Taro Miyake
Taro Miyake ("Miyake Taruji") (c. 1881–1935) was a Japanese jujutsu and judo instructor and professional wrestler. He is credited for helping establish jujutsu in the United Kingdom at the start of the 20th century. Biography. Miyake started his training under the famous Fusen-ryu jujutsu ground-fighting Newaza master Mataemon Tanabe, as well as Osaka master Yataro Handa, head of the 2000 member Seibukan. In 1899 he started working as a teacher in Nara, and two years later he was appointed police instructor in Kobe. However, in 1904 he was fired for taking part in a brawl, so  Miyake departed Japan for London. upon recruitment by fellow Seibukan star-student Sadakazu Uyenishi. Miyake toured through spectacles and music halls, defeating many of the best wrestlers of the time and engaging in open all-comers challenge matches. He also famously defeated the reigning champion in the jujutsu style, Yukio Tani. Miyake and Tani had joined forces, opening a jujutsu school on Oxford street and co-authoring a book with Tani titled "The Game of Ju-Jitsu". He was widely considered the best exponent of Jiu-Jitsu in Europe at the time and participated in MMA style matches against boxers  in France where laws allowed such bouts to take place. He also toured the UK with Mitsuyo Maeda - who had just begun taking an interest in Newaza upon his arrival in London in order to compete with Catch wrestlers (Maeda would later bring this art to Brazil). In London, he sat for the well-known English artist and lithographer Albert de Belleroche. In 1914, he reached United States and stayed there for 20 years, settling down in Seattle, where he set his school. On October 20, 1917, Miyake had a famous challenge match against professional wrestler and catch wrestling practitioner  Ad Santel who himself studied some Jiu-Jitsu. Miyake was used to winning. This time, while Miyake fought bravely, he lost the match after receiving a half Nelson slam that was so powerful that Miyake remained dizzy for half an hour after the bout. Now even more interested in professional wrestling than he was while in Europe, Miyake started working at Ed "The Strangler" Lewis's wrestling promotion, learning the art and having matches against names like Toots Mondt, Clarence Eklund and some others. During the early 20s, Miyake lived in Spokane Washington. In 1928 Miyake returned to Japan and  toured there with three other wrestlers, but professional wrestling was not popular in Japan back then and the shows did not sell tickets. He returned to United States along with Danzan-ryu trainee Oki Shikina, who became his apprentice. In 1925 Miyake moved to Chicago and while not on tour, would teach alongside Kodokan Judoka Shozo Kuwashima at 22 E Huron street. In 1931 Miyake moved to New York. As of 1932, in his 50s, he was still competing in bouts at Madison Square Garden. He died in 1935.