Taruji "Taro" Miyake
#PWHS #Bio #Biography #Japanese #Hawaii #JiuJitsu #CatchWrestling #CACC
Taro Miyake was born in Okayama, Japan in 1881. Starting at age 16, he trained in older jiu-jitsu styles under teachers Yatoro Handa and Mataemon Tanabe, rather than Kodokan Judo. Miyake’s training emphasized ground grappling, similar to catch-as-catch-can. In 1901 he became a police self-defense instructor in Kobe, but lost the job due to his penchant for street-fighting. On May 9, 1903 Miyake participated in the All-Japan Bujutsu Championship tournament in Kobe and placed first. The tourney involved both Kodokan judokas and practitioners of the older jiu-jitsu schools.
Again involved in street-fighting, Miyake reportedly ran afoul of the Yakuza and fled Japan. He arrived in England and defeated a fellow Handa student Yukio Tani in December 1904 in London. Tani had been teaching jiu-jitsu and taking on all comers in challenge contests. Miyake and Tani joined forces, teaching martial arts and engaging in challenge matches across Europe. He later related that “for several years he taught the students of Oxford, Cambridge and Charterhouse universities the art of self-defense by means of jiu-jitsu. Later he went to Germany and became the jiu-jitsu instructor in the university of Heidelburg. After a short time there he journeyed through France, Spain and Russia.”
Miyake took on British heavyweight boxer William Huggins in a challenge match at the Bostock Hippodrome in Paris on April 5, 1906. Huggins wore four-ounce gloves and in addition agreed to wear a jiu-jitsu jacket. Miyake started on the offense, holding his hands out, grabbing at Huggins’ sleeves, and extending his left leg forward. Huggins was not intimidated and threw punches whenever he found an opportunity. The boxer landed one blow on Miyake’s jaw and drove another solid punch into the jiu-jitsu expert’s shoulder. Miyake responded by clinching and quickly took the action to the ground. They scrambled and rolled about, until Miyake methodically locked up an arm and forced the boxer to concede. The match lasted all of an action-packed thirty-seven seconds.
He recounted that while in England, he tried to goad the celebrated George Hackenschmidt into a match. “When Hackenschmidt was at the Empire Music Hall in London, I jumped on the stage and challenged him. I offered to make a match with him right then for any stake he wanted, jiu-jitsu against his wrestling, and to beat him in five minutes or forfeit the money. Hackenschmidt’s men tried to push me off the stage and Hackenschmidt said ‘No-no.’”
Miyake took part in the “Championship of Champions” catch-as-catch-can tournament held in Paris in 1913 and 1914. This was a huge tourney that involved Stanislaus and Wladek Zbyszko, Jimmy Esson and exiled boxing champion Jack Johnson among others. Miyake later related that this was his initial venture into the world of professional wrestling. Miyake waded through the middleweight ranks, losing the final to the Swiss wrestler Maurice DeRiaz. He continued competing in the heavyweight class until he was eliminated.
When World War I broke out, Miyake headed to North America, landing in New York. He proclaimed himself “the jiu-jitsu champion of the world” and challenged all wrestlers and boxers to a mixed style contest, specifically naming Frank Gotch and Stanislaus Zbyszko using jiu-jitsu and George Bothner in a catch-as-catch-can contest. He successfully defended his “world jiu-jitsu championship” against Englishmen Will Bingham. The bout with Bingham occurred February 1, 1915 at Brown’s Gym in New York City. Bingham was an acknowledged master at all grappling styles, including jiu-jitsu and had a popular following as an instructor with the New York Athletic Club. The bout was one of the first jiu-jitsu contests between bona-fide experts of the art held in New York and it generated a lot of publicity.
Miyake weighed in at 165 pounds to Bingham’s 153. The Japanese champ wore a jacket and trunks and was barefoot. Bingham was similarly attired with the addition of shoes and socks. They would contest until one man won two out of three falls. No holds were barred and a round lasted until one man was forced to concede or was disabled. As the action commenced, both men showed some initial caution, sizing one another up. Miyake kicked violently at Bingham’s knee, the force of which sent him toppling to the mat. The English grappler leaped right back up and charged his antagonist. Miyake eluded the rush and kicked his opponent back to the ground. He followed him down and started working to secure a choke hold. Some fast grappling on both their parts continued until Bingham escaped Miyake’s clutches and regained his feet.
