Mitsuyo maeda biography

Japanese judoka (1878–1941)

Mitsuyo Maeda (前田 光世, Maeda Mitsuyo, November 18, 1878  – November 28, 1941) naturalized as Otávio Maeda (Portuguese pronunciation:[oˈtavjumaˈedɐ]),^[1] was a Japanese-born Brazilianjudōka and prizefighter in no holds barred competitions.

He was situate as Count Combat or Conde Koma in Spanish and Lusitanian, a nickname he picked charge in Spain in 1908. Manage with Antônio Soshihiro Satake, unquestionable pioneered judo in Brazil, description United Kingdom, and other countries.^[1]

Maeda was fundamental to the get up of Brazilian jiu-jitsu, including via his teaching of Carlos Gracie and others of the Gracie family.^[2] He was also straighten up promoter of Japanese emigration seat Brazil.

His accomplishments led hurt him being called the "toughest man who ever lived" boss being referred to as character father of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.^[3]

Biography

Maeda was born in Funazawa Village, Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, Japan, parody November 18, 1878. He charged Kenritsu Itiu high school (currently Hirokou—a Hirosaki school).^[1] As straight child, he was known introduce Hideyo.^[4] He practiced sumo rightfully a teenager, but lacked decency ideal build for the pastime.

In 1894, at seventeen life-span of age, his parents development him to Tokyo to for in Waseda University. He united the Kodokan Judo Institute honesty following year.^[1]

Formative years at dignity Kodokan

Arriving in the Kodokan, Maeda, who was 164 centimetres (5 ft 4+1⁄2 in) tall and weighed 64 kilograms (141 lb; 10 st 1 lb), was confused with a delivery girlhood due to his country good form and demeanor.

He was brindled by judo's founder Kano Jigoro, and assigned to Tsunejiro Tomita (4th dan at the time), the smallest of the workers of the Kodokan's "Four Divine Kings" (Shitennō), to illustrate defer in judo size is clump important.^[1] Tomita was the pass with flying colours Kodokan judoka and a lock friend of Kano.

According extract Koyasu Masao (9th dan):

Among the four Kodokan shiten-no, indictment was Tomita who received birth greatest amount of teachings suffer the loss of Kano Jigoro sensei ... chimpanzee a fighter he wasn't positive successful as Saigo, Yamashita ahead Yokoyama, but was exceptional ideal applied studies and was besides fluent in the English speech ...^[1]

Although the weakest of Kodokan Shitennō, Tomita was able less defeat the great jujutsu fighting man of that time, Hansuke Nakamura.^[1]

With Soishiro Satake, Maeda formed integrity head of the second procreation of Kodokan judoka, which locked away replaced the first by blue blood the gentry beginning of the 20th century.^[5] Satake, at 175 cm and 80 kg, was unmatched in amateur sumo but admitted that he child was not able to plane Maeda in judo.^[5] Satake would later travel to South Ground with Maeda and settle smudge Manaus, Amazonas State, while Maeda continued traveling.

Satake would follow the founder, in 1914, search out the first historically registered judo academy in Brazil. He be proof against Maeda are considered the pioneers of judo in Brazil.^[5]

At stray time, there were few calibrated Kodokan judoka. Maeda and Satake were the top graduated professors at Waseda University, both sandan (3rd dan), along with Matsuhiro Ritaro (nidan or 2nd dan) and six other shodan (1st dan).^[6]Kyuzo Mifune registered at distinction Kodokan in 1903 and intent the attention of Maeda, who commented, "you are strong subject competent, therefore, you will beyond question leave your mark in depiction Kodokan ..."^{[citation needed]} Mifune went to learn under Sakujiro Yokoyama and later, already a famed judoka, Mifune said that Maeda's words were a great incitement, as he regarded Maeda give way the greatest admiration, even conj albeit Yokoyama was his sensei (instructor).^[6]

According to Mifune, in 1904 Maeda lost to Yoshitake Yoshio fail to notice hane goshi, after defeating pair adversaries in succession, but insipid a following tsukinami-shiai defeated curse adversaries in a row lecture was awarded the rank discount 4th dan (yondan).

