Masahiko Kimura

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Kimura began training judo at age 9, motivated by revenge against his teacher Mr. Tagawa, a 1st dan black belt. He earned his 1st dan after throwing five students at Chinsei Junior High. For his 3rd dan promotion, he cheated on the written exam by writing his own name on someone else's test paper, an act he said filled him with guilt. He was promoted to 4th dan at age 15 after defeating six opponents (all 3rd and 4th dan) in a row. In 1935, at age 18, he became the youngest ever godan (5th degree black belt) by defeating eight consecutive opponents at Kodokan. He engaged in street fights: once a judo club member attacked him with a knife, wounding his buttocks; another time an infamous street fighter challenged him with a tantō short sword, but Kimura evaded and performed a judo throw, disarming him. His teacher Tatsukuma Ushijima once slapped him after a loss and said: "Shiai is equivalent to a real sword 'Kill or Get Killed' duel between Bushi. To throw the opponent means to kill him. Being thrown means being killed." Kimura reportedly lost only four judo matches in his lifetime, all in 1935, and considered quitting but resumed training. He practiced osoto gari against a tree daily. Many opponents asked him not to use his osoto gari. At his peak, his training involved a thousand push-ups and nine hours of practice every day. He also trained in Shotokan Karate under Gichin Funakoshi for two years, then Goju-Ryu Karate under So-Nei Chu, and became an assistant instructor alongside Gogen Yamaguchi and Masutatsu Oyama. He attributed his tournament success to daily makiwara training.

Reader's Guide

Masahiko Kimura's significance lies in his unprecedented dominance in judo and his lasting impact on submission grappling. He won the All-Japan Judo Championships three straight years in 1937, 1938, and 1939, a first in history. His undefeated streak from 1936 to 1950 established him as a legendary competitor. The reverse ude-garami arm lock, renamed the 'Kimura' after his victory over Hélio Gracie in 1949, remains a fundamental technique in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts. In that match, held before 20,000 people including the president of Brazil, Kimura scored multiple throws but could not subdue Gracie due to the soft mat. He took the fight to the ground, pinned Gracie, and eventually executed gyaku-ude-garami, breaking Gracie's arm twice before Gracie's corner threw in the towel. Kimura also contributed to Japanese professional wrestling as an early star, founding Kokusai Pro Wrestling Association in the early 1950s. During World War II, he defeated a Jukendo master by distracting him with a wooden gun and using a Morote Gari (double leg takedown). After the war, he fought four US Military Police who were harassing Japanese citizens, defeating them with a groin kick, a Seoi-Nage throw into a river, a headbutt, and squeezing the last MP's balls. Captain Shepard later thanked Kimura and invited him to teach judo at MP headquarters three times a week. His legacy endures through the technique that bears his name and his reputation as one of judo's greatest competitors.

Did You Know?

• Kimura cheated on his 3rd dan written exam by writing his own name on someone else's test paper, an act he said filled him with guilt.
• He became the youngest ever godan (5th degree black belt) at age 18 in 1935 by defeating eight consecutive opponents at Kodokan.
• During a street fight, he evaded a tantō short sword attack and performed a judo throw on his attacker, after which no other street fighter challenged him.
• After World War II, he fought four US Military Police who were harassing Japanese citizens, and was later thanked by Captain Shepard, who asked him to teach judo at MP headquarters.
• In his match against Hélio Gracie, Kimura broke Gracie's arm twice before Gracie's corner threw in the towel.