Kimura Masahiko
Kimura Masahiko ( Japanese 木村 政 彦 ; born September 10, 1917 in Kumamoto Prefecture ; † April 18, 1993 ) was a Japanese judoka who acquired the 7th dan at the age of 29.
Many refer to him as the greatest judoka who ever lived. He won the All-Japanese Championships three times in a row (1937-1939) and remained unbeaten from 1937 until his retirement in 1950. He also gained fame in martial arts circles through his victory over the co-founder of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Helio Gracie, in 1951. The arm lever he used in this fight, with which he was able to defeat Helio, has since been widely used in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as well in the field of mixed martial arts called Kimura Lock or just Kimura.
Web links
- Literature by and about Kimura Masahiko in the catalog of the German National Library
- Biography Masahiko Kimura by Jim Chen (English)
personal data | |
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SURNAME | Kimura, Masahiko |
ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 木村 政 彦 (Japanese) |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Japanese judoka |
DATE OF BIRTH | September 10, 1917 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Kumamoto Prefecture |
DATE OF DEATH | April 18, 1993 |