20 Facts About Mataemon Tanabe

Mataemon Tanabe was a Japanese jujutsu practitioner and master of the Fusen-ryu school.

Mataemon Tanabe became famous for defeating multiple members of the Kodokan in challenge matches, and came to be considered one of the greatest modern jujutsuka.

Mataemon Tanabe started training in jujutsu at 9 years old, and at 14 he started accompanying his father to competitions and challenges, often fighting grown-up men and much heavier opponents.

The match was the hardest defeat suffered by the Kodokan school against a jujutsu challenger, and it was made public that Mataemon Tanabe had found the Kodokan style's weak point thanks to his dexterity at groundfighting.

In spring 1892, Mataemon Tanabe was challenged to a rematch by Tobari in an event hosted by the Tokyo police department, again with Kanaya as the referee.

The match started the same way as the previous one, but this time Mataemon Tanabe countered a throw attempt and scored fully his tomoe nage, following up by pinning Tobari and applying ebi-jime for the victory.

Mataemon Tanabe taught at the Butokukai for a long time, and competed against martial artists from other styles.

In spring 1898, Mataemon Tanabe was involved in an exhibition fight in front of Prince Yoshihito in Kyoto, going against Kasumi Shin-ryu jujutsuka and 3rd dan judoka Yuji Hirooka in a rematch of a past challenge fight.

Mataemon Tanabe objected, noting that the entire martial art could be considered dangerous as well; however, out of all the masters of traditional jujutsu gathered, only Kaisuke Masuda from Shinnuki-ryu agreed with Mataemon Tanabe, and thus the ban was decided by majority.

Mataemon Tanabe attempted his signature tomoe nage, and although Isogai blocked it, Mataemon Tanabe managed to pull him down.

Mataemon Tanabe demanded for the match to continue until a finish, but the decision was not reversed.

In May 1899, Mataemon Tanabe would fight another Kodokan judoka, the regarded Shuichi Nagaoka, refereed by Samura.

Mataemon Tanabe almost locked a juji-gatame at one point, but his body got out of the tatami bounds, making the referee restart the match on the center.

Mataemon Tanabe disagreed with this decision and abandoned the match, after which Samura called for another draw.

Mataemon then rematched Isogai in Fukuoka, but this time Tanabe was unable to take the fight to the ground and was repeatedly threatened by Isogai's mastery with the hane goshi.

In May 1900, Tanabe had his third and last match against Hajime Isogai, challenging him to an event that was going to take place in Okayama, Mataemon's land.

Mataemon Tanabe claimed to be suffering from hemorrhoids to explain his performance, though he commended Isogai's effort.

Mataemon Tanabe always declined to officially join the Kodokan school, even although his own acquitances pressed him into such, but it's known that he was friends and usual training partners with judokas Yuji Hirooka and Soji Kimotsuki.

Mataemon Tanabe was appointed judo kyoshi in 1906, teaching at the Butoku Kai until his retirement in 1922, and was promoted to hanshi in 1927.

Mataemon Tanabe was the inspiration for the character Gennosuke Higaki in Tsuneo Tomita's popular novel series Sanshiro Sugata.