Mitsuyo
Maeda (Maeda Mitsuyo, November 18, 1878�November 28, 1941), a Brazilian
naturalized as Ot�vio Mitsuyo Maeda, was a Japanese, judōka and
prizefighter in no holds barred competitions. He was also known as Count
Combat (or Conde Koma in Brazil), a nickname he picked up in Spain
during 1908. Along with Ant�nio Soishiro Satake (another naturalized
Brazilian), he pioneered judo in Brazil, United Kingdom, and other
countries, and was responsible for teaching the Gracie brothers, thereby
making him fundamental to the development of
Brazilian
Jiu-Jitsu. He was also a promoter of Japanese emigration to
Brazil.
Maeda was born in Funazawa Village,
Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, on November 18, 1878. He attended
Kenritsu Itiu high school (currently Hirokou - a Hirosaki school). As a
child, he was known as Hideyo.
He practiced sumo as a teenager, but lacked the ideal build for this
sport. His interest in judo arrived because of this unsuitability to
sumo, combined with stories about the success of judo during contests
between judo and jujutsu that were occurring at the time. At seventeen
years old, in 1894, his parents sent him to Tokyo to enroll in Waseda
University. He took up Kodokan judo the following year.
Upon arriving in the Kodokan, Maeda, who
was 1m 64cm tall and weighted 64kg, was confused with a delivery boy due
to his country manners and demeanor. Judo's founder
Jigoro Kano spotted
the boy, and promptly assigned him to Tsunejiro Tomita (4th dan), who
was the smallest of the teachers of the Kodokan's shiten-no, as a
measure to show that in judo, size was not important. Tomita was the
first Kodokan judoka and a close friend to Jigoro Kano. According to
Koyassu Massao (9th dan):
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Among the four Kodokan shiten-no,
it was Tomita who received the greatest amount of teachings from
Jigoro Kano sensei [...] as a fighter he wasn't so
successful as Saigo, Yamashita and Yokoyama, but was exceptional
in applied studies and was also fluent in the English language
[...] |
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Although the weakest of Kodokan shinte-no,
Tomita was able to defeat the great jujutsu champion of that time,
Hansuke Nakamura, from the Tenjin Shinyo Ryu style.
Mitsuyo Maeda formed with Soishiro Satake
the head of the second generation of Kodokan judoka which replaced the
first by the beginning of the 20th century. Satake, with 1m 75cm and
80kg, had no match in amateur sumo but admitted that he himself wasn't a
match to Maeda in Judo. Satake would later travel together with Maeda
and settle himself in Manaus, Amazonas State, while Maeda keep
traveling. Satake would be the founder in 1914 of the first historically
registered Judo academy in Brazil. Together with Maeda, both are
considered the pioneers of Judo in Brazil.
At that time few were the graduated
Kodokan judoka. Maeda and Satake were the top graduated professors at
Waseda University, both sandan, along with Matsuhiro Ritaro (nidan)
and six other shodan.
Kyuzo Mifune registered in the Kodokan in
1903 and attracted Maeda's attention who commented "you are strong
and competent, therefore, you will certainly leave your mark in the
Kodokan...". However, Mifune went to learn under Sakujiro Yokoyama.
Later, already a celebrated judoka, Mifune expressed that Maeda's words
were fundamental and a great incentive to him, as he regarded Maeda with
the greatest admiration, even though Yokoyama was his sensei.
According to Mifune, in 1904 Maeda lost
to Yoshitake Yoshio by Hane Goshi, after defeating three adversaries in
succession, but then, in a following tsukinami-shiai defeated
eight adversaries in a row, and was awarded the 4th dan (yondan). Mifune
also states that Maeda was one of the biggest promoters of Judo,
although not by properly teaching Judo, but, instead, forcing Judo
recognition through his many combats with contenders from other
disciplines.
Maeda treated experienced and
unexperienced students alike, throwing them as if in real combat. He
reasoned his behavior as a respectful measure towards his students but
was often misunderstood and scared many youngsters, who would abandon
him in favor of other professors.
In 1879, Ulysses S. Grant, the former
President of the United States, went to Japan. While in Tokyo, he
attended a jujutsu presentation at Shibusawa Eiichi's home in Asukayama.
Jigoro Kano was one of the jujutsuka present. By that time, jujutsu was
already being mentioned in Europe and North America, and foreigners with
dubious knowledge based on poor sources (obscure books and papers)
capitalized on this. Judo and jujutsu were not considered separate
disciplines at that time, and even many years after the arrival of
Kodokan professors both were regarded as the same art, only finally
being set apart after the 1950s.
In 1903, a senior Kodokan instructor
named Yoshiaki Yamashita traveled to the United States at the request of
the Seattle businessman Sam Hill. In Washington, D.C., Yamashita's
students included Theodore Roosevelt and other prominent Americans.
