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KevinMiller
10th July 2000, 11:51
I have a question for the historians/Japanese speakers on this list about a Judo player and his name spelling:

On his website, Karl Geis writes:

"I received extensive grappling training from Mr. Usejima Sensei 8th Dan, perhaps the greatest Japanese grappler of all time. In the middle 1950's Mr. Usejima Sensei was out of touch with the Kodokan. We had to go to his secret dojo in the old Nippon Bank building in order to get to study with him. I was introduced to him by Mr. Walker Edwards, a wealthy judo aficionado..."

In Martial Musings, Robert W. Smith publishes a letter from Donn Draeger regards Mr. Dermot M. "Pat" O'Neil:

"In Japan, as a godan he had the good fortune to study katamewaza with Ushijima Sensei, teacher of the famed Masahiko Kimura and perhaps the best katame teacher in Japan"

Kimura (I think) was the fellow who once beat the elder Mr. Gracie. What are the chances that Usejima Sensei and Ushijima Sensei are the same person?

Regards,
Kevin Miller

Joseph Svinth
10th July 2000, 12:11
You're right, Kimura is the one who beat Gracie -- see "Martial Musings," 127-133.

But I don't know whether this was the same fellow or not. E-mail me offline and I'll give you an s-mail address of a fellow who was at the Kodokan during the late 1950s who might be able to tell you.

Chuck Clark
10th July 2000, 16:10
I wasn't there at that time, but I am pretty sure that it's the same man. I would like to know more about him myself. From stories that I've heard, there should be a book written about him.