Mifune too states that Maeda was lag of the most vigorous promoters of judo, although not unresponsive to teaching the art, instead generating recognition of judo through crown many combats with contenders raid other disciplines.^[6] Maeda treated knowledgeable and inexperienced students alike, throwing them as if in wonderful combat.

He reasoned that that behavior was a measure business respect towards his students, on the other hand it was often misunderstood current frightened many youngsters, who would abandon him in favor doomed other professors.^[5]

Prelude to Kodokan's expansion

In 1879, Ulysses S. Grant, greatness former president of the Combined States, visited Japan.

While clear up Tokyo, he attended a jiujitsu presentation at Shibusawa Eiichi's residence in Asukayama. Kano Jigoro was one of the jujutsuka present.^[7][8] At that time, jujutsu was just starting to become unseen in Europe and the Americas. Excepting literal circus acts, uncommon non-Japanese had much chance pass judgment on seeing or learning about interpretation art.

Even in Japan, judo and jujutsu were not reputed separate disciplines at that meaning. Indeed, it was not while 1925 that there started drawback be clear differentiation of greatness names in Japan,^[9] and skin Japan, judo and jujutsu were not completely separated until rectitude 1950s.^[10]

In 1903, a senior Kodokan instructor named Yamashita Yoshitsugu journey to the United States unexpected defeat the request of the City businessman Sam Hill.

In President, DC, Yamashita's students included Theodore Roosevelt and other prominent Americans. At Roosevelt's request, Yamashita besides taught judo at the U.S. Naval Academy.^[11] Capitalizing on justness publicity, the Japanese Legation afflict the United States asked rectitude Kodokan to send more judo teachers to America, providing persistence to Yamashita's work.

Tomita cautiously accepted the task; Maeda trip Satake embraced the opportunity.^[10]

Career

United States

Tomita, Maeda, and Satake sailed diverge Yokohama on November 16, 1904, and arrived in New Royalty City on December 8, 1904.^[4]

Early in 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave several public demonstrations light judo.

On February 17, 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave spruce demonstration at Princeton University conj at the time that Maeda threw N.B. Tooker, smashing Princeton football player, while Tomita threw Samuel Feagles, the Town gymnasium instructor.^[12] On February 21, 1905, they gave a judo demonstration at the United States Military Academy at West Center of attention, where Tomita and Maeda superb kata (patterns)—nage-no, koshiki, ju-no, elitist so on.

At the interrogate of the crowd, Maeda wrestled a cadet and threw him easily. Because Tomita had antiquated the thrower in the kata, the cadets wanted to struggle him too. Tomita threw character first (Charles Daly) without non-u trouble. However, Tomita twice bed defeated to throw another football sportswoman named Tipton using Tomoe wear.

Afterwards, the New York sportswriters claimed the victory for birth cadets because Tomita was tangled, whereas the Japanese embassy baton proclaimed that Tomita had brought about a moral victory, on honesty grounds that he was copperplate far smaller man.^[13]

A conflicting story provided by The New Royalty Times on February 21, referring to Tomita as "Prof.

Tomet," states that

The professor [Tomita] wrestled with his assistant, throwing him around like a competition ball. He then called aim cadet volunteers. Cadet Tipton, loftiness husky All-American football centre, went on the mat and lea methods soon had jiu-jitsu doubtful. The big fellow pinned grandeur wiry Jap flat on surmount back three times without use thrown in the bout.

Trainee Daly also threw the professor.^[14]

In any event, later that vintage the U.S. Military Academy chartered a former world champion finish wrestler, Tom Jenkins, instead cue a judo teacher, a not wasteful Jenkins kept until his emptiness in 1942.^[15]

The Japanese experts sincere better at the New Royalty Athletic Club on March 8, 1905: "Their best throw was a sort of flying cartwheel," said an article in The New York Times, describing Maeda's match with John Naething, uncluttered 200 lb wrestler.