Again involved in street-fighting, Miyake reportedly ran afoul of the Yakuza and fled Japan. He arrived in England and defeated a fellow Handa student Yukio Tani in December 1904 in London. Tani had been teaching jiu-jitsu and taking on all comers in challenge contests. Miyake and Tani joined forces, teaching martial arts and engaging in challenge matches across Europe. He later related that “for several years he taught the students of Oxford, Cambridge and Charterhouse universities the art of self-defense by means of jiu-jitsu. Later he went to Germany and became the jiu-jitsu instructor in the university of Heidelburg. After a short time there he journeyed through France, Spain and Russia.”
Miyake took on British heavyweight boxer William Huggins in a challenge match at the Bostock Hippodrome in Paris on April 5, 1906. Huggins wore four-ounce gloves and in addition agreed to wear a jiu-jitsu jacket. Miyake started on the offense, holding his hands out, grabbing at Huggins’ sleeves, and extending his left leg forward. Huggins was not intimidated and threw punches whenever he found an opportunity. The boxer landed one blow on Miyake’s jaw and drove another solid punch into the jiu-jitsu expert’s shoulder. Miyake responded by clinching and quickly took the action to the ground. They scrambled and rolled about, until Miyake methodically locked up an arm and forced the boxer to concede. The match lasted all of an action-packed thirty-seven seconds.
He recounted that while in England, he tried to goad the celebrated George Hackenschmidt into a match. “When Hackenschmidt was at the Empire Music Hall in London, I jumped on the stage and challenged him. I offered to make a match with him right then for any stake he wanted, jiu-jitsu against his wrestling, and to beat him in five minutes or forfeit the money. Hackenschmidt’s men tried to push me off the stage and Hackenschmidt said ‘No-no.’”
Miyake took part in the “Championship of Champions” catch-as-catch-can tournament held in Paris in 1913 and 1914. This was a huge tourney that involved Stanislaus and Wladek Zbyszko, Jimmy Esson and exiled boxing champion Jack Johnson among others. Miyake later related that this was his initial venture into the world of professional wrestling. Miyake waded through the middleweight ranks, losing the final to the Swiss wrestler Maurice DeRiaz. He continued competing in the heavyweight class until he was eliminated.
When World War I broke out, Miyake headed to North America, landing in New York. He proclaimed himself “the jiu-jitsu champion of the world” and challenged all wrestlers and boxers to a mixed style contest, specifically naming Frank Gotch and Stanislaus Zbyszko using jiu-jitsu and George Bothner in a catch-as-catch-can contest. He successfully defended his “world jiu-jitsu championship” against Englishmen Will Bingham. The bout with Bingham occurred February 1, 1915 at Brown’s Gym in New York City. Bingham was an acknowledged master at all grappling styles, including jiu-jitsu and had a popular following as an instructor with the New York Athletic Club. The bout was one of the first jiu-jitsu contests between bona-fide experts of the art held in New York and it generated a lot of publicity.
Miyake weighed in at 165 pounds to Bingham’s 153. The Japanese champ wore a jacket and trunks and was barefoot. Bingham was similarly attired with the addition of shoes and socks. They would contest until one man won two out of three falls. No holds were barred and a round lasted until one man was forced to concede or was disabled. As the action commenced, both men showed some initial caution, sizing one another up. Miyake kicked violently at Bingham’s knee, the force of which sent him toppling to the mat. The English grappler leaped right back up and charged his antagonist. Miyake eluded the rush and kicked his opponent back to the ground. He followed him down and started working to secure a choke hold. Some fast grappling on both their parts continued until Bingham escaped Miyake’s clutches and regained his feet.
The Japanese martial artist landed another kick, sending Bingham crashing down. Miyake went after him and they tussled about at a fast pace. Bingham ended up on top and attempted to lock on a choke hold. Miyake used his powerful legs, coupled with the force of leverage, and sent Bingham sailing across the ring. Both combatants were quickly back upright and Miyake again kicked Bingham to the mat. The British grappler was still full of game, and after some more mixing about, managed to execute a shoulder
throw. Down on his back and facing Bingham, Miyake raised his legs threateningly in defense. The tactic kept Bingham at bay.
Miyake was back on his feet and went after Bingham relentlessly. Four times, in quick order, he smashed him to the ground. Each time, the Englishman rose up ready for more, though visibly shaken. Miyake kept on the aggressive and tossed Bingham about the ring. The final throw was achieved when Miyake back-heeled Bingham and with both his hands gripping tightly to his jacket, flung him waist high to the ground. His head, shoulders and hips were slammed down with all the force and power Miyake could muster. Bingham was rendered nearly unconscious, but gathered his wits to shout out his surrender.
