Masahiko Kimura, the fighter who broke Helio Gracie arm
In 1951, Masahiko Kimura defeated Helio Gracie in a judo/jiujitsu submission match
in Brazil. Kimura triumphed with a move that broke his adversary's arm.
The reverse ude-garami (shoulder lock) he used would later be known as the "Kimura."
Kimura was an amazing martial artist who was promoted to yondan (fourth dan) at age 15 after only six years of practice. In 1935.
he became the youngest godan (fifth degree black belt) after defeating eight opponents at the Kodokan Dojo. By age 20, he had become the All Japan Open Weight Judo Champion, a title he maintained for 13 years.
Kimura was known for his intense and difficult workouts, which at one point consisted of 1,000 push-ups and nine hours of daily practice. His wins outside of Japan helped expose martial arts to the world.
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