Through Roosevelt's request, Yamashita also taught judo at the U.S.
Naval Academy. Appreciating the good publicity, the Japanese Legation in
the USA asked the Kodokan to send more judo teachers to America, thereby
giving continuity to Yamashita's work. Tomita reluctantly accepted the
task; Maeda and Satake embraced the opportunity.
Tomita, Maeda and Satake sailed from
Yokohama on November 16, 1904, and arrived in New York City on December
8, 1904.
During early 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave several public demonstrations
of judo. On February 17, 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave a demonstration at
Princeton University. Maeda threw N.B. Tooker, a Princeton football
player, while Tomita threw Samuel Feagles, the Princeton gymnasium
instructor. On February 21, 1905, they gave a judo demonstration at the
United States Military Academy at West Point. Tomita and Maeda did kata
-- nage-no, koshiki, ju-no, etc. At the request of the crowd, Maeda
wrestled a cadet and threw him easily. Because Tomita had been thrower
in the kata, the cadets wanted to wrestle him, too. Tomita threw the
first (Charles Daly) without any trouble. However, Tomita twice failed
to throw another football player named Tipton using tomoe-nage (stomach
throw). Tomita was smaller, so the Japanese claimed a moral victory. The
Americans just laughed, and instead hired Tom Jenkins, a former world
champion professional wrestler, to be the Academy wrestling coach.
The two Japanese did better at the New York 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, a
200-lb. wrestler. "Because of the difference in methods the two men
rolled about the mat like schoolboys in a rough-and-tumble fight." After
fifteen minutes of wrestling, Maeda secured the first fall." Ultimately,
however, Naething was awarded the match by pin fall.
On March 21, 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave a "jiu-do" demonstration at
Columbia University attended by about 200 people. Following
introductions, Tomita demonstrated falls and throws, then Maeda threw
the university's wrestling instructor. According to the student
newspaper, "Another interesting feature was the exhibition of some of
the obsolete jiu jitsu tricks for defense with a fan against an opponent
armed with the curved Japanese sword." Translations were provided by
chemist Takamine Jokichi.
During April 1905, Tomita and Maeda started a judo club in commercial
space at 1947 Broadway in New York. Members of this club included
Japanese expatriates, plus a European American woman named Wilma Berger.
On July 6, 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave a judo exhibition at the YMCA in
Newport, Rhode Island. On September 30, 1905, Tomita and Maeda gave a
demonstration at another YMCA, this time the one in Lockport, New York.
In Lockport, the local opponent was Mason Shimer, who wrestled Tomita
unsuccessfully.
On November 6, 1905, Maeda was reported visiting professional wrestler
Akitaro Ono in Asheville, North Carolina; after this, Maeda was no
longer routinely associated in the US newspapers with Tomita.
On December 18, 1905, Maeda was in Atlanta, Georgia, for a professional
wrestling match with Sam Marburger. The contest was best of three, two
falls with jackets and one without, and Maeda won the two with jackets
and lost the one without. According to the Atlanta papers, Maeda listed
his residence as the YMCA in Selma, Alabama.
Before traveling to Europe, Maeda and
Satake went to Cuba along with Akitaro Ono and Tokugoro Ito. All of them
engaged in combats. It was during this time that Maeda defeated
Adobamond, the "number one" fighter in Cuba.
On February 8, 1907, Maeda and Satake arrived in Liverpool, England.
Apparently this was to join up with Akitaro Ono, who had gone to London
to wrestle for promoter William Bankier in London music halls. In
London, Maeda paid the rent mostly by wrestling professionally. On
January 1908, he participated in a tournament at the Alhambra. Maeda was
runner-up in the heavyweight division, losing to Austria's Henry
Irslinger. In February 1908, Maeda participated in another wrestling
tournament. Again, he ended up runner-up, this time losing to Jimmy
Esson. However, in March 1908, Maeda beat Henry Irslinger in a match
that Health & Strength magazine described as "one of the squarest,
straightest which have been held in England in many years." Maeda also
appears to have done some wrestling in Scotland during September 1908,
as several Japanese were reported giving demonstrations of judo and sumo
at the Northern Games in Inverness. In between, Maeda gave judo lessons.
His students included a man named W.E. Steers. Steers was very
enthusiastic about his lessons, even going to Japan to earn first-dan
grading in 1912. In 1918, Steers was among the first non-Japanese to
join the London jujutsu club known as the Budokwai, which in 1920 would
join the Kodokan to become a Judo club.
After the match with Henry Inslinger in March 1908, Maeda went to
Belgium. He didn't like Belgium, so he soon returned to London, and in
May 1908, he participated in a professional wrestling tournament at
Hengler's Circus. Maeda and another Japanese, Tano Matsuda, entered as
middleweights, and neither man reached the finals. During January 1909,
Matsuda became notorious for losing a mixed match to the African
American boxer Sam McVey.
