The Jigoro Kano Judo Club is a historic martial arts school in Milan, Italy, founded in 1956 by Count Bruno Facchini. The club’s visual identity is closely tied to its founder and to the broader tradition of Italian graphic design in the postwar period.
Design and History
The club was established in 1956 by Count Bruno Facchini, initially located in via Sant’Eustorgio before moving to via Solari 6. Through the Kodokan in Tokyo, Facchini brought Japanese judo master Tadashi Koike to Milan as the club’s first technical director. In 1999, upon relocating to its current premises at via Montecuccoli 33, the gym changed its legal name to the Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Judo Club Dojo Jigoro Kano.[1]
The club’s logo is attributed to Giancarlo Iliprandi (1925-2016), the Milanese graphic designer known for his work with clients including La Rinascente, RAI, Olivetti, Pirelli and Fiat.[2] Iliprandi had a documented personal connection to martial arts: for many years he served as president of the Kendo Club Miyamoto Musashi in Milan, and his outside interests included martial arts and fencing.[2]
Iliprandi’s 1950s and 1960s work, which includes book and LP covers, posters and displays, reflects the look of “Milan Modernism” with playfulness and practicality.[2] His design philosophy, articulated in a 1991 speech for Icograda, held that design should be “formal, innovative and functional” but also “cultural, ethical and educational.”[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
Documented details about the specific symbolism of the Jigoro Kano Judo Club logo are limited in available sources. The club’s teaching is explicitly inspired by the principles elaborated by Professor Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo.[3] The club’s name itself directly honors Kano, and its identity is rooted in the tradition he established.
Iliprandi’s broader approach to emblem and mark design is documented through his archive. His work included sketches for fashion, sports, theater, emblems and alphabets, described as expressions of his deep visual culture.[4] The Associazione Giancarlo Iliprandi, founded in 2019 and situated in the designer’s historic Milan studio, preserves his archive and legacy.[5]
Typography and Design
Iliprandi placed particular emphasis on typography in his design practice. He described typography as “the ground on which everything sits” and “the landscape” of graphic design, having taught himself the discipline by studying books and magazines such as Graphis.[2] He was also part of the research group assembled by the type foundry Nebiolo that developed the typefaces Forma and Modulo, alongside Bruno Munari, Franco Grignani, Pino Tovaglia, Ilio Negri, Till Neuburg and Aldo Novarese.[2]
The club continues to operate as a historic dojo under the didactic direction of Master Angelo Beltrachini, an 8th dan black belt and former president of the national technical teachers commission of Fijlkam.[1]
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