Bingham was given time to recover but it was determined that he was too badly battered to continue and the contest was called in favor of the man from Japan. The match had lasted sixteen minutes and twenty-four seconds of “bone-crushing, head-splitting work.” The match made the national news service and was covered in newspapers across the country. Interviewed a few years later, Bingham said that “there is no question of Miyake being the greatest living exponent of jiu-jitsu.”
On April 8, 1916 in Los Angeles, Miyake grappled to a grueling draw with skilled catch-as-catch-can wrestler Ad Santel in a mixed catch wrestling/jiu-jitsu rules contest. With both contestants at the point of exhaustion, the referee called the match even. A couple months earlier Santel had shocked the jiu-jitsu/judo community by defeating Tokugoro Ito in San Francisco, incapacitating him by smashing his head into the mat in the 2nd round.
In 1916-1917 Miyake spent some five months in Hawaii and faced several wrestlers and the boxer, Ben de Mello, “the Lion of Hilo.” Miyake defeated the latter on December 30, 1916, in Hilo. Back on the mainland, Miyake continued on the pro wrestling circuit, becoming a mainstay on cards across North America-wrestling in catch-as-catch-can matches, mixed-style bouts, and jiu-jitsu-rules contests. He faced everyone from Ed “Strangler” Lewis to to Jim Londos.
On December 18, 1918 Miyake squared off with the 215-pound notorious “trustbuster” Marin Plestina in Vancouver, British Columbia. Plestina and his colorful manager J.C. Marsh were in the midst of a barnstorming tour as independent mavericks challenging and daring all the leading wrestlers and heavyweight title claimants to get in the ring. They extended the defi to Miyake, who readily accepted, agreeing to defend his “world jiu-jitsu championship” against Plestina.
The announced weights for the men were 215 pounds for Plestina and 175 for Miyake. The contest was set up with three 20-minute rounds. A fall would be called when one grappler gave up in submission, was rendered unconscious or was left otherwise incapacitated. Two referees Al Davenport and S. Fujita handled the officiating duty. The venue was packed and many Japanese fans were on hand to cheer their countryman.
The match lived up to the enthusiastic crowd’s expectations. One reporter opined, “It was undoubtedly the finest, most spirited and spectacular actual contest under jiu-jitsu rules that local wrestling fans have witnessed in the last decade or further back.” (Vancouver Sun, 12/19/18) The bout was described as “choke versus choke” and “lumber jack rules with no holds barred.” Both men were hell-bent on choking the breadth out of one another. Plestina was extremely aggressive and kept up a steady and relentless attack on his foe, Miyake was able to resist and counter the bigger man’s assaults, although on two occasions he nearly succumbed to front chokeholds. Plestina had his opponent “coughing and gurgling.” (ibid) For the full sixty minutes the combatants went at one another desperately using front chokes and collar chokes. Several times, Miyake was able to latch on a dangerous collar choke, enwrapping Plestina’s thick neck in the folds of his jacket collar. It appeared to be “lights out” for “the Tarzan of the mat”, as he was popularly called. Plestina managed to break the grip by shoving out his long, powerful arms and thrusting under Miyake’s chin. Brute power overcame the smaller man and Miyake had to yield and release the grip.
throw. Down on his back and facing Bingham, Miyake raised his legs threateningly in defense. The tactic kept Bingham at bay.
Miyake was back on his feet and went after Bingham relentlessly. Four times, in quick order, he smashed him to the ground. Each time, the Englishman rose up ready for more, though visibly shaken. Miyake kept on the aggressive and tossed Bingham about the ring. The final throw was achieved when Miyake back-heeled Bingham and with both his hands gripping tightly to his jacket, flung him waist high to the ground. His head, shoulders and hips were slammed down with all the force and power Miyake could muster. Bingham was rendered nearly unconscious, but gathered his wits to shout out his surrender.
Bingham was given time to recover but it was determined that he was too badly battered to continue and the contest was called in favor of the man from Japan. The match had lasted sixteen minutes and twenty-four seconds of “bone-crushing, head-splitting work.” The match made the national news service and was covered in newspapers across the country. Interviewed a few years later, Bingham said that “there is no question of Miyake being the greatest living exponent of jiu-jitsu.”
On April 8, 1916 in Los Angeles, Miyake grappled to a grueling draw with skilled catch-as-catch-can wrestler Ad Santel in a mixed catch wrestling/jiu-jitsu rules contest. With both contestants at the point of exhaustion, the referee called the match even. A couple months earlier Santel had shocked the jiu-jitsu/judo community by defeating Tokugoro Ito in San Francisco, incapacitating him by smashing his head into the mat in the 2nd round.
