28 Facts About Masahiko Kimura

Masahiko Kimura was a Japanese judoka and professional wrestler.

Masahiko Kimura won the All-Japan Judo Championships three times in a row for the first time in history and had never lost a judo match from 1936 to 1950.

Masahiko Kimura was born on September 10,1917, in Kumamoto, Japan.

Masahiko Kimura began training judo at the age of 9 and was promoted to yondan at the age of 15.

Masahiko Kimura had defeated six opponents in a row.

Masahiko Kimura reportedly lost only four judo matches in his lifetime, all occurring in 1935.

Masahiko Kimura considered quitting judo after those losses, but through the encouragement of friends he began training again.

Masahiko Kimura consistently practiced the leg throw osoto gari against a tree.

At the height of his career, Masahiko Kimura's training involved a thousand push-ups and nine hours of practice every day.

Masahiko Kimura won the All-Japan Judo Championships, an openweight competition, for three straight years in 1937,1938, and 1939.

Masahiko Kimura was promoted to 7th dan at age 30, a rank that was frozen after disputes with Kodokan over becoming a professional wrestler, refusing to return the All Japan Judo Championship flag, and issuing dan ranks while in Brazil.

Masahiko Kimura trained in karate, believing that karate would strengthen his hands.

Masahiko Kimura began using the makiwara daily prior to his first All Japan success and never lost another competition bout.

The bout between Gracie and Masahiko Kimura took place again in the Maracana Stadium, before an audience of 20,000 people, including president of Brazil Getulio Vargas.

The expectation was such that, according to a source, Masahiko Kimura had been warned by the Japanese embassy that he would not be welcomed back in Japan if he lost the match.

Masahiko Kimura was received in the arena with raw eggs and insults by the Brazilian crowds, and the Gracie challengers brought a coffin to symbolize Masahiko Kimura would be dead, just like they had done with Kato.

At the start of the match, Helio tried to throw him down with osoto gari and ouchi gari, but Masahiko Kimura blocked them and scored multiple throws by ouchi gari, harai goshi, uchi mata and ippon seoi nage.

At that moment, Masahiko Kimura seized the limb and executed gyaku-ude-garami.

Helio did not surrender, and Masahiko Kimura rotated the arm until it broke.

Finally, when the judoka was about to twist it a third time, Gracie's corner threw the towel, and Masahiko Kimura was declared winner.

Masahiko Kimura was invited by Rikidozan to compete as a professional wrestler in his Japan Pro Wrestling Association.

The Rikidozan vs Masahiko Kimura match on 22 December 1954 for the Japanese Heavyweight Championship was a high-profile match, but, according to Masahiko Kimura, it didn't go as planned, being one of the earliest examples of a shoot in modern professional wrestling.

Rikidozan won the match by knockout, and Masahiko Kimura never received a rematch.

Masahiko Kimura formed the International Pro Wrestling Force, a promotion based in his hometown of Kumamoto, as a local affiliate of The Japan Wrestling Association.

Masahiko Kimura went to Brazil again in 1959 to conduct his last professional wrestling tour, and he was challenged by Waldemar Santana to a "real" submission match.

Newspaper Correio da Manha described the match as a "cat and mouse affair", while Diario de Noite stated "Masahiko Kimura won at will".

Masahiko Kimura tried to execute ippon seoi nage, but he slipped and fell to the ground, where Santana started striking him with punches and headbutts through his guard.

Masahiko Kimura died on April 18,1993, after a long battle with lung cancer.