Kanō Jigorō, a revered master of martial arts and philosopher, died at the age of 77 on 4 May 1938 in Tokyo, Japan. He is renowned as the founder of judo and an important contributor to the development of karate. He is credited with introducing the concept of maximum efficiency with minimum effort, a pillar of judo, kata and modern martial arts. In 1909, he was the first person to be awarded the 10th dan rank by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai, the oldest and highest authority on martial arts in Japan. Kanō was a highly respected educator and served as the headmaster of the Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū and was an active participant in the education reform in Japan. He wrote authoritative works on judo and karate, inspiring generations of martial artists. Even after his death, he continues to live in the spirit of his works and many schools of martial arts still practice based on his teachings.