Tani Yukio
谷 幸雄
1881 - 1950-01-24
Japan - London
Also known as
Yukio Tani
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 Yatarōsports_kabaddiSeibukan badgeexpand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
5 sourcesFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialisfact_checkTani's training with Handa rests on the 1904 Jewell interview (Health and Strength, via Wolf 2016) and the JA Wikipedia listing of Tani among Handa's Daito-ryu students, and is repeated by the peer-reviewed BJS paper (Brough et al. 2023, citing Wolf 2016). 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; confidence kept at level 1 accordingly.assessed by FSMverifiedFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialis"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 [Jewell, Health and Strength, March 1904]... 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"."
"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)."
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Tanabe Mataemonexpand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sourcesFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialisfact_checkRumoured 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.assessed by FSMverifiedFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialis
Ranks (3)
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military_tech2 dan 2ProbableJA Wikipedia records Tani as 2nd dan (二段) of Handa Yataro's Daito-ryu jujutsu.Dan-Kyu System
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1 sourceFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialisfact_checkJA Wikipedia records Tani as 2nd dan (二段) of Handa Yataro's Daito-ryu jujutsu.assessed by FSMverifiedFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialis -
military_tech4 dan2ProbableAchieved 4th dan judo per Wikipedia; date not given.Dan-Kyu Systemmilitary_tech2 dan 3ConfirmedJigoro Kano awarded Tani 2nd dan judo during his 1920 visit to the Budokwai, detailed in both Wikipedia and the Koizumi entry.Dan-Kyu System (1920)granted by Kanō Jigorō
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1 sourceFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialisfact_checkJigoro Kano awarded Tani 2nd dan judo during his 1920 visit to the Budokwai, detailed in both Wikipedia and the Koizumi entry.assessed by FSMverifiedFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialis
Students (5)
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Sarah Mayersports_kabaddiBudokwai badge (1926-1933)expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
1 sourceFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialisfact_checkCallan/Heffernan/Spenn state the Budokwai ladies' classes at the time Mayer joined (1926) were taught by Koizumi and Tani Yukio.assessed by FSMverifiedFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialis -
Phoebe Robertssports_kabaddiSchool of Japanese Self Defence badge (1904-1908)expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sourcesFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialisfact_checkCallan/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.assessed by FSMverifiedFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialis"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."
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TrTrevor Leggett
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1 sourceFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialisfact_checkWikidata lists Trevor Leggett as a student of Yukio Tani (P1066). Single tertiary source with no secondary corroboration in hand; confidence 1 pending corroborationassessed by FSMverifiedFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialis -
William Garrudsports_kabaddiSchool of Japanese Self Defence badge (1903-1908)expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
2 sourcesFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialisfact_checkEnglish Wikipedia states explicitly that the Garruds studied under Japanese jujutsu masters Yukio Tani and Sadakazu Uyenishi; corroborated by Brough (2020).assessed by FSMverifiedFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialis -
Edith Garrudsports_kabaddiSchool of Japanese Self Defence badge (1903-1908)expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified
3 sourcesFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialisfact_checkWikipedia 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).assessed by FSMverifiedFrederico MuñozResearcher, Martialis
Sources
"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."
Jewell, J. St. A.. (1904). Interview with Sadakazu Uyenishi ("Uyenishi
Learned the Art from Mr. Yataro Handa of Osaka, Japan")info
Linked data
https://martial.is/entity/01M06K0RMZNWJ90EEQ7CXBFHGS
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