Choque: The Untold Story of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil 1856-1949 (Volume 1) (5 page)

Twenty-two years of freedom did not provide potential recruits into the ranks of the capoeiras with places in civilized Brazilian society. That cost money, required family connections in government, and was associated with skin color.

Brazilians in general, but especially slaves, did not have a “hard work leads to success” myth. In their historical experience, hard work led to more hard work and anyone who could avoid it, did. Emancipation did little or nothing to change public perceptions of capoeiragem or capoeiras.

Nor did the reality change much. To some degree, the term “capoeiragem” began to be used to mean “violence”
, particularly when it was associated with alcohol and deadly weapons. A few more examples will suffice.

“Yesterday Ricardo Jose da Rocha and Faustino Cornelio were put in jail for performing capoeiragem”.
43

“At
3 p.m., at rua dos Arcos, at the corner of rua do Lavradio, there was a frightening capoeiragem demonstration between Manuel do Nascimento and Jose Martins. Both were armed with razor blades. The fight went on for a half-hour until the police arrived and arrested them. Both received serious lacerations to their right arms“.
44

“
A street cake vendor named O Cabra was arrested by Capitão Castro, for teaching capoeiragem at the doors of the Theatro Fluminense the day before yesterday at 12 at night. His ’students’ [
discipulos
] were told to take care of his cake-box”.
45

O Cabra’s case was revealing. He apparently was not a street thug, but rather a working man. His mistake was teaching capoeiragem
rather than selling cakes.

“An 18 year old seaman of German extraction, Ernesto Peterson, was walking late at night by the Largo de S. Francisco da Prainha, when he was confronted by two minors who proceed to give him a lesson in “capoeiragem”
. He defended himself as well as could but due to the inequality of the contest, fell and slightly injured his left shoulder”.
46

“Antonio de Souza, described as one of the most famous capoeiras (
“
um dos mais afamado capoeiras da zona da Saude
”) armed with a knife [
faca
], and Antonio Galdino Ferreira, with a pocket-knife [
canivete
], had a
duello
[duel] last night on Praça Municipal. They were both arrested”.
47

“Oswaldo de Lemos was sentenced to two months in prison for violation
of article 402 of the Penal Codigo, capoeiragem. Francisco de Paula, Luiz Jose da Silva, and Julia Maria da Conce
i
ç
ã
o got 22 1/2 days for violating article 399,
vadiagem
[vagrancy]”.
48

However, the impression was not uniformly negative. Some people distinguished capoeiragem from misuses and abuses of the art. The positive aspects of capoeiragem were appreciated. Some editorialists recommended that “the excellent practice of capoeiragem should be adopted officially by the armed forces”
.
49

Some professors of gymnastics, physical education, luta romana, or
esgrima
took it upon themselves to “rehabilitate” capoeiragem, or perhaps more accurately to create a style under the name of capoeiragem. The two foremost were Mario Aleixo and Agenor Moreira Sampaio, better known by his capoeiragem nickname of Sinhôzinho. Some people believed that capoeiragem was in fact simply the “national adaptation of savate” and it was indeed often referred to as “
savate nacional
” and similar expressions.
50

Its supporters naturally believed that it was the best art of defense. But it was not agreed that it was the most appropriate art for every application. One writer complained in 1909 that “it is known that the army and navy train various types of ‘defense’
, but not the best one, which is capoeiragem. Not long ago, one of my relatives, Captain Gomes Periera, brought with him [to Rio] two Japanese jiu-jitsu professors”. It was signed “Capoeira Man”.
51

If he wasn’t fabricating, Capoeira Man had an impressive family background: Captain Gomes Pereira was Antonio Coutinho Gomes Pereira, the naval officer who, on the ship he commanded, personally transported the first jiu-jitsu teachers to
Brazil. That seemed to give “Capoeira Man” a veneer of authority, or perhaps impartiality. It isn’t clear which, or why he mentioned it (his letter may have been edited prior to publication).

Dr. Carolino de Leoni Ramos (Chief of Police
of Rio State) did not share Capoeira Man’s opinion. He ordered jiu-jitsu rather than capoeiragem to be taught to the civil guards [
guardas civis
].
52

He was criticized for being unpatriotic. The Brazilian military and law enforcement organizations should use the Brazilian game, some objected. Others disagreed.
Gazeta de Noticias
observed that if capoeiragem is really just the Brazilian version of savate, or originated in Africa, it isn’t particularly patriotic to officially endorse it over some other “fight”.

