The Martial Chronicles: Jiu-Jitsu Brings Mixed Martial Arts to Brazil

As the UFC plans to visit Brazil again this weekend I thought it would be interesting to examine some of Brazil's rich history involving mixed martial arts. Kid Nate has already chronicled the feuds of Brazil and losses of luta livre, T.P. Grant has examined the rise of Vale Tudo and the luta livre-BJJ rivalries, while I myself have looked at Helio's matches in the 30s. Now we investigate how it all came to be...

On the first day of May, in the year 1909, a large crowd filed into the International Pavilion Paschoal Segreton in Rio de Janeiro to witness another demonstration given by the "Professor of Jiu-Jitsu" Sada Miyako. Miyako was one of two Japanese nationals recruited by the Brazilian Navy to instruct their sailors in the art of hand-to-hand defense, and, as so many of his countrymen had done before him in North America and Europe, had taken to giving jujutsu exhibitions before a paying audience. [EN1]

"For some days a terrible player has haunted the amusement hall audience with his indescribable agility, a jumping Machiavellian. Every night the Japanese champion challenges the audience to test themselves against him..."
"JIU-JITZU" A Pacotilha, June 14, 1909

And every night the outcome had been the same for any man that dared climb onto the stage to accept the challenge: a quick and embarrassing defeat. But the large crowd that filled the theater that night had not come to see the usual line of local strongmen trying their hand against the invincible "Jiu-Jitsu champion". Intermixed amongst the usual spectators were contingencies of Japanese nationals, Navy officers, government officials, journalists, members of high society, and students from the Faculdade de Medicina. With that last group sat Cyriac Francisco da Silva, a 38-year-old former street fighter from the Municipality of Campos dos Goytacazes who now worked carrying sacks of coffee from the docks to downtown Rio. He was better known as "Macaco" ("Old Monkey"), one of the best, if not the best, capoeirista of the era. He had been brought here by his pupils, the medical students, to challenge Miyako and defend Brazil's national honor from the foreign import. His presence was responsible for the night's considerable attendance, as both fight aficionados and the merely curious crowded in to the theater to witness this confrontation between two masters of jujutsu and capoeira.

The fact that the match was even taking place was itself a surprise to many, for at the time capoeira was illegal, outlawed by the republican Criminal Code of 1890. Insistent requests were sent out for the law to be relaxed by Cyriac's supporters, while the capoerista himself argued that he be given the chance to defend the nation's honor : "I am quit confident in my skills, if I have a shot, I will not disappoint". Eventually the Federal authorities, military officials and the owner of the International Pavilion, Segreto Pachoal, all conceded to permit the match take place,

As soon as the nightly challenge was made on Miyako's behalf, Cyriac climbed on to the stage to accept. He then proceeded to remove his jacket, vest, cuffs, collar, and boots revealing the gi he was required to wear for the bout before taking his place opposite Miyako. Cyriac later described the match in the pages of the magazine "O Mahlo":

"I went up there, saluted the Japanese and began my ginga. I sized him up, faked a slap and applied a leg sweep that had him off balance. But he stood. The crowd yelled: ‘Go for it Cyríaco!' I resumed my ginga leaning my body left and unleashed a rabo de arraia (stingray tail) that made him eat dust. I saluted the audience, gazed towards the man holding the clock, but the gringo refused to continue." [EN2]

And with his victory, Cyríac was hailed a hero, carried in triumph by the students along the newly built Concerto Avenida, as they sang "a Ásia curvou-se ante o Brasil" ("Asia bowed to Brazil"), a quadra that was repeated all through the streets of Rio de Janiero. [EN3]

For Jujutsu, the loss was a setback. In embarrassment the Navy removed Miyako and his countrymen as instructors. The interest and excitement the Japanese discipline had generated amongst the public now waned. Where the Fabril Athetic Club boasted in 1908 the large following jujutsu had at its club, by 1912 the sport had been eliminated. Jujutsu would need another attempt to plant its seed and see it take root in Brazil.

On October of 1915 the Folha do Norte announced the coming of a new attraction to Belém, the capital of the Amazonion state of Pará:

"The troupe will perform jiu-jitsu, wresting, boxing and Japanese fencing matches and is directed by the undefeated world champion Count Koma. He will offer 5,000 francs for anyone able to defeat one of the troupe's members formed by Okura, champion of Chile, Shimizi, champion of Peru, Satake, champion of New York and Luku a former military instructor in Peru. The troupe is currently in the state of Pará on its way to North America. Its performances were met with great success in other countries. The troupe will be dressing proper and decent attire, and its performance is rigorously family oriented. The troupe will parade through the streets in their traditional outfits."