Maeda went to Spain in June 1908. He was accompanied by Fujisake, Ono,
and Hirano. While in Barcelona, Maeda had matches with Sadakazu Uyenishi
and Taro Miyake. Phoebe Roberts, a Welsh woman who was advertised as the
female judo champion of the world, was part of the entourage. Roberts
subsequently married Hirano, and stayed in Portugal for the rest of her
life.
It was during the Iberian trip that Maeda
adopted the stage name Conde Koma. There are many theories
explaining its origin. It can be an allusion to Komaru, which in
Japanese means "troubled," and provided an ironic reference to his
always being broke.
Maeda stated in a European magazine:
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An influential Spanish citizen,
impressed with my victories, posture and demeanor, [...] gave me
this title which soon spread everywhere in detriment of my real
name. |
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Maeda was fond of the name and started
using it to promote his art thereafter.
During November 1908, Maeda went to
Paris, France, apparently to see his friend Akitaro Ono. From Paris, he
went to Havana, arriving there on December 14, 1908, and his twice-a-day
wrestling act quickly proved to be very popular.
On July 23, 1909, Maeda left Havana for Mexico City. His debut in Mexico
City took place at the Virginia Fabregas Theater on July 14, 1909. This
show was a private demonstration for some military cadets. Shortly
afterwards, Maeda began appearing at the Principal Theater. His standing
offer was 100 pesos (US $50) to anyone he could not throw, and 500 pesos
(US $250) to anyone who could throw him. The Mexican Herald did not
record anyone taking his money.
During September 1909, a Japanese calling himself Nobu Taka arrived in
Mexico City for the purpose of challenging Maeda for what the Mexican
Herald said would be the world jujutsu championship. After several
months of public wrangling, Taka and Maeda met at the Colon Theater on
November 16, 1909; Taka won. There was an immediate rematch, and four
days later, Maeda was pronounced the champion. It was later revealed
that Taka was none other than Maeda's old friend, Soishiro Satake.
In January 1910, Maeda took part in a wrestling tournament in Mexico
City. During the semifinals, Maeda drew with Hjalmar Lundin. This is a
different result than Lundin recalled in his 1937 memoirs.
In July 1910, Maeda returned to Cuba, where he tried to arrange matches
with Frank Gotch and Jack Johnson. Of course, the Americans ignored him
-- there was no money to be made wrestling him, and much money to be
lost if they lost to him. On August 23, 1910, Maeda wrestled Jack
Connell in Havana; the result was a draw.
During 1911, Maeda and Satake were joined in Cuba by Akitaro Ono and
Tokugoro Ito. The four men were known as the Four Kings of Cuba.
The Four Kings were very popular in Cuba, and the Japanese were proud of
the reputation they were bringing to judo and Japan. Consequently, on
January 8, 1912, the Kodokan promoted Maeda to fifth degree black belt.
There was some resistance to this decision because not everyone in Japan
approved of professional wrestling.
In 1913, Ito Tokugoro stayed in Cuba while Maeda and Satake went to El
Salvador, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. In
El Salvador, the president was assassinated while Maeda was there, and
in Panama, the Americans tried to pay him to lose. So, they kept moving
south. In Peru they met Laku, a Japanese jujutsuka that taught the
military and invited him to join them. They were joined by Okura in
Chile, and by Shimitsu in Argentina. The troupe arrived in Brazil in
November 14, 1914.
According to a Maeda passport copy
provided by Gotta Tsutsumi, head of Bel�m's Associa��o Paramaz�nica
Nipako, Maeda arrived in Porto Alegre on November 14, 1914,[41] where
his first exhibition in Brazil took place. After that, one sees glimpses
of Maeda and his companions throughout the country: on August 26, 1915,
Maeda, Satake, Okura, Shimitsu, and Laku were at Recife; during October
1915, they were in Bel�m, finally arriving in Manaus on December 18,
1915. Ito Tokugoro arrived sometime later.
On December 20, 1915 took place the first demonstration in Bel�m at the
Theatro Politheama. The O Tempo newspaper announced the event stating
that Conde Koma would show the main jiu-jitsu techniques, discriminating
the prohibited ones and would also demonstrate self-defense techniques;
the troupe would be accepting challenges from the crowd, and there would
happen the first sensational match of jiu-jitsu between Shimitsu
(champion of Argentina) and Laku, Peruvian military professor.