On more practical grounds, the writer reasonably continued, “capoeiragem demands exceptional agility. Not everyone can learn it. Jiu-jitsu on the contrary, is a ‘defense’ especially for weak people. Its techniques don’t require exceptional strength or agility
”.

A jiu-jitsu man would not stand a chance against a good capoeira, he went on,
alluding to the encounter between Sada Miyako and Cyriaco in 1909, in which the limitations of jiu-jitsu, or Sada Miyako, were harshly exposed. But the civil guards don’t usually meet people like Cyriaco on the streets, he conceded. Jiu-jitsu is exactly what is needed by law enforcement personnel to deal with the types of situations they are likely to encounter, but without the excessive brutality of capoeiragem.
53

The disagreement would not be quickly resolved. Capoeira and “jiu
-jitsu-men” would continue to clash in their competition for ring victories, publicity, and government contracts.

On
December 31, 1908, in Marigny, France the question whether jiu-jitsu was superior to boxing was answered in less than 10 seconds. Boxer Sam MacVea rushed across the ring in the opening seconds of the first round of his “mixed styles” match with jiu-jitsu expert Matsuda, and knocked him unconscious with a cross to the jaw.
54

A reasonable person would have concluded that the sample size of the mixed fights that had at that point been conducted was too small to draw valid conclusions. But maybe that was precisely the point. The sample size would need to be increased with more fights.

.

Chapter 2 N
otes

Chapter 3

1909

In 1921, one of the most eminent “sportsmen” and martial artists,
a master of both jiu-jitsu and capoeiragem, Mario Aleixo, recalled fighting a Japanese jiu-jitsu master named “Saga-Mako” three times in 1904.
1
There is no record of a Saga-Mako during that decade. Aleixo may have been alluding to Sada Miyako, but if so his memory failed him. Miyako didn’t arrive in Brazil until 1908.

There may have been a qualified jiu-jitsu instructor in Pernambuco in 1906. That is where and when 2
nd
tenente Jose Barbosa began his two year course of studies of the Japanese game. At least that is what he said in 1932.
2

In any event, with few Japanese immigrants or visitors to teach them, Brazilians who wanted to learn jiu-jitsu had
narrow options, at least until 1909. But they were not uninformed.

Literate Brazilians, particularly in the port cities, knew about jiu-jitsu, through reports from the “exterior,” specifically
Portugal.
O Seculo
reported that “luta romana has taken on a new look at the Coliseum of Recreios because the champions there have been challenged by the well-known Japanese jiu-jitsu champion “Raku”.
3

For the benefit of those who might not have heard of “jiu-jitsu”
,
O Seculo
described jiu-jitsu as the “extremely complicated science, invented and cultivated by the Japanese, to effortlessly throw the devil to the ground”.
4

Raku was the stage-name of Sadakazu
Uenishi, author of
Text Book of Ju-Jutsu as Practiced in Japan
.
5
Raku’s book was published in 1905 and so was accessible to any Brazilian who could read English. They could also read the copiously illustrated French book on jiu-jitsu that came to Brazil sometime in the recent past.
6
In fact, they could hardly avoid reading about or seeing jiu-jitsu, as long as they read mass circulation periodicals and watched movies.
7

Bernardinho Machado reported from
Lisbon that “there continues to be great enthusiasm for the matches between Raku and the other champions at Coliseum of Recreios. The fury of the fights has reached exaggerated proportions. The coliseum is packed every night”.
8

After having achieved colossal success by beating everyone in
Portugal [
teve um successo colossal, venceu todos
], including the German wrestler “Schkmann,” Raku proceded to Madrid in August where he performed at Circo de Parish, with the lady jiu-jitsu stylist Chelito.
9

Raku was scheduled to fight in
Rio in 1909. He was contracted by Paschoal Segreto, the king of luta romana promoters. If it had happened, Raku would have preceded Conde Koma by five years. But it didn’t. The honor of being the first Japanese jiu-jitsu fighter and teacher belonged to someone else. In fact, to a duo. And it was a total accident.

Sada Miyako and Mme. Kakiara

The first confirmed professional jiu-jitsu fighters in Brazil were Sada Miyako and Mme. Kakiara, who arrived in Rio at 1 a.m, Wednesday December 16, 1908, on board the Brazilan Navy cruiser Benjamin Constant.