Conde Koma's real name was Matsuyo Maeda while Satake's full name was Soishiro Satake, two men who had a decade of experience each in the world of prizefighting. The two of them had been sent by the Kano Jigoro in 1904 to the United States to assist Tsunejiro Tomita in his efforts to spread Kodokan Judo. After almost a year of giving demonstrations at Princeton, Columbia, and West Point, offering private instructions, and running a dojo in New York City, the two young Judokas parted ways with Tomita and entered the world of professional wrestling and prizefighting. For the next decade they traveled throughout the United States, Europe, the Carribean, Central America, and South America, gathering the other members of their troupe along the way in Peru, Chile, and Argentina. They now found themselves in Brazil, having arrived in Porto Allegre from Uruguay on November 14, 1914. They spent the next year crossing the nation and performing, from São Paulo to Rio to Recife to São Luis, until finally reaching the northern frontier city of Belém.

Their show included jujutsu demonstrations, self-defense advice, contests between the Japanese members, and, most famously, an offer of 5,000 francs to anyone who could beat them. This last challenge drew long lines of day laborers, local tough guys, vagrants, and other professional wrestlers looking to take home a small fortune in these tough economic times. The ease with which they defeated these challengers led to them being described as a troupe of "Nippon Hercules".

One opponent attracted particular attention: the infamous capoerista Pé de Bol. The headline for the November 7th, 1915 edition of Folha do Norte blared: "Today: capoeira against jiu-jitsu! Everyone to Bar Paraense!" Recalling the previous match between Cyriac and Miyako, nationalism took hold as the people of Bélem rallied around their native son. They would be disappointed as Satake easily defeated him. [EN4]

Finishing their stay in Belem they moved on to Manuas marching through the streets to announce their arrival:

"A troupe Japanese jiu-jitsu fighters have comes to Pará to delight of patrons of the popular Theatre Politheama. This troupe is led by Conde Koma, world champion of "Jiu-jitsu," and will arrive, parading down the streets in their Eastern costumes. ""This renowned troupe is made up of: New York Champion Satake, Chile champion Okura , Argentina champion Shimitsu, and Laku, a former professor for Peru's military." "The celebrated Japanese troupe of fighters is led by Conde Koma, world champion of jiu-jitsu.

- Jornal O Tempo, December 12th, 1915

At the Theater Politheama, where they had been booked by Octavian Pires Junior, they offered a familiar show of jujutsu techniques,a demonstration in Japanese arms, an exhibition contest between Shimitsu and Luku or Maeda and Satake, and the familiar challenge to the audience. On December 23rd it was announced that the following evening there would be a "Great fight between Koma and the Barbados boxer Adolpho Corbinian." That Christmas Eve, "Conde Koma defeated the boxer in seconds, showing his Nippon talents." Following his defeat Adolpho elected to become a disciple of Maeda. [EN5]

A week later, on January 3rd 1916, Maeda faced the Turk Nagib Asse, a Greco-Roman wrestler who was billed as the Australian champion. Maeda would win the contest by armbar.

A few weeks after this the troupe (with the exception of Satake who would settle in Manaus) would depart Brazil. For Maeda it would be but a short separation. Sailing to Liverpool, he travelled through England, France, Spain, and Portugal as the Great War raged across Europe, before returning to safety and prosperity of Belém with his new bride D. May Iris sometime in 1916. Shortly thereafter Maeda would be introduced to a name that would have historic repurcusions for jujutsu and martal arts.

In December of 1916 a member of Maeda's troupe, Uenish Sadakazu, faced the Italian-Agentine wrestler Alfredo Leconte in Manaus. Sadakazu would lose, in part thanks to Leconte's manager, one Gastâo Gracie. For the match Gastâo refused to allow Leconte to don the previously agreed upon gi. The Japanese relented but Leconte's behavior grew worse during the match. He entered the ring with his body greased, and took to the cowardly tactic of fleeing through the ropes whenever he found himself in any danger. The final insult was when Gracie arranged for his wrestler to be declared the winner after holding his opponent down for only a few seconds instead of the previous agreed thirty-second hold-down. [EN6]

The resulting riot that followed Leconte's victory led to wrestling being banned in Manuas, so the follow up match between Leconte and Shimizu Kusaka was moved to Belém. Shimizu fared no better, as Leconte repeated the same tactics. The wrester's victory was followed by another riot and a ban on professional wrestling in Belém.

This would not be the end of Maeda's relationship with Gracie.

Beginning in late 1915, , Maeda began to offer jujutsu lessons at the Teatro Moderno in Belém advertising in the Folha do Norte:

Good news in the realm of sports. We will have lessons in the favorite branch of Japanese sport: jiu-jitsu. Count Koma, currently performing on the stage of Bar Paraense, will stay with us to teach jiu-jitsu. Appropriate attire (gis) will be provided for children and adults. Count Koma also wants to teach jiu-jitsu in our private schools. We recommend for youngsters interested in physical fitness to enroll in jiu-jitsu lessons taught by the Japanese at Teatro Moderno.

