Description
Pioneering Japanese jujutsu and judo instructor and professional challenge
wrestler, one of the first jujutsu stylists to teach and compete outside Japan.
Early training in Japan was tied to his father, a Tenjin Shinyo-ryu master; he
is rumored to have studied with Mataemon Tanabe and had some training in Yataro
Handa's Seibukan school in Osaka. In 1900 the nineteen-year-old travelled to
London at Barton-Wright's invitation and, with Sadakazu Uyenishi, staffed
the Bartitsu School of Arms; he then pioneered the music-hall challenge circuit
under William Bankier. From 1918 he was the first professional jujutsu teacher
at Gunji Koizumi's Budokwai, where Jigoro Kano awarded him 2nd dan judo in
1920 (eventually 4th dan). His leading student Masutaro Otani founded the MOSJ,
which evolved into the British Judo Council. Died in London, 24 January 1950.
Teachers (2)
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Handa Yatarō
sports_martial_artsDaitō-ryū Jūjutsu
Possible
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
5 sources
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fact_check
Tani's training with Handa rests on the 1904 Jewell interview and the JA
Wikipedia listing of Tani among Handa's Daito-ryu students, and is repeated
by the peer-reviewed BJS paper. However, judo historian Oimatsu, as reported by
Wolf 2016, places Tani with Tanabe Mataemon at the Senbukan in Kobe - so the
Handa training is close to disputed, though no source denies it outright; hence
possible.
“There is also some evidence he trained in Yataro Handa's jujutsu school
called the Seibukan in Osaka.”
“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。”
“Tani, another famous jiujitsu man, at present appearing on the music hall stage
with Apollo, the Scottish Hercules, was also a pupil of Yataro Handa’s, and I
believe I am correct in stating that he received the finishing touches of his
jujitsu education at Mr. Handa’s hands. Although Tani’s training with Handa has
not been positively confirmed, judo historian Shinichi Oimatsu noted that “Tani
was a student of Tanabe Mataemon in Kobe”.”
— Wolf, Tony; Bartitsu Society. (2016). New
Discoveries and Speculations re. the Submission Grappling of British Jiu-Jitsu.
The Bartitsu Societylink
history
info
visibilityFirst-hand
“Tani, another famous jiujitsu man [...] was also a pupil of Yataro Handa's,
and I believe I am correct in stating that he received the finishing touches of
his jujitsu education at Mr. Handa's hands (as quoted in Wolf 2016, who
cautions the training has not been positively confirmed).”
— Jewell, J. St. A.. (1904). Interview with Sadakazu
Uyenishi ("Uyenishi Learned the Art from Mr. Yataro Handa of Osaka,
Japan")info
“However, the early pioneers of British jujutsu credited with bringing jujutsu
to the U.K. such as Tani, Uyenishi, and Miyake, were students from the dojo of
Yataro Handa in Osaka, and were not from the Kodokan [Wolf 2016].”
— Brough, David; Bradić, Slaviša; Callan, Mike;
Gatling, Lance; Jones, Llyr. (2023). The British Ju-jitsu Society and the
influence of Kodokan Judo on early jujutsu in the U.K.link
history
info
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Tanabe Mataemon
sports_martial_artsFusen-ryū
Possible
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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Rumoured study with Mataemon Tanabe; the sources describe this as uncertain. The
Fusen-ryu association is plausible at most - EN Wikipedia calls Tani a
"possibly-though unlikely" student.
“he is also rumored to have studied with Mataemon Tanabe, as Yukio's father
and grandfather were friends with the Fusen-ryu master.”
“Notable students Taro Miyake, possibly- though unlikely Yukio Tani, Sadakazu
Uyenishi”
— Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Mataemon Tanabe -
Wikipedia (English). Wikipedia (English)link
history
info
Ranks (3)
-
military_tech2 dan
Probable
Dan-Kyu System
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
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JA Wikipedia records Tani as 2nd dan (二段) of Handa Yataro's Daito-ryu
jujutsu.
“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。”
-
military_tech4 dan
Probable
Dan-Kyu System
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
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Achieved 4th dan judo per Wikipedia; date not given.
“Eventually, Tani reached the rank of 4th-dan.”
military_tech2 dan
Probable
Dan-Kyu System (1920)
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
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Jigoro Kano awarded Tani 2nd dan judo during his 1920 visit to the Budokwai,
detailed in both Wikipedia and the Koizumi entry.
“During a visit to the Budokwai by Jigoro Kano, the founder of Kodokan judo, in
1920, Tani was awarded the second-degree black belt rank in judo.”
Students (6)
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Sarah Mayer
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 source
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Callan/Heffernan/Spenn state the Budokwai ladies' classes at the time Mayer
joined (1926) were taught by Koizumi and Tani Yukio.
“The ladies' classes, at that time, were taught by Koizumi, the founder, and
Tani Yukio”
— 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
link
info
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Phoebe Roberts
sports_martial_artsJūjutsu
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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Callan/Heffernan/Spenn state Roberts performed alongside her teachers, naming
Tani and Uyenishi, and that Tani taught at the Golden Square School from 1904.
Her later 'ladies instructor' role at Tani's Japanese School of
Ju-Jitsu corroborates the relationship.
“By December 1904, Roberts was performing alongside her teachers. Both Tani and
Uyenishi gave a demonstration at Caxton Hall along with Miss Roberts and another
expert, Emily Watts.”