While on route from
Honolulu to Japan, May 22, 1908, the Benjamin Constant, commanded by Captain Antonio Coutinho Gomes Pereira, detoured toward Wake Island to avoid bad weather. While reconoiterring the island they encountered more than 20 survivors from the Japanese fishing boat Kokin-maru. The Benjamin Constant transported them to Yokohama, where all but three disembarked. One of the three was Frome Ise who remained on the ship as a
taifeiro
[steward’s assistant].

The other two signed on as “jiu-jitsu instructors. They were Sada Miyako and
Mme. Kakiara.
10

Sada Miyako and mme. Kakiara left the ship and soon found work at Pavilhão Internacional (telephone 180) at
avenida Central, 154, located at the corner of rua de Santo Antonio 90, next to Companhia Jardim Botanico. By April 18 they were appearing daily, sometimes twice a day. Like other jiu-jitsu men and professional wrestlers, Sada offered prizes to anyone who could beat him.

Pavilhão Internacional was one of many venues operated by Paschoal Segreto, in
São Paulo, Rio, and Nictheroy (across the bay). Paschoal Segreto was the “
creador dos divertimentos populares no Rio
”, [creator of popular entertainment in Rio] the man who made entertainment available to ordinary, middle-class people, formerly something that only
a gente de dinheiro
[people with money] could enjoy. He was the man who introduced movies to Rio.
11
His theaters included Salão Paris o Rio, (1900) Moulin Rouge (1901-1907), Eden Theatro (1906), Maison Moderne, Theatro Carlos Gomes, Theatro S. Pedro, Theatro S. Jose, Cinema Rio (in Nichteroy), Theatro Variedade, and Theatro Apollo, (the latter two in São Paulo).

Not all presented lutas. Pavilhão Interncaional was one of the several that did. It was a
barração
[large shed] where bearded ladies were exhibited along with
luta romana e de box
and other phenomena. It was said that you could travel the world in 40 minutes [
Volta ao mundo em quarenta minutos
] at Pavilhão Internacional.
12

They appeared daily between April 18 and May 10, 1909 at least, and possibly before and after as well. Sada also worked under contract with the Ministro da Marinha, presumably teaching jiu-jitsu.
13

The Debut of Sada Miyako

On Sunday April 18, 1909 Advertisments in in the daily papers
Gazeta de Noticias
and
O Paiz
, announced that two Japanese professors of the Japanese sport of “Jiu-Jitzu” [
o sport japonez do JIUT-JITZU
], by the names of Sada Miyako and Mme. Kakiara, would be appearing twice that day. The afternoon “matinee” started at 2:15. The evening “soiree” show started at 8:45. They offered five “libras” of gold to anyone who could avoid being thrown to the ground in a 3-minute match.
14

Rules of Jiu-Jtsu Clarified

The public was highly familiar with luta romana and possibly to a lesser extent savate. Luta romana in particular must have been virtually self-evident. Two large men tried to throw each other tothe ground. It was obvious when one lost.. He was on the ground and the other man wasn’t.

Jiu-jitsu therefore was somewhat perplexing. Although the shows had been underway for 10 days and had stimulated much interest, the management of Pavilhão Internacional felt that the public could enjoy the matches more if the the rules were explained.
15

Jiu-jitsu was specifically contrasted with the more intuitively understandable luta romana. Unlike luta romana, it was explained, being on the ground, even on both shoulders,
did not constitute defeat. In fact, the article elaborated, “
jiu-jitsuanos
” had techniques that they deliberately went to the ground in order to apply. A jiu-jitsu match was decided when one combatant was subjected to pain that he could not not endure, and signaled surrender by tapping the ground or opponent’s body two times with the palm of his hand.

The only other sport that can be compared to jiu-jitsu, and even then only vaguely, it was clarified,
was luta livre, or as the Swiss call it, “
lutte au caleçou
”, or, as the English call it “catch as catch can”. Four techniques were prohibited in a jiu-jitsu match (or at least the matches at Pavilhão Internacional). They were (1)
dedos nos olhos
[fingers in the eyes], (2)
fractura dos dedos
[breaking the fingers], (3)
camagamento da columna vertebral ou clavicular
[bending the spine or collar bone], and (4)
torçegão nas partes sexuaes
[twisting the sexual parts]. A man should signal his submission or concession by tapping with his hand twice [
algum dos adversaries se de por vencido, batendo com a mão as duas pancadas de estylo
].