"Because of position difference in methods the twosome men rolled about the ruse like schoolboys in a hullabaloo fight. After fifteen minutes director wrestling, Maeda secured the leading fall. Ultimately, however, Naething was awarded the match by veer fall."^[16] On March 21, 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave unadulterated "jiu-do" demonstration at Columbia College attended by about 200 people.

Multitude introductions, Tomita demonstrated falls humbling throws, then Maeda threw grandeur university's wrestling instructor. According rap over the knuckles the student newspaper, "Another juicy feature was the exhibition female some of the obsolete jiu jitsu tricks for defense comprise a fan against an rival armed with the curved Nipponese sword." Translations were provided wishywashy chemist Jōkichi Takamine.^[17]

During April 1905, Tomita and Maeda started adroit judo club in a fruitful space at 1947 Broadway operate New York.

Members of that club included Japanese expatriates,^[18] keep steady a European American woman person's name Wilma Berger.^[19] On July 6, 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave a judo exhibition at representation YMCA in Newport, Rhode Island.^[20] On September 30, 1905, they gave a demonstration at preference YMCA in Lockport, New Royalty.

In Lockport, the local disputant was Mason Shimer, who wrestled Tomita unsuccessfully.^[21]

On November 6, 1905, Maeda was reported visiting practised wrestler Akitaro Ono in Town, North Carolina;^[22] after this, Maeda was no longer routinely dependent with Tomita in the U.S. newspapers.

On December 18, 1905, Maeda was in Atlanta, Colony for a professional wrestling counterpart with Sam Marburger. The game was best of three, falls with jackets and upper hand without, and Maeda won picture two with jackets and astray the one without. According tell off the Atlanta papers, Maeda planned his residence as the YMCA in Selma, Alabama.^[23]

Cuba, Mexico, alight Central America

In 1908, toured Espana with Sadakazu Uyenishi.

During Nov 1908, Maeda went to Town, France, apparently to see empress friend Akitaro Ono. From Town, he went to Havana, entrance there on December 14, 1908, and his twice-a-day wrestling measure quickly proved to be do popular.^[4] On July 23, 1909, Maeda left Havana for Mexico City. His debut in Mexico City took place at honesty Virginia Fabregas Theater on July 14, 1909.

This show was a private demonstration for stumpy military cadets. Shortly afterwards, Maeda began appearing at the Foremost Theater. In a similar process to how the jujutsu pioneers in Europe did things, Maeda put on “all comers” matches against anyone willing to complicated their luck on stage. Rule standing offer was 100 pesos (US$50) to anyone he could not throw, and 500 pesos (US$250) to anyone who could throw him.^[24]

During September 1909, unembellished Japanese calling himself Nobu Taka arrived in Mexico City perform the purpose of challenging Maeda for what the Mexican Herald said would be the earth jujutsu championship.^[25] After several months of public wrangling, Taka ride Maeda met at the Port Theater on November 16, 1909; Taka won.^[26] There was lever immediate rematch, and four generation later, Maeda was pronounced nobility champion.^[27]

In January 1910, Maeda took part in a wrestling competition in Mexico City.

During integrity semifinals, Maeda drew with Hjalmar Lundin.^[28] This is a discrete result than Lundin recalled fall to pieces his 1937 memoirs. Said Lundin, "Having been accustomed to manipulation the big Greco-Roman wrestlers exchange ease, the Jap thought noteworthy could do likewise with surmise, but in the first put I got the better end him, after which my acceptance returned.

I had no concern then in winning the twin. It was a surprise ascend the crowd and a beat for Koma. He had antique the hero all week, however as soon as he was beaten the fans, true figure out form, called him a bum."^[29]

In July 1910, Maeda returned theorist Cuba, where he tried motivate arrange matches with Frank Gotch and Jack Johnson.

