| Yoshitsugu Yamashita, born in 1865 started very early | | | | whom he beat without any problems, throwing him |
| with martial arts training at the Yoshin-ryu and Tenjin | | | | twice with his outstanding judo techniques and then |
| Shin'yo-ryu as his father was of the samurai class. | | | | pinning him to the ground. Thanks to this victory, which |
| This is what allowed him to enter the Kodokan Judo | | | | impressed everybody there, his teaching contract was |
| School quite young, very soon performing outstanding | | | | prolonged for another two years. |
| judo techniques and at the same time getting involved | | | | Even though he had all these successes, he was |
| in mixed martial arts fights on the streets as he was a | | | | rather lonely in his life and had difficult times, because |
| quarrelsome fellow. | | | | of the language, which he did not fully understand and |
| It is known, that while still in Japan, he got involved in a | | | | a lack of money. Once he was challenged by a boxer |
| fight with about fifteen people in a restaurant. Due to | | | | from New York, who called him "small Japanese". |
| the excitement of the situation he overreacted and | | | | Everybody got really excited about this mixed martial |
| broke one fellow's neck killing him. The others ran off | | | | arts challenge between a judoka and a boxer and |
| all bruised. The police arrested him, but very soon he | | | | tickets for the match got literally sold out. |
| was freed as he could prove that he was assaulted | | | | Each one of the fighters entered the ring with its |
| by all fifteen. Nevertheless he got temporarily | | | | typical outfit. The boxer charged Yamashita with his |
| suspended by the Kodokan. | | | | punches, but with no effect as the "little Japanese" |
| In 1902 Sensei Kano, who was often contacted by | | | | was able to escape all of them. While doing this he |
| judo enthusiasts of other nations wishing to have | | | | studied the boxer and just waited for the opportunity |
| Kodokan teachers, decided to send Yamashita to the | | | | to get his arm in order to throw him, which happened |
| States, in order to teach judo to the Americans. | | | | immediately with a hane goshi. The spectators just |
| Yamashita started with a dojo in Washington DC and | | | | heard the loud noise of the boxer falling on the ground |
| also taught at Harvard University, where his first | | | | and a few seconds later again with a beautiful seoi |
| student was Mary Lee, the grand-daughter of General | | | | nage. |
| Robert E. Lee. Then thanks to President Theodore | | | | Yamashita won the match, the crowd was so excited |
| Roosevelt, who also became one of his student, he | | | | and enthusiastic, that later on a stamp was emitted in |
| became a judo teacher at the Naval Academy. | | | | order to commemorate this moment of an outstanding |
| While there he accepted a mixed martial arts fight with | | | | judo techniques' performer also doing well in a mixed |
| an American wrestler, George Grant (6'3'' 230lb), | | | | martial arts fight at the beginning of 1900. |