Mitsuo Maeda
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Mitsuyo Maeda was a Japanese judoka, prize-fighter and regular competitor in catch as catch can wrestling contests. He is often referred to as Count Combat (or Conde Koma in Brazil, although he actually earned the nickname in Spain by 1908).
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Biography
Maeda entered the Kodokan during what was called the "Newaza revolution", where Judo became much more heavily ground-oriented due to the recent co-opting of the ground-centric Fusen Ryu jiu-jitsu masters into the Kodokan following successive defeats by the Kodokan at their hands.
Maeda was the teacher of Carlos Gracie and through his instruction of Carlos, he established the foundation for what would come to be known as Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Some actually point to Maeda as the founder of Brazillian jiu jitsu, though whether or not it is he, Carlos or Helio Gracie that ought to be credited for its creation is a topic of hot debate amongst pundits and practicioners of the grappling arts.
World Travels and Expulsion from the Kodokan
During the Meiji period, Maeda left Japan and travelled the globe. He entered in various challenge matches, intent upon serving as an ambassador of Kodokan judo to the world. He performed in open fights, with fighters from different styles in nearly every country he visited. It was as a result of these constant challenge matches that Maeda began to adjust his judo towards the end of greater efficiency against different styles of fighting. It should also be noted that in his travels, Maeda competed and trained extensively in the Western martial art of catch wrestling, where it has been said that he perfected the art of submitting his opponent from his back as a reaction to the preference wrestlers generally held for the top position.
However, ironically enough, as a member of the Kodokan (the Judo organization) Maeda was in fact barred from competing either in non-Kodokan events or events with a set of rules other than the Kodokans. For his breach, he was expelled from the school. In later years, his name was removed from the Kodokan registry.
Theory of Combat
Based on his comptetitions against and training alongside catch-wrestlers, boxers, savate practicioners and the other various fighters his travels brought him into contact with, he developed a theory that physical combat could be broken down into distinct phases. In Maeda's mind, it was a smart fighter's task to keep the fight located in the phase of combat that best suited his own strengths. Because Maeda's strength lay primarily in grappling, he put much effort towards finding means to efficiently close the distance between himself and fighters specialized in striking.
His Influence on the creation of Brazillian Jiu Jitsu
Maeda emigrated to Brazil in the 1910s, where a local influential businessman named Gastão Gracie helped him get established. In return for his aid, Maeda shared his knowledge of martial arts--which he referred to as jujutsu--with Gastão's son Carlos, who then passed it on to his brothers, including Hélio Gracie. Together, the brothers would found the system of grappling known as Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Being small and lacking in physical strength, Helio Gracie was forced to improvise heavily upon Maeda's teachings. Ultimately, this would give rise to what Helio's son, Rorion Gracie, trademarked as Gracie Jiu Jitsu. However, Carlos and his son, Carlson Gracie both referred often to Maeda's teachings both on the phases of combat and closing the distance in order to make use of grappling, such that it has become an integral part of their own style of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
It is not clearly known why Maeda chose to call his style of judo, Jujutsu. Perhaps he was dissatisfied with the treatment given to him by the Kodokan. However, it could be argued that Judo wasn't so popular at those times and the ancient, general and estabilished term for defining Japanese martial-art schools was Jujutsu (in Brazil it adopted the slightly different spelling Jiu-Jitsu). Another possible explanation is that Maeda's fighting style--which incorporated an arguably groundbreaking philosophy regarding so-called phases of combat--had simply grown into something other than judo, something which Maeda felt more comfortable referring to as jujutsu.
Legacy
By sowing the seeds for Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Maeda can be arguably called one of the most influential judoka of modern times. Furthermore, his accomplishments across the globe as a judoka, catch wrestler and prize-fighter mark him as one of the early 20th century's most successful mixed martial artists. Furthermore, as a finalist in the world catch-wrestling champions who was reportedly unbeaten in judo bouts, he achieved what must be regarded as a phenomenal balance of success in those two sports. Whether or not another athlete has attained equal or greater accolades in both judo and wrestling is up for debate. Certainly, if such athletes exist, they are few in number.Ja:前田光世
