Also known as
Raku
S. K. Uyenishi
Sada Kazu Uyenishi
Description
Japanese jujutsuka, professional wrestler and a celebrated figure of Edwardian
London from 1900 to 1908. One of the first Japanese jujitsu practitioners to
both teach jujitsu and compete using the art outside Japan. His first martial
art was kenjutsu; he then trained in jujitsu at the Osaka dojo of Yataro Handa,
where Mataemon Tanabe taught. In 1900 he travelled to London at the invitation
of E.W. Barton-Wright and joined Yukio Tani on the faculty of the Bartitsu Club.
After the club closed (c. 1902) he taught at Pierre Vigny's self-defence
academy and, by 1903, opened his own dojo, the School of Japanese Self Defence,
at 31 Golden Square, Piccadilly Circus - the first jujutsu dojo in the UK. In
1905, writing as "Raku" with the help of his student E.H. Nelson, he
produced the Text-Book of Ju-Jutsu. He later taught hand-to-hand combat at
Aldershot Military School and Shorncliffe Army Camp, and in 1907-8 undertook a
highly successful tour of Spain, Portugal and other European countries
performing exhibitions and challenge matches. He returned to Japan in late 1908,
leaving the Golden Square school to his senior student William Garrud, and died
some years before the Second World War. His students included William and Edith
Garrud and Emily Diana Watts.
Teachers (2)
-
Tanabe Mataemon
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
4 sources
fact_check
Uyenishi trained at Handa's dojo in Osaka, where Fusen-ryu master Mataemon
Tanabe taught; the peer-reviewed Brough (2020) article states this directly,
with EN Wikipedia as apud. The EN Wikipedia Tanabe article independently lists
Uyenishi among his notable students.
"Uyenishi trained at the dojo of Yataro Handa in Osaka. In 1898 renowned
jujutsu teacher, Mataemon Tanabe, taught at Handa's dojo [Keegan 2019].
Thus, we can be confident that the instructors of Uyenishi were Handa and
Tanabe."
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylinkinfo
"Yukio Tani, Sadakazu Uyenishi, Seizo Yamamoto and Taro Miyake were all
associated with the ne-waza innovations of Mataemon Tanabe and the Handa dojo...
Yataro Handa was also the sempai (senior) of Mataemon Tanabe."
— Wolf, Tony; Bartitsu Society. (2016). New
Discoveries and Speculations re. the Submission Grappling of British Jiu-Jitsu.
The Bartitsu Societylinkinfo
"in an interview, Uyenishi noted that it had been the school of Yataro
Handa in Osaka, where Mataemon Tanabe taught."
— Sadakazu Uyenishi - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia
(English)linkinfo
"Notable students: Taro Miyake, possibly-though unlikely Yukio Tani,
Sadakazu Uyenishi"
— Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Mataemon Tanabe -
Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo
-
Handa Yatarō
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7 sources
fact_check
Attested in the peer-reviewed Brough (2020) article and en/ja/es Wikipedia; the
Bartitsu Society confirms the Handa school. The style is Handa Yataro's
Daito-ryu jujutsu, distinct from the Takeda Sokaku lineage. Dojo location and
period not precisely dated; the JA Wikipedia account dates the Seibukan to 1878.
"In a March 1904 interview with Uyenishi for Health and Strength Magazine,
journalist J. St. A. Jewell wrote: "Uyenishi learned the art from Mr.
Yataro Handa of Osaka, Japan" ... The Osaka dojo that Handa opened in 1897,
however, seems not to have been affiliated with Tenshin Shin'yo-ryu, but
rather a style called Daito-ryu... an obscure development of Sekiguchi-ryu
jiujitsu."
— Wolf, Tony; Bartitsu Society. (2016). New
Discoveries and Speculations re. the Submission Grappling of British Jiu-Jitsu.
The Bartitsu Societylinkinfo
"Uyenishi learned the art from Mr. Yataro Handa of Osaka, Japan, whose
portrait I have been fortunate enough to secure (as quoted in Wolf 2016)."
— Jewell, J. St. A.. (1904). Interview with Sadakazu
Uyenishi ("Uyenishi Learned the Art from Mr. Yataro Handa of Osaka,
Japan")info
"Uyenishi trained at the dojo of Yataro Handa in Osaka. In 1898 renowned
jujutsu teacher, Mataemon Tanabe, taught at Handa's dojo [Keegan
2019]."
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylinkinfo
"As he was contemplating a military career, his father encouraged him to
begin training in jujitsu and he enrolled in a local dojo; in an interview,
Uyenishi noted that it had been the school of Yataro Handa in Osaka, where
Mataemon Tanabe taught."
— Sadakazu Uyenishi - Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia
(English)linkinfo
"本人のインタビューによると、天神真楊流から開かれた大東流柔術を教える半田弥太郎の道場で柔術を学んだということである。"
— 上西貞一 - Wikipedia (Japanese). Wikipedia (Japanese)
linkinfo
"海外に柔術を伝えた上西貞一（大東流二段）、三宅タロー（大東流五段）、谷幸雄（大東流二段）は半田弥太郎の門人であった。"
— 大東流柔術 - Wikipedia (Japanese). Wikipedia (Japanese)
linkinfo
"His unarmed combat training had been with sensei Yataro Handa in
Osaka."
