Kosen Judo Loses One of the Few Remaining Pre-war Sensei.

By Sensei Rick -- It has just been revealed that Kimura Sensei died last June at the age of 92 years.

Kimura sensei was a graduate of Doshisha University and student of Abii Goichi 8th Dan the god of newaza.

I first met Kimura sensei in 1965 when l went to Japan for judo with my 1st wife who was Japanese and came from Yonago city on the west coast of Honshu the main island of Japan. I had gone to Japan for 6 months to get my black belt which in those was the ultimate in those days and then go back to NZ and say well l could not get it in NZ but l got it in Japan.

Naturally l went down to the local dojo which was nears the ruins of the Yonago castle; the building was very basic, made from wooden planks with hard straw tatami.

At the same time Kimura sensei had come down to the dojo, having heard that a strange gaijin [foreigner] was in town. He soon introduced himself as having being the newaza coach for the Japanese team at the Tokyo Olympic.

Naturally l was impressed and more impressed when he offered to teach me judo to which l accepted his offer.

As we got to know Kimura sensei the details of his life emerged;

Born of a wealthy family who’s father owned lots of land in the area but lost most of it drinking sake and womanising; rode around Yonago in a jinrikisha, graduated from the top middle school and went to Doshisha university where he learnt Kosen judo from Abii sensei.

After graduation he was drafted into the air arm of the Japanese army where he became a pilot, towards the end of the war he was commander of a Kamikaze squadron and saw most of his friends off to their certain deaths.

One particular friend asked Kimura sensei to marry his new bride should he not come back, which he duly did. What are friends for? Research in NZ showed that Kiwi soldiers asked their mates to do the same

At he end of the war he was sent to Sugano prison in Tokyo as a war criminal, but was released after six months.

Sensei returned to Yonago city and with his brothers who also had survived the war started a gasoline station business, this prospered and when l met him he had three gasoline stands.

Although he was very busy this did not stop from taking time out to teach me his style of kosen judo and take me to judo competitions. His enthusiasm to teach me Doshisha style Kosen judo was unlimited and which had a big influence on my future impute into judo.

It was at one of these local judo competitions that after three weeks in Japan I won three contests in a row to gain my shodan. Wow l had now reached the dizzy heights of black belt except here in Japan 12 or 13 olds can get black belt the same way and shodan really means the 1st step. and that your learning had just started and as a 7th Dan l am still learning.

Kimura sensei was there when three months later at a different monthly shiai l took my nidan grade.

During the day l trained at the Higashi High School dojo which was the strongest in the area and it was not long after that, that Kimura Sensei suggested that although he could teach me lots more judo l needed stronger judoka to train with and he suggested Nagoya university where his friend was the sensei or Doshisha university in Kyoto where Ebii Goichi who had been his sensei was teaching.

After consulting the maps l found that Kyoto being the ancient capital was also in the middle of Japan

So that it would be easier to travel around the rest of Japan and so started a lifelong love with Kyoto.At the time little did l know that Kyoto being in a basin surrounded by mountains it was bloody cold in winter and bloody hot in summer


Soon after I arrived in Yonago one day after judo sensei took me to the local noodle shop and ordered Udon large white flour noodles which looked like large white earthworms, l struggled thru this and had just finished when another bowl arrived with sensei saying eat up you need to keep your strength up.

Groan!

In the 1980,s when at the All Japan Judo Championships l met Kimura sensei he dragged me over meet Kimura Masahiko and introduced him as the famous Kimura, all Japan champion x pro wrestler making out this was the real one. They were both real in my eyes.

www.My Judo Masahiko Kimura.com.

Kimura sensei when in Tokyo would always go to the Kodokan looking for foreigners to teach sankaku waza and much to the Kodokan sensei dismay strip down to his long johns and undershirt to demonstrated his favourite sankaku techniques. Meanwhile the Kodokan teachers were running around looking for a judogi for him.

I have no doubt that it’s because of the two Kimura,s efforts that their sankaku waza techniques were adapted and expanded by the Europeans about 15 years ago. Recently the Brazilians with their jujitsu have become very good with Kosen judo and sankaku

Until recently one could go on youtube and see Kosen judo by both Kimura,s but recently these clips have been pull by Budo films for copy write reasons

Whenever l visited Yonago I would always visited him and say hello, he would always try and take me for dinner or a cup of coffee so that he could talk about judo, his life long love and hobby.

One day he said lets go to sushi, as l know an unusual place, so of we trotted to this place and the owner told sensei to go and smoke outside as he didn’t want the smoke to taint his fish, so sensei went outside had his smoke and came back inside. Next the owner served his sushi and said shoyu ok for this but not for these, 1st time l had come across this.

Up to the age of 87 he was still riding around Yonago on his bicycle and only gave up after a triple bypass heart operation, also at the same time he gave up smoking.

Last Oct 2007 when I went to Yonago Kimura sensei was in hospital having fallen over and breaking his hip, but at the time the doctors were more concerned about his diabetes then his hip.

We talked about judo, took photographs, gave his wife a present of sweet cakes which sensei could not eat and he came as far as the lift to say goodbye.

Then last April when in Yonago we rang his wife to find out if he had come home from hospital, and was informed that he was now in a rest home and could not come yet because his daughter had fallen off her bike, was in hospital and the wife could not look after both.

We found the home in the countryside and sensei was having lunch he looked up recognised me and said hello.

For the 1st time ever he never talked about judo, l nearly cried, l hugged him and said my last farewell, he returned to his lunch and only looked up once as we went into the elevator.

Next month in Sept will be according to the Buddhist tradition his official funeral. And as l will not be there l will do Haka mairi, [pray front of his headstone] in Oct and visit his grave every time I’m in Yonago.

Kimura Sensei you were a true judo warrior Sayonara ..

Rick Littlewood.
Kodokan and Judo NZ 7th Dan