 The Gentle Way Made Manifest

Kano’s principle of Jita Kyoei —mutual welfare and benefit—finds its purest expression in Wisler’s five decades of service at La Vérité Judo Club Inc.² Like Kano, who opened his doors to students regardless of social class or background, Sensei Wisler has created a sanctuary where every person—young or old, confident or struggling—discovers their inherent worth and potential.

“Each bow, each lesson, each correction has been infused with his deep understanding that true strength comes not from physical prowess alone, but from the cultivation of spirit and honor,” observed Duane Frankson, who has witnessed firsthand how Sensei Wisler transforms lives through gentle art of Judo, included his own.

This understanding echoes Kano’s revolutionary insight that judo’s true victory lies not in defeating an opponent, but in the ‘’maximum efficiency with minimumeffort’’ applied to the betterment of oneself and society. Sensei Wisler has spent his life proving that the strongest throw is the one that lifts another person up.

Frank Bananno, a veteran sensei, captured this boundless dedication perfectly: “Sensei’s Wisler commitment to Judo has no boundaries.” His words reflect what everyone who knows Wisler understands—that his service extends far beyond the conventional limits of instruction.

 Beyond Technique: The Art of Character Building

When Jigoro Kano developed judo, he insisted it be more than physical training—it had to be shushin-ho, a method of mental and moral cultivation.⁴ Wisler Jacques has lived this principle with unwavering dedication. His dojo became what Kano envisioned: a laboratory for developing human character.

To the fatherless child, Wisler became a father. To the lost adult, he became a guide. To the community, he became a pillar of strength. His tears of joy for students’ victories and his steadfast support through their defeats reflect Kano’s belief that a true teacher shares in both the struggles and triumphs of those they serve.

James Blaise eloquently expressed this multifaceted role: “Sensei Wisler is more than a Judo coach, “ he advocates for providing relief to all students from societal pressures” as another student, Reginald Brown shook his head in agreement with James’ statement. This sentiment, echoed by all in attendance at his celebration, speaks to how Wisler has created not just a dojo, but a sanctuary—exactly as Kano envisioned.

“The art of judo was your surgeon’s tool—not just to teach the throws and holds and breaks, but to transform each student in your school, to mend what life too often bends and shakes,” captures the essence of how Sensei Wisler has wielded judo as Kano intended—as an instrument of healing and transformation.

Leadership Through Service

Kano’s vision extended beyond individual dojos to the global spread of judo’s principles. Similarly, Sensei Wisler’s elevation to President of the New York State Judo Association demonstrates how true mastery naturally expands its influence. Under his leadership, judo in New York flourished not through rigid authority, but through the same gentle strength he brought to his own students.

His presidency reflected Kano’s educational philosophy: that leadership is teaching on a larger scale, and teaching is leadership in its most intimate form. Sensei Wisler elevated standards not through demands, but through examples. He broadened judo’s reach not through promotion, but through the magnetic power of authentic practice.

The Living Legacy

Perhaps most powerfully, Sensei Wisler Jacques embodies Kano’s ultimate aspiration—that judo practitioners would become living examples of its principles, spreading its benefits throughout society. The tears in his eyes at his 75th birthday celebration were not merely personal emotion, but the profound satisfaction of a life lived in perfect alignment with judo’s highest ideals.

The seeds Sensei Wisler planted—love, respect, commitment, and community—now bloom in countless lives across cultures and generations. His students carry themselves in the world with what Kano called ‘shin’ (heart/spirit), demonstrating through their actions that judo’s gentle way can indeed make the world more harmonious.

The unanimous praise from colleagues, students, and fellow senseis at his 75th birthday celebration—accolades and sentiments shared interminably by all in attendance—testifies to a life lived in perfect harmony with judo’s highest principles.

The Eternal Student

In the deepest expression of Kano’s vision, Sensei Wisler Jacques remains, at 75, what every true judoka must be: an eternal student. His willingness to continue learning, growing, and serving others reflects Kano’s belief that mastery is not a destination but a way of being—a continuous commitment to mutual welfare and benefit.

As we honor Sensei Wisler Jacques, we honor the living spirit of Jigoro Kano’s dream. In this remarkable man’s journey from passionate student to transformative teacher, from La Vérité Judo Club president to President of the New York State Judo federation, from individual practitioner to community pillar, we see proof that judo’s founder was right: the gentle way, practiced with sincerity and devotion, can indeed change the world—one person, one lesson, one life at a time.

Today, at 75, Sensei Wisler Jacques stands not just as a master of judo, but as a master of life itself—exactly as Jigoro Kano envisioned when he first stepped onto the mats 143 years ago. In Sensei Wisler’s tears of gratitude, we glimpse the profound joy that comes from a life lived in service to something greater than oneself. In his legacy, we see the eternal truth of judo: that the ultimate victory is not over others, but the triumph of helping others discover their own strength.

This is the way of judo. It is the way of life for Sensei Wisler Jacques.

Pierre Richard Raymonds 

Sources :

1. Judo – Wikipedia: “Judo’s philosophy revolves around two primary principles: ‘Seiryoku-Zenyo’ (精力善用; lit. ‘good use of energy’) and ‘Jita-Kyoei’ (自他共栄; lit. ‘mutual welfare and benefit’)

2. International Judo Federation: “Kano Jigoro Shihan himself wrote, ‘Is there a principle that really applies to all cases? Yes, there is: It is the principle of maximum efficiency in the use of mind and body. I have given this absolutely general principle the name JUDO.’”