It was also pointed out that jiu-jitsu
was a sport, but one with great self-defense potential even against weapons, with the exception of guns [
menos arma de fogo
]. The costumes that “jiu-jitsuanos” wore perplexed many people. The article explained that because jiu-jitsu was intended in Japan for street self-defense, clothes were worn when practicing and competing.

Sada Miyako’s performance schedule from April 19 to May 10 is summarized below. Results were generally not reported. That was not unusual. Jiu-jitsu and luta romana matches were held every night [
ha espectaculo todas as noites
] as part of a full slate of variety entertainments that included comedians, musical acts, dramatic performances, with short movies shown in between.
16
Management evidently and rationally felt that it was more pressing to let people know what was going to happen rather than what had already happened.

Sada Miyako’s first challenge match took place on
Monday, April 19, 1909, the day after his debut. It was in fact arranged in advance (as it was announced on his debut day). Challengers did not simply walk up to the stage, but rather had to sign up and wait for a scheduled day.

The challenger was Arnoldo Jose Ferreira. Arnoldo was described as an 18 year old Portuguese with a 1 meter chest. He had previously defeated the celebrated jiu-jitsu profess
or Raku in Lisbon at the Colyseu dos Recreios [
vencedor de um match com o celebre japonez Raku
]. Arnoldo challenged Raku to a 10-minute “match” of jiu-jitsu. The result was not reported.
17

Miyako’s next challenge was the following day
Tuesday, April 20, 1909. The challenger was identified simply as a French amateur [
amador Francez
]. The specific rules were not mentioned but presumably the French amateur would try to stay on his feet for three minutes. The result was not reported.
18

What people thought about Sada Miyako at the time was not extensively revealed (although his name became legendary later). One article however is suggestive, if not of Sada’s abilities, then about the hype surrounding him. According to the article, “there is now at Concerto Avenida a Japanese who is said to have a career as the greatest jiu-jitsu athlete. It is said that he has even defeated the well-known champion Raku. This is false. Everyone who knows jiu-jitsu knows that Raku has only been beaten by two men, Tarro Miyako and Dialutzu”
.
19
This indicates that Raku set a high standard, but not the highest. Sada Miyako was not regarded as being at the level of Raku.

On
Monday April 26, 1909 it was announced that on that day, Sada Miyako would face four men who would push a cane with all of their strength against his throat [
empurrar com toda a força uma bengala encostada na garganta
]. Sada Miyako would resist effortlessly, while smoking a cigar [
o japonez do <>…fumará charuto deixando 4 homens 4
]. It is unclear whether this was a challenge or a demonstration but in any case it was not a fight. It was not reported whether Sada Miyako was able to smoke his cigar.
20

Ads appeared in several of the
Rio papers almost every day stating that Sada Miyako and Mme. Kakiara would be fighting every night [
disputada todas an noites
] at Concerta Avenida or something very similar. For example “Sada Miyako will continue his ever more exciting matches of jiu-jitsu, with lively movies between sessions”.
21

On Wednesday April 28, 1909 it was announced in the Theatros columns that Sada would take on the Syrian fighter Rich Jorge that same day, in what promised to be a very interesting jiu-jitsu match [
haveára um
match de jiu-jitsu
, entre o lutador syrio Rich Jorge e o japonez Sada Miyako, que promette ser interessantissimo
]. The rules of jiu-jitsu were once again explained, in the Sport column.
22

Jiu-Jitsu versus Capoeiragem

Cyriaco was a likeable, light-skinned, mixed-race man [
mulato alto, mestiço
]. He was thin [
magro
], from Campinas, quick and agile and worked as a stevedore. His full name was Cyriaco Francisco da Silva. He was known by the nickname “Moleque Cyriaco”. Cyriaco represented capoeiragem. His specialty was the “sting ray tail” kick [
rabo de arraia
].
23

It was a mixed styles fight, capoeiragem versus jiu-jitsu, the national school [
escola nacional
] versus the Japanese school [
escola japoneza
]. At least that’s the way it turned out. It is not clear that Sada Miyako’s challenges were open to strikers. At least the rules of jiu-jitsu that were announced made no mention of striking. Either way, it affected how jiu-jitsu challenge matches were conducted in the future.