Also known as

Description

Dutch judoka and professional wrestler, the only judoka to win two gold medals at a single Olympic Games (Munich 1972, heavyweight and open class). Won two world titles (1967 Salt Lake City, 1971 Ludwigshafen), seven European titles and many Dutch national titles. Started judo at the Dutch Navy and trained under Jon Bluming in the 1960s-70s; reached 8th dan. After 1972 he became national coach of the Netherlands for about a year and later competed in professional wrestling for New Japan Pro-Wrestling and the WWF. Inducted into the IJF Hall of Fame in 2013.

Teachers (2)

• Ja
  Jan van der Horst

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 3

  Confirmed

  The JBN memorial, Dutch Wikipedia and TheaterEncyclopedie all record that under van der Horst's national-coaching (bondscoachschap) Ruska won his first world title in 1967, the anchoring fact of this entry.

  (1967)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  3 sources

  fact_check

  The JBN memorial, Dutch Wikipedia and TheaterEncyclopedie all record that under van der Horst's national-coaching (bondscoachschap) Ruska won his first world title in 1967, the anchoring fact of this entry.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Als bondscoach leidde hij Willem Ruska naar zijn eerste wereldtitel."

  — Visser, Willem. (2009). Herdenking bij het overlijden van de heer Jan van der Horstlinkhistoryinfo

  "Onder zijn bondscoachschap won Wim Ruska in 1967 zijn eerste wereldtitel en werd het Europese kampioenschap behaald door het Nederlandse team."

  — Jan van der Horst (judoka) - Wikipedia (Nederlands). Wikipedia (Dutch)linkinfo

  "Onder zijn bondscoachschap won Wim Ruska zijn eerste wereldtitel in 1967 en werd het Europees kampioenschap behaald door het Nederlands judoteam."

  — Jan van der Horst - TheaterEncyclopedie linkinfo
• 
  Jon Bluming

  linkKōdōkan Jūdō 3

  Confirmed

  Multiple independent sources corroborate Bluming as Ruska's judo teacher: English Wikipedia; Bluming's own 2017 USAdojo/Realfighting interview naming Ruska among his students; the NOS obituary (2018); the Ons Amsterdam profile calling Bluming "Ruska's judomeester" and describing his training at Bluming's club Tung Jen; JudoInside's 2022 retrospective; and Robert W. Smith's "Martial Musings" (1999).

  (1960-1972)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  7 sources

  fact_check

  Multiple independent sources corroborate Bluming as Ruska's judo teacher: English Wikipedia; Bluming's own 2017 USAdojo/Realfighting interview naming Ruska among his students; the NOS obituary (2018); the Ons Amsterdam profile calling Bluming "Ruska's judomeester" and describing his training at Bluming's club Tung Jen; JudoInside's 2022 retrospective; and Robert W. Smith's "Martial Musings" (1999).

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "In the 1960s and 1970s, under the training of Jon Bluming, he won seven European titles, five in the +93 kg category (1966-67, 1969, 1971-72) and two in the open category (1969 and 1972)."

  — Wim Ruska - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

  "Wim Ruska - World Champion ('67 & '71) and Olympic Champion (2x '72) in Judo."

  — Jon Bluming - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

  "Jon Bluming nodigt hem uit om bij Tung Jen te komen trainen... Na drie maanden krachthonk en trainingen in overnametechnieken en grondgevechten vernedert de leerling de meester met zes ippons."

  — de Brock, Peter. (2017). Judoka Wim Ruska: 'Ik kan geen baas boven mij voelen' - Ons Amsterdamlinkinfo

  "Wim Ruska was een van zijn leerlingen."

  — (2018). Veteraan, vechtsporter en filmacteur Jon Bluming overleden - NOSlinkinfo

  "He is a former coach of the Belgian and Dutch national karate teams, and his internationally known students include Olympic judo champion Willem Ruska, world sambo champion Chris Dolman."

  — Mann, WR. (2017). Jon Bluming Interview - USAdojo (by WR Mann). USAdojolinkinfo

  "He moved to a strong club of Jon Bluming who was in that time the biggest challenger of World Champion Anton Geesink."

  — (2022). 50 years after Willem Ruska won his second Olympic title in 1972 - JudoInsidelinkinfo

  "Bluming stopped competing and turned his energies into training future Dutch hopefuls, among them judo champion Willem Ruska and three-time world sambo champion Chris Dolman."

  — Smith, Robert W.. (1999). Martial Musings: A Portrayal of Martial Arts in the 20th Centuryinfo

Ranks (1)

• linkKōdōkan Jūdō

  military_tech8 dan 2

  Probable

  Both Wikipedia infoboxes record 8th dan, without a granting body or date.

  Dan-Kyu System

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  Both Wikipedia infoboxes record 8th dan, without a granting body or date.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  Wim Ruska - Wikipedia (Nederlands). Wikipedia (Dutch)linkinfo

  Wim Ruska - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

Honors (1)

• descriptionIJF Hall of Fame 3

  Confirmed

  Both Wikipedia articles state Ruska was inducted into the IJF Hall of Fame in 2013.

  Other (2013)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  Both Wikipedia articles state Ruska was inducted into the IJF Hall of Fame in 2013.

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "In 2013 werd hij door de internationale judofederatie (IJF) in de Hall of Fame opgenomen."

  — Wim Ruska - Wikipedia (Nederlands). Wikipedia (Dutch)linkinfo

  "In 2013 he was inducted in the Hall of Fame of the International Judo Federation."

  — Wim Ruska - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo

Sources