[Ellis Amdur]

Actually, this story of Rikidozan's death has got more versions than the history of hapkido. I made the acquaintance of the "bodyguard" of the yakuza who killed Rikidozan. He is from one of the most venerable bakuto gangs (the bakuto were the original yakuza - the gamblers - and even today, they have a prestige far beyond their now few numbers - sort of like TSKSR in a meeting of gendai ryu). My recollection is that he, then a young guy, was accompanying a Japanese yakuza, and Rikidozan tried to bully this diminutive guy while passing him in the restroom. One going in-one going out. The gangster stabbed him in the gut, and Rikidozan, drunk, went out and kept drinking - stuffing a napkin in the hole in his belly. Died of peritonitis.

For whatever it is worth, the same man informed me that Kimura had purchased a gun and was on his way from Kyushu to shoot Rikidozan (for sucker punching him and knocking him out in the worked match) when the yakuza did Kimura the accidental favor of killing him. Rikidozan's death had nothing to do with Kimura, however.

All hearsay, but from someone close to the scene

Kimura was, by the way, a friend of Oyama, and studied some karate with him. He refers to this in his biography. He returned to Brazil some years after the infamous match with Helio Gracie and fought Waldemar Santana, who in addition to his skill in BJJ was also quite skilled in capoeira. Kimura describes a head-butting/gouging/kicking/both men on the ropes battle, in which his karate helped as much as his judo.



best