Originally posted by Nathan Scott
... if that photo you posted was taken from the book I think was, then the content (from my limited experience) you might take it with a grain of salt. There are some pretty "Un-Judo" or "Jiujitsu" looking moves in there!
The photo comes from the book "Judo Kyohan" originally published around 1909.
The English translation came out in 1915 and is titled simply "Judo."
The author, Yokoyama, held at that time the highest Kodokan rank yet awarded
(he and Yamashita were 7th dan then; they were the only ones)
and was one of Kodokan's _shi tenno_ with a fierce reputation as a fighter
(see E.J. Harrison's "The Fighting Spirit of Japan.")
Yokoyama fought in the famous 1886 Tokyo Police match where Saigo used his yama-arashi.
Yokoyama knew and trained with Saigo and would certainly be familiar with Saigo's tokui-waza.
Yama-arashi was part of the standard Kodokan syllabus from 1895 until the revision of the Gokyo in 1920.
Yokoyama helped devise that original syllabus.
Yokoyama's book was reviewed, edited, and approved by Kano himself. It can be considered authoritative.
... Obata Sensei ... reiterarted that Tomita Tsuneo was a writer, and more than likely made up a fictional "secret Judo technique", that nobody could ukemi from!
Tomita Tsuneo was certainly a writer, but he was also a judoka and was the son of Tomita Tsunejiro, another of the _shi tenno_.
His father (whose name is the very first listed in the Kodokan student register--Saigo is #8)
was also a participant in that 1886 match (which formed the basis for his son's story).
Tomita & Saigo received their _shodan_ at the same time; the very first _shodan_ ranks ever awarded.
Also of interest--the man shown as tori in the photo is Samura Kaichiro, later 10th dan.
He was also a participant in the 1886 tournament.
If you're looking for people who _knew_ the original yama-arashi
i.e. saw it/felt it/did it on the same mat with Saigo Shiro,
then Yokoyama, Samura, & Tomita (and Kano!) are the guys.
Yours in Judo,
Brian P. Griffin