Theodore Roosevelt, Media, and the Martial Arts During the Progressive Era

Abstract

As president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt famously endorsed physical culture and athletic pursuits. When the Japanese martial arts jiu-jitsu and judo arrived in America at the turn of the 20th century, Roosevelt expanded his view of sport and sought out instruction in these arts. News reports from 1900-1906 documented Roosevelt’s training: His public fascination with jiu-jitsu contributed to martial arts becoming regular front-page news in papers across the United States. A review of more than 2,000 news reports between 1900 and 1906 reveals how the president’s embrace of the jiu-jitsu fad affected American life in lasting and significant ways. Media depictions of Roosevelt’s martial arts training show how the arts and their practitioners interacted with the social norms of the United States during the Progressive era. Media images addressed Roosevelt’s literal training in jiu-jitsu and also used jiu-jitsu as a broader metaphor for his policy and strategy. Though Roosevelt was one of America’s most influential presidents, the role of the Asian martial arts in his life and presidency has gone largely unexamined. Roosevelt’s practice of martial arts influenced a generation, created the preconditions for the billion-dollar modern mixed martial arts industry and transformed American popular entertainment.