On December 22, 1915 according to O Tempo, jiu-jitsu world champion
Maeda, head of the Japanese troupe and Satake, New York champion,
performed an enthusiastic and sensational jiu-jitsu match. In the same
day, Nagib Assef, an Australian Greco-Roman champion of Turkish origin,
challenged Maeda. On December 24, 1915 Maeda defeated in seconds boxer
Barbadiano Adolpho Corbiniano who became one of his disciples. On
January 03, 1916 at Theatro Politheama, Maeda finally fought Nagib Assef
who was thrown out of the stage and pinned into submission by arm-lock.
On January 08, 1916 Maeda, Okura and Shimitsu boarded the Antony and
left to Liverpool. Ito Tokugoro went to Los Angeles. Satake and Laku
stayed in Manaus teaching, according to O Tempo, jiu-jitsu. After 15
years together, Maeda and Satake finally split up definitely.
Of this last trip very little is known. Maeda went from England to
Portugal, Spain and France coming back to Brazil in 1917 alone. Settling
in Bel�m do Par� Maeda married D. May Iris.
Maeda was still cherished by the local population and recognized as a
great fighter. Maeda slowed down and only fought sporadically. Around
1918-1919 Maeda accepted the challenge from famous Capoeirista (Capoeira
fighter) P� de Bola. Maeda allowed P� de Bola to use a knife in the
fight. The Capoeirista was 1m 90cm tall and weighted 100kg. Maeda
quickly finished the match.
In 1921 Maeda founded his first Judo academy at Clube Remo in a 4m x 4m
shed. Later it was moved to the Fire Brigade headquarters and then to
the church of N. S. de Aparecida. As of 1991 it's located in the SESI
and run by sensei Alfredo Mendes Coimbra of the third generation of
Conde Koma's descendants.
In 1925, Maeda became involved with
helping settle Japanese immigrants near Tome-a��, a Japanese-owned
company town in Par�, Brazil. This was part of a large tract in the
Amazon forest set aside for Japanese settlement by the Brazilian
government. The crops grown by the Japanese were not popular with the
Brazilians, and the Japanese investors eventually gave up on the
project. Maeda also continued teaching judo, now mostly to the children
of Japanese immigrants. Consequently, in 1929, the Kodokan promoted him
to sixth dan, and on November 27, 1941, to seventh dan. Maeda never knew
of this final promotion, because he died in Bel�m on November 28, 1941.
Cause of death was kidney disease.
In May 1956, a memorial to Maeda was erected in Hirosaki City, Japan.
The dedication ceremony was attended by Risei Kano and Kaichiro Samura.
Since its inception, Judo was separated
from Jiu-Jitsu in its goals, philosophy, and training regime. Although
there was great rivalry among jujutsu teachers, this was more than just
Jigoro Kano's ambition to clearly individualize his art. To Kano, judo
wasn't solely a martial art, it was also a sport, a method for promoting
physical fitness and building character in young people, and,
ultimately, a way (Tao) of life.
Outside Japan, however, this distinction wasn't even hinted. Both arts,
jujutsu and judo, were practically unknown. Neither of them were
recognized individually. Instead, they were considered the same thing.
Even teachers of both arts didn't try too hard to make the distinction
clear. For example, Tomita himself appeared in a book called Judo: The
Modern School of Jiu-Jitsu. In 1920, when Kano and Hikoishi Aida visited
London, they had little trouble convincing two British jujutsu teachers
Yukio Tani and Gunji Koizumi, to begin teaching Kodokan judo at their
club, the Budokwai. Other examples can be found. Thus, when Maeda and
Satake arrived in Brazil, every newspaper announced jiu-jitsu despite
both men being Kodokan Judoka.
Gast�o Gracie had established business in Par� eventually getting
married in Bel�m. In 1917, his son Carlos Gracie, still a 14 years old
boy, watched a demonstration by Maeda at the Teatro da Paz and decided
to learn jiu-jitsu. Maeda accepted to teach Carlos who would become a
great exponent of the art and ultimately, with his younger brother
H�lio Gracie would be the founder of
Gracie Jiu Jitsu, modern Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
In 1921, Gast�o Gracie and his family moved to Rio de Janeiro. Carlos,
then 17 years old, passed Maeda's teachings on to his brothers Osvaldo,
Gast�o and Jorge. H�lio was too young and sick at that time to learn the
art, and due to medical imposition was prohibited to take part in the
training sessions. Despite that, H�lio learned jiu-jitsu by watching his
brothers and eventually overcome his health problems and is now
considered the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
It is not known why Maeda chose to call his style of judo "jujutsu". One
explanation is that Kodokan judo wasn't as famous in the 1920s as it is
today, and that the traditional term for similar Japanese arts was
jujutsu. (In Brazil, the transliteration was more often Jiu-Jitsu.) This
explanation seems plausible, inasmuch as the Japanese government itself
did not officially decide that the correct name for the martial art
taught in the Japanese public schools should be "judo" rather than
"jujutsu" until 1925.