In 1916-1917 Miyake spent some five months in Hawaii and faced several wrestlers and the boxer, Ben de Mello, “the Lion of Hilo.” Miyake defeated the latter on December 30, 1916, in Hilo. Back on the mainland, Miyake continued on the pro wrestling circuit, becoming a mainstay on cards across North America-wrestling in catch-as-catch-can matches, mixed-style bouts, and jiu-jitsu-rules contests. He faced everyone from Ed “Strangler” Lewis to to Jim Londos.
On December 18, 1918 Miyake squared off with the 215-pound notorious “trustbuster” Marin Plestina in Vancouver, British Columbia. Plestina and his colorful manager J.C. Marsh were in the midst of a barnstorming tour as independent mavericks challenging and daring all the leading wrestlers and heavyweight title claimants to get in the ring. They extended the defi to Miyake, who readily accepted, agreeing to defend his “world jiu-jitsu championship” against Plestina.
The announced weights for the men were 215 pounds for Plestina and 175 for Miyake. The contest was set up with three 20-minute rounds. A fall would be called when one grappler gave up in submission, was rendered unconscious or was left otherwise incapacitated. Two referees Al Davenport and S. Fujita handled the officiating duty. The venue was packed and many Japanese fans were on hand to cheer their countryman.
The match lived up to the enthusiastic crowd’s expectations. One reporter opined, “It was undoubtedly the finest, most spirited and spectacular actual contest under jiu-jitsu rules that local wrestling fans have witnessed in the last decade or further back.” (Vancouver Sun, 12/19/18) The bout was described as “choke versus choke” and “lumber jack rules with no holds barred.” Both men were hell-bent on choking the breadth out of one another. Plestina was extremely aggressive and kept up a steady and relentless attack on his foe, Miyake was able to resist and counter the bigger man’s assaults, although on two occasions he nearly succumbed to front chokeholds. Plestina had his opponent “coughing and gurgling.” (ibid) For the full sixty minutes the combatants went at one another desperately using front chokes and collar chokes. Several times, Miyake was able to latch on a dangerous collar choke, enwrapping Plestina’s thick neck in the folds of his jacket collar. It appeared to be “lights out” for “the Tarzan of the mat”, as he was popularly called. Plestina managed to break the grip by shoving out his long, powerful arms and thrusting under Miyake’s chin. Brute power overcame the smaller man and Miyake had to yield and release the grip.
Plestina frequently had Miyake down on the mat where he brutally grasped at his throat and wrenched and twisted his head, smashing it onto the canvas. The Japanese martial artist, “in his efforts to prevent his head from being pounded on the floor or shaken like a rat in the clutches of Plestina, would wriggle off the canvas for a moment’s respite.” (ibid) The duo of referees would then restart them in the center of the ring. Miyake also freed himself with the use of his strong lower limbs with which he was able to raise up and toss the big “Trustbuster” across the mat. At one point during the last period, both men were on their backs struggling fervently to lock a toehold on one another. Unable to achieve their goal, they released their holds. Plestina switched position and went after a choke hold. The end of the third round found Plestina mounted on Miyake and attempting to strangle him into unconsciousness.
The specified three periods had expired. No falls had been secured. Plestina was unquestionably the aggressor through most of the match, while Miyake’s defensive work was equally impressive. The contest had not been arranged to go to a decision, so the verdict was declared to be a draw. All in attendance were delighted to have witnessed such an exciting and thrilling match.
At this stage of his career, the vast majority of Miyake’s opponents were western pro wrestlers, but on October 15, 1926 in Wichita, KS he engaged in a jiu-jitsu bout with Yoshi Koma. Miyake won falls in the last two of three periods and retained his “world jiu-jitsu championship.”
Plestina frequently had Miyake down on the mat where he brutally grasped at his throat and wrenched and twisted his head, smashing it onto the canvas. The Japanese martial artist, “in his efforts to prevent his head from being pounded on the floor or shaken like a rat in the clutches of Plestina, would wriggle off the canvas for a moment’s respite.” (ibid) The duo of referees would then restart them in the center of the ring. Miyake also freed himself with the use of his strong lower limbs with which he was able to raise up and toss the big “Trustbuster” across the mat. At one point during the last period, both men were on their backs struggling fervently to lock a toehold on one another. Unable to achieve their goal, they released their holds. Plestina switched position and went after a choke hold. The end of the third round found Plestina mounted on Miyake and attempting to strangle him into unconsciousness.
