What if one man changed grappling forever… and almost nobody remembers his name?
Mataemon Tanabe was the feared master of Fusen-ryū jujutsu who shocked Japan in the 1890s by defeating the mighty Kodokan fighters on the ground. While the world focused on spectacular throws, Tanabe proved that the real fight began on the mat.
Known as “Newaza Tanabe” — The Master of Groundwork, he used chokes, joint locks, endurance, and relentless patience to break opponents physically and mentally. He defeated elite judoka, challenged the Kodokan itself, and forced judo to evolve by integrating serious ground fighting into its system.
But Tanabe’s influence didn’t stop there.
Through the fighters and students connected to his methods, his ideas spread from Japan to Europe, then eventually into the lineage that helped shape Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu itself.
Long before modern BJJ, MMA, and submission grappling existed, Mataemon Tanabe was already proving one thing:
Technique, patience, and ground control could defeat size, strength, and aggression.
This is the story of the forgotten master who changed martial arts forever.
The Grapple Of Your Eye Show 
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