— 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
link
info
alt_routeIndirect
“Sandow's Magazine recounted another demonstration, this time at the
Marlborough Hall, Regent Street, featuring Roberts alongside Messrs Kanaya,
Tani, Maiyake, Huji, and Eida [...] Roberts appeared in Sporting Life in 1906,
along with Miyake, Hirano, Yamashita, and Omura, demonstrating at the
headquarters of the Japanese School of Ju-jitsu on Oxford Street.”
— 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
link
info
-
person
Trevor Leggett
sports_martial_artsKōdōkan Jūdō
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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Single source; Wikidata repeats it.
“student of: Yukio Tani”
— Wikidata - Trevor Leggett: student of (P1066) Yukio
Tanilink
“At the age of 16, therefore, the sport he chose was judo and he started taking
lessons at the London Budokwai. After training under the famous judo masters
Yukio Tani and Gunji Koizumi, he made swift progress”
— Brian N. Watson. (2008). Judo Memoirs of Jigoro
Kanoinfo
-
William Garrud
sports_martial_artsJūjutsu
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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English Wikipedia states explicitly that the Garruds studied under Japanese
jujutsu masters Yukio Tani and Sadakazu Uyenishi; corroborated by Brough (2020).
“They studied under Japanese jujutsu masters Yukio Tani and Sadakazu Uyenishi
and later opened their own London dojo.”
“While training at the Golden Square Dojo the Garruds trained with the best
instructors of the time including Uyenishi, Tani, Taro Miyake, Mitsuyo Maeda,
and Akitaro Ohno”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
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Edith Garrud
sports_martial_artsJūjutsu
Confirmed
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sources
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fact_check
Wikipedia states explicitly that the Garruds trained under the jujutsu
instructors Yukio Tani and Sadakazu Uyenishi at the Bartitsu School of Arms and
continued under Uyenishi at Golden Square; corroborated by Brough (2020).
“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”
“While training at the Golden Square Dojo the Garruds trained with the best
instructors of the time including Uyenishi, Tani, Taro Miyake, Mitsuyo Maeda,
and Akitaro Ohno”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
“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
link
info
-
person
Armand Cherpillod
sports_martial_artsJūjutsu
Probable
fact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sources
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fact_check
One source states it; the other implies it.
“où il enseigne aux côtés de deux jeunes Ju-Jitsuka, Yukio Tani (en) et Sadakazu
Uyenishi (en) qui lui apprennent le ju-jitsu.”
alt_routeIndirect
“Cherpillod (1880–?) was Swiss (the German title translates as “Self-Help: Jiu
Jitsu for Women”), but he had learned his jujitsu methods at Barton-Wright’s
academy.”
— Green, Thomas A.; Svinth, Joseph R.. (2010).
Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation
info
Sources
“Koizumi and Tani who had instructed at the Golden Square Dojo led the massive
expansion of judo in the U.K. and Europe through the Budokwai.”
— Brough, David. (2020). The Golden Square Dojo and
its place in British Jujutsu historylink
history
info
“ha de citarse a Yukio Tani, también llamado el “Hércules de bolsillo” (1’53
metros de alto y 57 kilogramos de peso) [...] Tani actuó en Lisboa al menos
durante los meses de noviembre y diciembre de 1911, realizando sus combates
estelares contra el gran luchador suizo Maurice de Riaz (1’70 metros, 90
kilogramos)”
— Gutiérrez García, Carlos; Rosa, Vítor Alberto;
Pérez Gutiérrez, Mikel. (2010). Introducción de las artes marciales asiáticas en
Portugallink
history
info
“Richard Bowen has established that the two came to Britain in September 1900
[...] in 1920 when he and Gunji Koizumi affiliated with the Kodokan, Jigoro Kano
awarded him a second-dan in judo”
— Noble, Graham; Journal of Asian Martial Arts.
(2000). The Odyssey of Yukio Tani. InYo: Journal of Alternative Perspectives on
Martial Arts and Scienceslink
history
info
“Another Japanese jujutsu expert brought to the UK by Barton-Wright was the
young Tani Yukio, who arrived in September 1899 with his elder brother. Tani
performed extensively alongside Uyenishi in theatres such as the Tivoli. In
1902, he split with Barton Wright and was promoted in the music halls by William
Bankier, otherwise known as Apollo. By 1904, Tani was also teaching at the
Golden Square School.”
— 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
link
info
visibilityFirst-hand
Jewell, J. St. A.. (1904). Interview with Sadakazu Uyenishi ("Uyenishi
Learned the Art from Mr. Yataro Handa of Osaka, Japan")info
Identifiers
https://martial.is/entity/01M06K0RMZNWJ90EEQ7CXBFHGS
Cite and reuse
CC BY-SA 4.0expand_more
Plain text
Muñoz, Frederico (YEAR_PLACEHOLDER). Tani Yukio. In Martialis: Martial Arts
Lineage Database. https://martial.is/entity/01M06K0RMZNWJ90EEQ7CXBFHGS - CC
BY-SA 4.0. Accessed ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER.
BibTeX
@incollection{martialis_01M06K0RMZNWJ90EEQ7CXBFHGS, author = {Muñoz, Frederico},
title = {Tani Yukio}, booktitle = {Martialis: Martial Arts Lineage Database},
year = {YEAR_PLACEHOLDER}, url =
{https://martial.is/entity/01M06K0RMZNWJ90EEQ7CXBFHGS}, urldate =
{ACCESSED_DATE_PLACEHOLDER}, note = {CC BY-SA 4.0} }
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