Kimura also trained in karate, believing that karate would strengthen his hands. He 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. He won the All-Japan Judo Championships, an openweight competition, for three straight years in 1937, 1938, and 1939. Īt the height of his career, Kimura's training involved a thousand push-ups and nine hours of practice every day. Many opponents asked Kimura not to use his osoto gari. Daily randori or sparring sessions at Tokyo Police and Kodokan dōjōs resulted in numerous opponents suffering from concussions and losing consciousness. He consistently practiced the leg throw osoto gari (large outer reap) against a tree. He considered quitting judo after those losses, but through the encouragement of friends he began training again. Reportedly lost only four judo matches in his lifetime, all occurring in 1935. Kimura's remarkable success can in part be attributed to his fanatical training regimen, managed by his teacher, Tatsukuma Ushijima. Kimura (right) along with his teacher Tatsukuma Ushijima (left). In 1935, at age 18 he became the youngest ever godan (5th degree black belt) when he defeated eight consecutive opponents at Kodokan (headquarters for the worldwide judo community). He had defeated six opponents (who were all 3rd and 4th dan) in a row. Masahiko Kimura began training judo at the age of 9 and was promoted to yondan (4th dan) at the age of 15. Kimura was born on September 10, 1917, in Kumamoto, Japan. In the Japanese professional wrestling world, he is known for being one of Japan's earliest stars and the controversial match he had with Rikidōzan. In submission grappling, the reverse ude-garami arm lock is often called the "Kimura", due to his famous victory over Gracie jiu-jitsu co-founder Hélio Gracie. He 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 ( 木村 政彦, Kimura Masahiko, Septem– April 18, 1993) was a Japanese judoka and professional wrestler who is widely considered one of the greatest judoka of all time.
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