— Bartitsu Society. Raku, the Japanese Wrestler
(1907). The Bartitsu Societylinkinfo
Ranks (1)
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Dan-Kyu System
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
fact_check
Rank attested in Japanese Wikipedia, which cites the records of Daito-ryu
jujutsu. The style is Handa Yataro's Daito-ryu, distinct from the Takeda
Sokaku lineage.
"大東流柔術の記録によると、上西貞一は大東流柔術二段であり1900年（明治33年）に大日本武徳会で師匠の半田弥太郎と大東流柔術の形を演武したという。"
— 上西貞一 - Wikipedia (Japanese). Wikipedia (Japanese)
linkinfo
Students (4)
-
Phoebe Roberts
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2 sources
fact_check
Joined Uyenishi's Golden Square School in 1903 and was promoted to
instructor within a year; Callan/Heffernan/Spenn explicitly describe Tani and
Uyenishi as her teachers. Corroborated by Brough (2020).
"By that time Roberts had joined the Golden Square School of Jujutsu, in
Piccadilly, which was run by Uyenishi Sadakazu (aka Raku)... As one of the
earliest female members, Roberts was a pioneer. Owing to her proficiency and
marketing appeal as an Englishwoman, Roberts was promoted to an instructor
within a year of training."
— Callan, Mike; Heffernan, Conor; Spenn, Amanda.
(2018). Women's Jūjutsu and Judo in the Early Twentieth-Century: The Cases
of Phoebe Roberts, Edith Garrud, and Sarah Mayer
linkinfo
"An early notable female student was Phoebe Roberts. Roberts joined the
Golden Square dojo age 16 years old, and she was promoted to instructor within a
year."
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylinkinfo
-
William Garrud
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3 sources
fact_check
Garrud was Uyenishi's senior student, took over the Golden Square dojo on
his departure, and dedicated The Complete Jujitsuan to Uyenishi. Attested by
Wikipedia, Brough (2020) and Garrud's own book.
"They studied under Japanese jujutsu masters Yukio Tani and Sadakazu
Uyenishi... When Uyenishi left for Japan in 1908 Garrud took over Uyenishi's
dojo."
— (2026). William Garrud - Wikipedia. Wikipedia
(English)linkinfo
"Following Uyenishi's tour of Europe, he returned to Osaka where
sometime later he died of tuberculosis. However, before leaving the U.K.
Uyenishi passed control of the Golden Square Dojo to his students, William and
Edith Garrud."
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylinkinfo
"Dedicated "To my trainer Professor S.K. Uyenishi Raku"."
— Garrud, William Herbert. (1914). The Complete
Jujitsuanlinkinfo
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Emily Diana Watts
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
fact_check
By 1903 Watts joined the Golden Square dojo run by Sadakazu Uyenishi and Akitaro
Ono in Piccadilly; both Wikipedia and Brough (2020) state she joined in 1903.
"By 1903 Watts had developed a strong interest in jujitsu and joined the
Golden Square dojo of Sadakazu Uyenishi and Akitaro Ono."
— Wikipedia contributors. (2025). Emily Diana Watts -
Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)linkinfo
"Emily Diana Watts had also joined the Golden Square dojo in 1903 and in
1906 wrote The Fine Art of Jujitsu."
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylinkinfo
-
Edith Garrud
expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
fact_check
Wikipedia states the Garruds studied under Uyenishi, initially at the Bartitsu
club; Brough (2020) records they were students of Uyenishi and that he passed
control of the Golden Square dojo to them on his departure;
Callan/Heffernan/Spenn state they were originally trained by Uyenishi Sadakazu.
"The Garruds trained under the school's jujutsu instructors Yukio Tani
and Sadakazu Uyenishi... After the Bartitsu school closed in 1902, the Garruds
continued training under Uyenishi at his own Golden Square Dojo."
— (2026). Edith Garrud - Wikipedia. Wikipedia
(English)linkinfo
"Husband and wife, William and Edith Garrud, had been students of Uyenishi,
initially at the Bartitsu club, and then at the Golden Square Dojo."
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylinkinfo
"Garrud and her husband William were originally trained by Uyenishi
Sadakazu."
— Callan, Mike; Heffernan, Conor; Spenn, Amanda.
(2018). Women's Jūjutsu and Judo in the Early Twentieth-Century: The Cases
of Phoebe Roberts, Edith Garrud, and Sarah Mayer
linkinfo
Sources
Jewell, J. St. A.. (1904). Interview with Sadakazu Uyenishi ("Uyenishi
Learned the Art from Mr. Yataro Handa of Osaka, Japan")info
"Uyenishi, born in Osaka in 1880, had been brought to the UK by Edward
Barton-Wright, the founder of Bartitsu in 1900... In 1906, Uyenishi passed
ownership of the Golden Square School to the Garruds."
— Callan, Mike; Heffernan, Conor; Spenn, Amanda.
(2018). Women's Jūjutsu and Judo in the Early Twentieth-Century: The Cases
of Phoebe Roberts, Edith Garrud, and Sarah Mayer
linkinfo
Linked data
https://martial.is/entity/01M06FKBQ1AB6FKXQBFBFKKDRH