Kimura! When you mention the word “Kimura” to a BJJ student, they normally think of the powerful armlock and hold that is so often seen in competition – but of course there was also the man himself – Masahiko Kimura – one of the greatest Judo athletes of all time, after whom BJJ adherents name the move. Mr Kimura was a renown master of standing throws and ground grappling. On the floor he was most known for his twisting arm lock skills. The Japanese call it gyaku-ude-garami. Usually I like to preserve the original Japanese terms for moves out of respect to the old masters who gave this noble sport its birth, but “ude garami” is too phonetically similar to “ashi garami” and when I'm coaching in a noisy, confusing environment in competition or the gym I can't risk confusion, so I use the term “kimura” like most others. Today is a special day – it is Mr Kimura's birthday! Of course he has long since passed away and resides in the pantheon of the grappling gods. I am a huge fan of his so today all my classes were on Kimura! It was great to see new generations of grapplers learning from our illustrious past and innovating and developing for the future. The only reason current generations show so much talent is the fact that they profited from the toil and lessons learned from previous generations. Thanks to Mr Kimura and all the other great historical figures of the various grappling arts who built the foundations upon which we all stand as we work towards our own future goals and dreams.
