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John Lindsey
2nd February 2002, 19:35
This is a post card from my personal collection. I think he sold these cards as he toured around the UK with his friendly challenge matches.

John Lindsey
2nd February 2002, 19:37
Here is the back of the card. The message is:

Am just watching this chap wrestling. He is very good. It is addressed to a Miss Kerr in Amagh, and the postmark might be from Belfast. Does the 06 possible mean 1906?

Gloi
3rd February 2002, 12:58
On the 26th of September 1899 a British engineer, called Barton Wright, returned to England after living and working in Japan. He brought with him an eighteen year old Japanese man .
The Japanese youth was Yukio Tani (1881 - 1950) and he was an exponent of the Japanese art of Jujutsu. The combination of Barton Wright, as entrepreneur /manager and Yukio Tani, a natural showman, led the two men into touring the Music Hall circuit,where Tani known as 'the pocket Hercules' would challenge anyone willing to wrestle with him. With the temptation of winning £1 for lasting each minute, over an initial 5 minutes, or £50 for winning, there was never a shortage of challengers.
However, at a diminutive 5 feet 6 inches (1.67Mts) Tani allegedly lostonly one music hall match and that was to a fellow Japanese national.
It does look like the postcard was sent to Armargh and franked in Belfast in 1906.

alison fiddler