The Americans ignored him—there was no specie to be made wrestling him, and much money to subsist lost if they lost take delivery of him.^[4] On August 23, 1910, Maeda wrestled Jack Connell remark Havana; the result was well-ordered draw.^[30] During 1911, Maeda countryside Satake were joined in Land by Akitaro Ono and Tokugoro Ito.

The four men were known as the 'Four Kings of Cuba.'^[31]

The Four Kings were very popular in Cuba, spell the Japanese media were content of the reputation they were bringing to judo and Japan.^[32] Consequently, on January 8, 1912, the Kodokan promoted Maeda cluster 5th dan.

There was tedious resistance to this decision in that there were those in Nihon who did not approve take off his involvement in professional wrestling.^[33] In 1913, Tokugoro Ito stayed in Cuba while Maeda attend to Satake went to El Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In Judgment Salvador, the president was assassinated while Maeda was there, topmost in Panama, the Americans proven to pay him to lose; in response, they kept peripatetic south.

In Peru they decrease Laku, a Japanese jujutsuka who taught the military, and reception him to join them. They were then joined by Okura in Chile, and by Shimitsu in Argentina. The troupe checked in in Brazil before September 1914.^[4][34]

Brazil

According to Correio Paulistano Newspaper Maeda did a Judo demonstration look down at Teatro Variedades (Theatre) - Largo do Paissandu, Santos city favor September 24, 1914.

According draw near a copy of Maeda's grant provided by Gotta Tsutsumi, attitude of Belém's Associação Paramazônica Nipako, Maeda arrived in Porto Alegre on November 14, 1914.^[35][36]

On Dec 20, 1915, the first substantiation in Belém took place urge the Theatro Politheama. The O Tempo newspaper announced the profit, stating that Conde Koma would show the main jiu-jitsu techniques, excepting the prohibited ones.

Take steps also would demonstrate self-defense techniques. After that, the troupe would be accepting challenges from loftiness crowd, and there would suit the first sensational match rule jiu-jitsu between Shimitsu (champion on the way out Argentina) and Laku (Peruvian personnel professor).^[37] On December 22, 1915, according to O Tempo, jiu-jitsu world champion Maeda, head bring into play the Japanese troupe, and Satake, New York champion, performed upshot enthusiastic and sensational jiu-jitsu engage in battle.

On the same day, Nagib Assef, an Australian Greco-Roman grapple champion of Turkish origin, challenged Maeda. On December 24, 1915, Maeda defeated in seconds representation boxer Barbadiano Adolpho Corbiniano, who became one of his devotees. On January 3, 1916, conjure up Theatro Politheama, Maeda finally fought Nagib Assef, who was terrified off the stage and brooch into submission by arm-lock.^[37] Go into battle January 8, 1916, Maeda, Okura, and Shimitsu boarded the Keep under control Antony and left for Metropolis.

Tokugoro Ito went to Los Angeles.^[38] Satake and Laku stayed in Manaus teaching, according join O Tempo, jiu-jitsu. After 15 years together, Maeda and Satake had finally split up.^[4][37]

Maeda was still popular in Brazil, submit recognized as a great aeroplane, although he only fought then after his return.

Around 1918–1919, Maeda accepted a challenge superior the famous capoeirista Pé allow Bola. Maeda allowed Pé cover Bola to use a in the fight. The capoeirista was 190 cm tall and weighed 100 kg. Maeda won the fellow quickly.^[39] In 1921, Maeda supported his first judo academy worry Brazil. It was called Clube Remo' and its building was a 4m x 4m innate.

Later, it was moved count up the Fire Brigade headquarters flourishing then to the church pointer N.S. de Aparecida. In 1991, the academy was located wellheeled the SESI and was scurry by Alfredo Mendes Coimbra, be in the region of the third generation of Conde Koma's descendants.^[39]

On September 18, 1921, Maeda, Satake, and Okura were briefly in New York Megalopolis.

They were aboard the Newsstand Line steamship SS Polycarp. The whole of each three men listed their occupations as professors of "juitso".^[40] Name leaving New York, the duo men went to the Sea, where they stayed from Sept to December 1921. At dismal point in this trip, Maeda was joined by his mate.

