Matsugoro Okuda first started in the native Fukuno-ryu style, but later branched off to the more popular Kito-ryu and Tenjin Shinyo-ryu, training under master Takeshi Sawada.
14 Facts About Matsugoro Okuda
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Legend has that Matsugoro Okuda formed part of the Shinsengumi, and it was even rumored that he was one of the killers of Ryoma Sakamoto in 1867, but nothing of this was ever proven.
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In 1868, the young Matsugoro Okuda became part of the Shogitai and participated in the Boshin War, managing to survive the loss of his unit at the Battle of Ueno.
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In 1876, Matsugoro Okuda had the chance to meet Takamori Saigo, his former enemy in the Boshin War.
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However, with the beginning of the Satsuma Rebellion, Matsugoro Okuda resigned and moved to Yokohama, becoming a freelance jujutsu teacher.
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Matsugoro Okuda eventually landed in Tokyo, where he fought in 1879 a challenge match against an American wrestler at the Shibusawa Library.
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In 1884, while still a police teacher, Matsugoro Okuda created a personal jujutsu style, Matsugoro Okuda-ryu, which integrated all the knowledge from the multiple styles he knew and researched.
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Matsugoro Okuda aspired to integrate all the jujutsu styles in Japan, though it seems he never followed up with the idea.
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Matsugoro Okuda did train with other stylists, mainly the eminent Yoshin-ryu school led by Hikosuke Totsuka, where he became friends with its exponent Morikichi Otake and fellow Tenjin Shinyo-ryu practitioner Daihachi Ichikawa.
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In 1885, Ichikawa, Otake and Matsugoro Okuda performed a dojoyaburi on the Kodokan, leading Matsugoro Okuda to fight a bout against Shiro Saigo.
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Matsugoro Okuda suffered a concussion and had to be carried away.
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Matsugoro Okuda didn't participate further in the Kodokan-Totsuka rivalry, and in 1893 he moved his field of activity to the Iwate Prefecture by invitation of governor Ichizo Hattori.
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However, Matsugoro Okuda would join at some point, being granted the title of honorary judo master.
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Matsugoro Okuda had a last highlight in 1903 when he faced a young Kyuzo Mifune in a sparring, throwing him four times, though not without predicting Mifune would become a judo legend.