Masahiko Kimura (1917 - 1993)

Real Name - Masahiko Kimura

Lifespan - 9/10/17 - 4/18/93

5'6" 185 lbs. - Kumomoto, Japan

Athletic Background - Judo (Nat'l Champion), Vale Tudo

Teacher(s) - n/a

Professional Background - n/a

Aliases - none

Peak Years - 1950s

Place in History - Masahiko Kimura is often regarded as the greatest judoka of all-time, his accomplishments in the sport are more impressive than nearly any other martial artists. While Kimura was not a professional wrestler in the sense that many might think, his addition to the sport in Japan is undeniable. Both became pro-wrestlers at roughly the same time as the Shriners promoted shows in Japan and they took an interest in it. Rikidozan's JWA was always the major company and he was the top star, but many popular Japanese athletes started companies and Kimura was no exception. He started a group in his hometown and only two months later would meet Rikidozan in a clash of two huge cultural icons. The match in 1954 was to be carefully done in which both men would come out even in the end after trading rounds. Rikidozan decided to shoot on Kimura instead and KO'd him legit following a hard chop and a boot to the head. Yakuza openly offered to kill Riki for Kimura, but he wanted to avoid the scandal, thinking Riki would get his someday. He toured the world doing judo and pro-wrestling in Mexico, England and Brazil. The end of the tour saw him meet Aldemar Santana in a mixed match (which he won) and a vale tudo match (in which they drew after he had Santana on the run). After disputes with Kodokan, Kimura was never able to advance his rank any further, but continued to teach world class judokas for many more years. While many wrestling fans remember Kimura as the guy Rikidozan beat to win the Japanese heavyweight title or maybe the guy who choked out Helio Gracie, however his additions to the sport in Japan in its formative years are great indeed and his additions to mixed matches are very important as well, however his work in judo is unparalleled and he's usually considered the greatest of all-time.