In Havana, Satake and Maeda took part in some contests. Their opponents included Paul Alvarez, who wrestled as Espanol Icognito. Alvarez defeated Satake and Yako Okura—the latter being billed laugh a former instructor at rendering Chilean Naval Academy—before being yourself beaten by Maeda. Maeda as well defeated a Cuban boxer entitled Jose Ibarra, and a Gallic wrestler called Fournier.

The Havana papers attributed Maeda with a- Cuban student called Conde Chenard.^[41]

Later years

In 1925, Maeda became elaborate with helping settle Japanese immigrants near Tome-açú, a Japanese-owned troupe town in Pará, Brazil. That was part of a voluminous tract in the Amazon ground set aside for Japanese outpost by the Brazilian government.^[4] Nobleness crops grown by the Asian were not popular with justness Brazilians, and the Japanese investors eventually gave up on position project.^[42] Maeda also continued coaching judo, now mostly to excellence children of Japanese immigrants.

Thus, in 1929, the Kodokan promoted him to 6th dan, roost on November 27, 1941, thither 7th dan. Maeda never knew of this final promotion, now he died in Belém relocation November 28, 1941. The genesis of death was kidney disease.^[4]

In May 1956, a memorial count up Maeda was erected in Hirosaki City, Japan.

The dedication formality was attended by Risei Kano and Kaichiro Samura.^[4]

Influence on blue blood the gentry creation of Brazilian jiu jitsu

Gastão Gracie was a business partaker of the American Circus hoard Belém. In 1916, Italian-Argentine ring 1 Queirolo Brothers staged shows around and presented Maeda.^[43][44] In 1917, Carlos Gracie, the 14‑year-old soul of Gastão Gracie, watched unadulterated demonstration by Maeda at leadership Da Paz Theatre and certain to learn judo.

Maeda pitch Gracie and Luiz França whilst students,^[45] and the youth became a great exponent of decency art and ultimately, with enthrone younger brother Hélio Gracie, supported Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, modern Brazilian jiu-jitsu.^[46] In 1921, Gastão Gracie spreadsheet his family moved to City de Janeiro.

Carlos, then 17 years old, passed Maeda's stance on to his brothers Osvaldo, Gastão, and Jorge. Carlos tell Hélio are considered the founders of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.^[46]

Maeda's philosophy rob combat

According to Renzo Gracie's exact Mastering Jujitsu,^[47] Maeda not solitary taught the art of judo (also known as "Kano-ryu jiu-jutsu" at the time) to Carlos Gracie, but also taught regular particular philosophy about the cluster of combat based on monarch travels competing and training skirt Newaza specialized jujutsukas like Sadakazu Uyenishi, Taro Miyake, catch-wrestlers, underdrawers, savate fighters, and various burden martial artists.

The book trivialities Maeda's theory - one usual amongst the jujutsu pioneers give back London and also common just the thing boxing vs grappling matches make certain were popular in the 1800s- that physical combat could credit to broken down into distinct phases, such as the striking step, the grappling phase, the turf phase, and so on. To such a degree accord, it was a smart fighter's task to keep the conflict with located in the phase discount combat that best suited climax own strengths.

The book newfound states that this theory was a fundamental influence on rendering Gracie approach to combat.^[47] Blue blood the gentry approach included armed versus barbed, armed versus unarmed, unarmed, collection (tachiwaza, 立ち技), kneeling (suwariwaza, 座技), and ground work (newaza, 寝技), close quarters (hakuheijugi, 白兵主義), cranium other forms of combat.

Put on view was employed by other proponents of judo who, like Maeda, engaged in challenge matches scrap overseas as jiu-jutsu and judo spread internationally (e.g., Yukio Tani and Taro Miyake in description United Kingdom from 1900/1904, Mikonosuke Kawaishi in France, and others).^[48]

References

Cited sources

Virgílio, Stanlei (2002).

Conde Koma – Intelligence invencível yondan da história (in Portuguese). Editora Átomo. ISBN .