The Japanese martial art proved impressive enough for Gaståo that he saw fit to enroll his son, Carlos, in classes with Maeda beginning sometime in 1916. For the next two to three years, young Gracie studied under Maeda before moving with his family to Rio where he would share what he learned with his younger brothers, writing the next chapter in Brazillian martial arts.[EN7]

Maeda would settle in Belém, his last public match there was on July 8th of 1920 against the Italian wrestler Victorio Segato at the Palace Theatre, who he defeated in "spectacular fashion" via an armbar. [EN8]

He briefly departed for wrestling tournaments in Cuba and New York City in 1921, but returned in 1922, welcomed home by his pupil, Jacynth Ferro, who met Maeda's ship in a rowboat off the harbor. [EN 9] Upon his return Maeda focused on teaching Judo, establishing a permanent academy in Belém. Studying alongside Carlos Gracie were Donato Pires and the aforementioned Jacyntho Ferro. Maeda would also later serve as instructor to the Ono brothers.

As for his fellow troupe members, Shimitsu and Okura served as instructors alongside Maeda until they returned to Japan in 1920. Laku would open a Judo dojo in Rio de Janiero, which he ran until the outbreak of the second World War and relocated to Peru. Maeda's old companion Satake settled in Manuas where he ran his own dojo, which Maeda would occasionally serve as an instructor at when visiting. Amongst their students were Luís França and Vinícius Ruas.

Jiu-Jitsu had found a home in Brazil.

SOURCES AND RESEARCH

MODERNIZAÇÃO, NACIONALISMO E A ELITE: a origem do jiu-jitsu brasileiro, 1905-1920 by José Cairus

Jornal do Capoeira

bibliotecno

END NOTES

EN 1: Miyake also offered his services as a private instructor. Inqueries were to be addressed to "Rua Goncaalves Dias No. 78 or to Willegaignon Fortress" according to an advertisement published in the the May 2, 1909 Jornal do Comércio.

EN 2: Other sources tell of Cyriac attained victory through methods "malicia". In one versions he wins by striking when his opponent extends his hand before the match officially starts. Another versions tell how Cyriac blinded Miyake at the beginning of their contest, by either throwing sand in his face, or, after biting hard on his own tongue to build up a large volume of saliva, spitting in his face.

EN 3: May 2, 1909 Jornal do Comércio. Cyriac's victory was viewed as a victory for Brazil by many nationalists. He was invited to give a demonstration before a group of academics at the College of Medicine, and his face gifted the pages of Careta. In the wake of his triumph there was a large push towards instituting capoeira into the military (much to the Navy's embarrassment having hired Miyako), but it all came to naught. Ciriac died three years later with Capoeira still outlawed, and it would remain officially so until 1941.

EN 4: As one Journalist explained afterwards "He admitted that he, like most Brazilians of his rank, had naively fallen under the spell of street capoeira. But he concluded in relief: fortunately not all Brazilians believe in it."

EN 5: Jornal O Tempo December 23rd 1915 and December 25th 1915

EN 6: The event screams of a 'worked" professional wrestling match. That Gastâo was partners in the American Circus with the Queirolo brothers of Argentina, promoting wrestling matches throughout the Amazon, does little to dissuade that view. The only thing that would suggest it wasn't is the fact that there seems to have been some serious disagreements between the two camps over the outcome (large amounts of money appear to have been involved) and the resulting riots ruined their business for almost a year. It is also worth noting that the reports that Gastao's connection with Maeda was in helping with political and Japanese immigration problems is false and that they met as part of their mutual business interests in professional wrestling.

EN 7: There may be some truth to the Gracie's stories that Maeda taught Carlos something different from Judo. At the time Maeda seems to have made a conscious decision to refer to his art as jujutsu rather than Judo or Kano Jujutsu, perhaps to save the Kodokan any embarrassment, for at the time prizefighting was frowned upon. Maeda also seems to have made a pedagogical change to the usual instructions and offered no belts. Considering where he was and who he was instructing it is possible that at the time he was teaching a combination of Kano Jujutsu and no-holds-barred wrestling. After retiring from the professional wrestling circuit he would begin calling his martial art Judo, following the Kodokan curriculum with his students.

EN 8: Folha do Norte, July 9th 1920

EN 9: According to José Cairus in MODERNIZAÇÃO, NACIONALISMO E A ELITE: a origem do jiu-jitsu brasileiro, 1905-1920 Ferro was a Greco-Roman wrestler who became Maeda's first student in Belém. As his senior pupil he often assisted in instructions and would have done so for Carlos during his time as a student of Maeda.

Capoeira "Versus" Jiu-Jitsu from Caretas Magazine image via Jornal do Capoeira

Conde Koma Wrestling image

Troupe Japoneza image via wikipedia.com