The specified three periods had expired. No falls had been secured. Plestina was unquestionably the aggressor through most of the match, while Miyake’s defensive work was equally impressive. The contest had not been arranged to go to a decision, so the verdict was declared to be a draw. All in attendance were delighted to have witnessed such an exciting and thrilling match.
At this stage of his career, the vast majority of Miyake’s opponents were western pro wrestlers, but on October 15, 1926 in Wichita, KS he engaged in a jiu-jitsu bout with Yoshi Koma. Miyake won falls in the last two of three periods and retained his “world jiu-jitsu championship.”
In 1928 Miyake returned to his homeland for a brief, unsuccessful attempt to hold North American-style pro wrestling matches. Returning to the US he resumed an active mat career, appearing all over North America. His last recorded matches (found thus far) were in June of 1932. It was reported that he died in Okayama in August, 1935.
It is often mistakenly related that Miyake ventured to Brazil and lost a jiu-jitsu contest to the legendary Helio Gracie in Rio de Janeiro on June 24, 1934. It has become part of the Gracie lore that Helio defeated the world-renowned Taro Miyake. However, Gracie’s opponent was a lighter and younger Japanese jiu-jitsu fighter named “Myaki”, not the famous pro wrestler. Brazilian newspaper photos of Myaki do not at all match pictures of Miyake. They were two different individuals.
Gracie’s opponent weighed in at 141.5 pounds and was associated with the Ono brothers’ troupe of jiu-jitsu artists. Even in his early career, Taro Miyake’s weight was in the 160-170 pound range. By the early 1930s, as his career was winding down, Taro weighed from 183-195 lbs. And as reported in 1931 Honolulu newspaper articles, by that time Miyake was a grizzled, battle-scarred veteran of the ring. One reporter described him as bald, suffering from a boil outbreak, and out of condition.
Nevertheless, Taro Miyake stands tall as one of the all-time greats of combat sports. He was the most prolific of the Japanese martial artists fighting in the western world. Miyake traveled the globe from the early 1900s into the 1930s, demonstrating and teaching jiu-jitsu, meeting all comers in challenge matches, and holding his own in the wild and woolly realm of professional wrestling.
In 1928 Miyake returned to his homeland for a brief, unsuccessful attempt to hold North American-style pro wrestling matches. Returning to the US he resumed an active mat career, appearing all over North America. His last recorded matches (found thus far) were in June of 1932. It was reported that he died in Okayama in August, 1935.
It is often mistakenly related that Miyake ventured to Brazil and lost a jiu-jitsu contest to the legendary Helio Gracie in Rio de Janeiro on June 24, 1934. It has become part of the Gracie lore that Helio defeated the world-renowned Taro Miyake. However, Gracie’s opponent was a lighter and younger Japanese jiu-jitsu fighter named “Myaki”, not the famous pro wrestler. Brazilian newspaper photos of Myaki do not at all match pictures of Miyake. They were two different individuals.
Gracie’s opponent weighed in at 141.5 pounds and was associated with the Ono brothers’ troupe of jiu-jitsu artists. Even in his early career, Taro Miyake’s weight was in the 160-170 pound range. By the early 1930s, as his career was winding down, Taro weighed from 183-195 lbs. And as reported in 1931 Honolulu newspaper articles, by that time Miyake was a grizzled, battle-scarred veteran of the ring. One reporter described him as bald, suffering from a boil outbreak, and out of condition.
Nevertheless, Taro Miyake stands tall as one of the all-time greats of combat sports. He was the most prolific of the Japanese martial artists fighting in the western world. Miyake traveled the globe from the early 1900s into the 1930s, demonstrating and teaching jiu-jitsu, meeting all comers in challenge matches, and holding his own in the wild and woolly realm of professional wrestling.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Biography of Taro Miyake.
Author: Mark Hewitt.
Published: February 14, 2019.
Biography: #90.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Unique content strictly for the Professional Wrestling Historical Society.
Biography of Taro Miyake.
Author: Mark Hewitt.
Published: February 14, 2019.
Biography: #90.
Editor: Jimmy Wheeler.
Most of the Japanese martial arts pioneers that appeared in the west in the early 20th century were Kodakan judokas, including Mitsuyo Maeda, Tokugoro Ito, Akitaro Ono, Soishiro Satake, Yoshiaki Yamashita, and Tsunejiro Tomita.
Some information has been used from research done by Yasutoshi Ishikawa, and from Roberto Pedreira (Choque : The Untold Story of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil, Volume 1, 1856-1949)
Quotes are from newspapers unless otherwise stated.