Also known as
Tarzan of the Tatami · Tarzan van de tatami
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)
-
person
Jan van der Horst
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Confirmed
(1967)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
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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.
“Als bondscoach leidde hij Willem Ruska naar zijn eerste wereldtitel”
— Visser, Willem. (2009). Herdenking bij het
overlijden van de heer Jan van der Horstlink
history
info
“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)link
history
info
“Onder zijn bondscoachschap won Wim Ruska zijn eerste wereldtitel in 1967 en
werd het Europees kampioenschap behaald door het Nederlands judoteam.”
-
Jon Bluming
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Confirmed
(1960–1972)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
7 sources
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fact_check
Multiple independent sources corroborate Bluming as Ruska's judo teacher,
including Bluming's own 2017 interview naming Ruska among his students.
“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 - World Champion ('67 & '71) and Olympic Champion (2x
'72) in Judo.”
“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 Amsterdamlink
history
info
“Wim Ruska was een van zijn leerlingen.”
— (2018). Veteraan, vechtsporter en filmacteur Jon
Bluming overleden - NOSlink
history
info
“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). USAdojolink
history
info
“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 - JudoInsidelink
history
info
“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)
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military_tech8 dan
Probable
Dan-Kyu System
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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Both Wikipedia infoboxes record 8th dan, without a granting body or date.
“Rank 8th dan black belt”
Honours (1)
-
descriptionIJF Hall of Fame
Probable
Other (2013)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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fact_check
Both Wikipedia articles state Ruska was inducted into the IJF Hall of Fame in
2013.
“In 2013 werd hij door de internationale judofederatie (IJF) in de Hall of Fame
opgenomen.”
“In 2013 he was inducted in the Hall of Fame of the International Judo
Federation.”
Identifiers
https://martial.is/entity/01M015RCSFK72AEZPP3EQZ136Q
Cite and reuse
CC BY-SA 4.0expand_more
Plain text
Muñoz, Frederico (YEAR_PLACEHOLDER). Wim Ruska. In Martialis: Martial Arts
Lineage Database. https://martial.is/entity/01M015RCSFK72AEZPP3EQZ136Q - CC
BY-SA 4.0. Accessed ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.
BibTeX
@incollection{martialis_01M015RCSFK72AEZPP3EQZ136Q, author = {Muñoz, Frederico},
title = {Wim Ruska}, booktitle = {Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage Database},
year = {YEAR_PLACEHOLDER}, url =
{https://martial.is/entity/01M015RCSFK72AEZPP3EQZ136Q}, urldate =
{ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }
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