18 Facts About Kyuzo Mifune

Kyuzo Mifune was a Japanese judoka and one of the greatest exponents of the art of judo after the founder, Kano Jigoro.

Kyuzo Mifune is considered by many to be the greatest judo technician ever, after Kano.

Kyuzo Mifune was reportedly incorrigible as a boy, always performing some mischief or organizing others in a similar pursuit.

When Kyuzo Mifune was 13 years old, his father, a strict disciplinarian who finally gave up on the youngest of his seven children, sent the boy to a junior high school at Sendai, in northern Japan.

Kyuzo Mifune did not know anyone at the Kodokan, but picked out Sakujiro Yokoyama, who then had a fearsome reputation, as 'Demon Yokoyama,' whose fast, powerful judo had gained much reputation for the Kodokan.

Kyuzo Mifune camped at Yokoyama's doorstep until the latter consented to recommend him to Kano.

In July 1903, Kyuzo Mifune joined the Kodokan, and the next year he joined Waseda University too.

Kyuzo Mifune began a newspaper, sold advertising, and built it into a thriving enterprise.

Kyuzo Mifune was able to sell it at a substantial profit, and entered the economics program at Keio University.

Kyuzo Mifune was already being called the "God of Judo".

Kyuzo Mifune's father recommended a girl in his hometown and, for only the second time since he had left home, he returned, to marry.

Kyuzo Mifune became 6th dan in 1917 and 7th dan in 1923.

Kyuzo Mifune ate sparingly, slept on a Western-style bed, and did not smoke.

Kyuzo Mifune was given the title of Hanshi then Meijin by the International Martial Arts Federation and in 1956, he wrote his classic book, The Canon of Judo, still a remarkable exposition of judo history, philosophy, and technical description.

In 1964, Kyuzo Mifune was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun.

Kyuzo Mifune died on January 27,1965, of throat cancer, in the Nichidai University Hospital in Tokyo.

Kyuzo Mifune avoided unnecessary roughness, but in less than a minute he had them all down with a succession of swift blows.

Kyuzo Mifune admitted that their object had been to extort money from us by intimidation.