Also known as
Johannes Cornelius Bluming
Description
Dutch martial artist, 9th dan judo, 10th dan Kyokushin karate and 10th dan
hapkido, founder of Kyokushin Budokai. Trained at the Kodokan in Tokyo under
Toshiro Daigo, Yoshimi Osawa and Kazuo Ito, and a close associate of Donn F.
Draeger and Masutatsu Oyama. National coach of the Dutch judo team who won the
1957 European championship, and coach of Wim Ruska during his 1960s-70s title
run as well as of Chris Dolman and Antonio Inoki's New Japan Pro-Wrestling
associate Otti Roethof.
Teachers (7)
-
Ge
Gerhard Schutte
(1953-1958)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
fact_check
Bluming's own official biography (jonbluming.nl) records that Dr G. Schutte,
the founder of the NAJA dojo in Amsterdam, gave him his 1st dan after only 12
months of training at the Tung Jen club; corroborated by the Realfighting
interview and the Dutch Wikipedia article on Schutte.
"Back in Holland he found by accident the judo club witch would really
change his life from that on. When he brought home his girlfriend he saw in a
little street a poster of the Tung Jen judo club in November 1953. So he went to
that dojo and joined up. ... his Sensei, Dr G. Schutte gave him his 1st Dan only
after 12 months."
"I found a dojo in Amsterdam of the "Neth Amateur Judo
Association" of the famous Dr. Schutte (affectionately called OPA by the
students)."
— Mann, WR. Jon Bluming, Europe's First Mixed
Martial Artist - Realfightinglinkinfo
-
Donn F. Draeger
(1959-1961)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
fact_check
Multiple primary sources agree that Donn Draeger trained Bluming in judo in
Tokyo from March 1959 until 1961, including managing his weight gain from 79 to
102 kilos, and proposed him for the Kenshusei class.
"when Draeger (Donn Draeger) started training me, in March 1959, by
November I was a solid 102 kilos. ... He was the best; he could run circles
around all the top Judoka in the Kodokan, all the 8th and 9th and 10th
dans."
— Mann, WR. Jon Bluming, Europe's First Mixed
Martial Artist - Realfightinglinkinfo
"Back in Tokyo he started under the guidance of the famous Donn Dreager
again with weight training for judo and karate and became finally what he always
wanted heavyweight at 102 kilo solid from 79 kilo in Canada."
-
Mifune Kyūzō
(1959-1961)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
fact_check
Bluming's official biography identifies the Kodokan master he first saw in
March 1951 and who later became head teacher of the Kenshusei class he joined in
November 1959 as the same elderly red-belt master, Kyuzo Mifune; the EJMAS
article confirms Mifune gave special seminars to Kenshusei members.
"In 1959 November that elderly man would become his head teacher in the new
Kodokan when he became a member of the famous Kenshusei the 25 best fighters of
Japan."
"members also got to attend special seminars given by teachers like Mifune
and Samura."
— Bluming, Jon. (2000). The Beast of Amsterdam -
Journal of Combative Sport (EJMAS). Journal of Combative Sportlinkinfo
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Daigo Toshirō
(1959-1961)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
fact_check
The EJMAS first-person account names Daigo as one of the regular instructors of
the Kodokan Kenshusei training program while Bluming was a member, and English
Wikipedia lists Daigo among Bluming's teachers; Bluming elsewhere calls him
"my old teacher Daigo Sensei".
"The first Olympic training for the Kenshusei took place in August 1960.
... While the regular instructors included Daigo, Kawamura, and Osawa. ... the
next day I was summoned to the office of Risei Kano, where he and Daigo Sensei
told me that as a member of the Kenshusei I had to adhere to the honor
code."
— Bluming, Jon. (2000). The Beast of Amsterdam -
Journal of Combative Sport (EJMAS). Journal of Combative Sportlinkinfo
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Ōsawa Yoshimi
(1959-1961)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
fact_check
The EJMAS first-person account names Osawa as one of the regular instructors of
the Kodokan Kenshusei training program while Bluming was a member, and English
Wikipedia lists Osawa among Bluming's teachers. Not a direct "my
teacher" claim, so rated probable rather than confirmed.
"While the regular instructors included Daigo, Kawamura, and Osawa."
— Bluming, Jon. (2000). The Beast of Amsterdam -
Journal of Combative Sport (EJMAS). Journal of Combative Sportlinkinfo
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Hirano Tokio
(1957-1957)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
fact_check
Bluming's official biography records that Tokio Hirano awarded him his 3rd
dan at a 1957 summer camp in Holland after he threw 75 judoka in 26 minutes; the
same source states Schutte himself held 4th dan from Hirano.
"In 1957 he got his 3th Dan from Tokyo Hirano at a summer camp in Holland
when he throw 75 judoka from 4e kyu until 4th Dan in 26 minutes."
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Ka
Kazuo Itō
(1959-1961)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
fact_check
English Wikipedia names Kazuo Ito among the teachers Bluming trained under at
the Kodokan, but the claim is not corroborated by any primary source reviewed
(official biography, Realfighting interview, EJMAS first-person accounts all
omit him). Rated uncertain.
Ranks (2)
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Dan-Kyu System (1957)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
fact_check
Bluming's official biography records that he received his 3rd dan from Tokio
Hirano in 1957 at a summer camp in Holland after throwing 75 judoka in 26
minutes.
"In 1957 he got his 3th Dan from Tokyo Hirano at a summer camp in Holland
when he throw 75 judoka from 4e kyu until 4th Dan in 26 minutes even when he had
broken his big toe."
Dan-Kyu System
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
fact_check
English Wikipedia records 9th dan in judo for Bluming, without a granting body
or date.
Students (1)
-
Wi
Wim Ruska
(1960-1972)
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
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).
"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
Linked data
https://martial.is/entity/01M015RNEV8D2DR0J67PC1091F