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

by Roberto Pedreira

  Omori had once been defeated in a memorable “lucta de jiu-jitsu” in New York, by a certain “Takemura” according to a spokesman for the Queirolo brothers, who offered Takemura 10 thousand reis [10 contos de reis] to come to São Paulo to fight Omori again. The brothers insisted that their offer was “serious”. Takemura apparently did not reply.5

  The first mention of Omori as a jiu-jitsu representative, and in the context of “mixed fighting” occurred on October 19, 1928. In a sports spectacular, the invincible Japanese Géo Omori would be taking on Oswaldo Caetano Vasques in an exciting capoeira versus jiu-jitsu match [luta “capoeira contra jiu-jitsu”].6

  Geo Omori大森瀼冶

  Geo Omori signed his name on publicity photographs in four different ways. Most often it was simply Geo Omori. He also signed his named Geo. Omori (with a period after Geo). He also signed his name in Japanese kanji characters, as大森瀼冶7or in mixed kanji and syllabic katakana, as 大森ジョジ. Both are pronounced “Omori Jyoji”.

  The photos with English signatures also included the phrases “sincerely yours” or “friendly yours” [sic]. No photos were written in Portuguese.

  Omori obviously performed in front of Japanese fans. He had a supply of photographs signed in English, suggesting that he really did have a ring career in North America under the name of Geo Omori, or possibly George Omori. The signature Geo. (with a period) suggests that he might have used the anglicized form of his name. In Japanese “George” is pronounced the same as Jyoji. The name George is or was at one time abbreviated as Geo. (with a period). “Geo” was sometimes written simply as “Geo,” but sometimes Géo (with the acute diacritic over the letter “e”).

  The fact that he wrote his Japanese name with katakana suggests that he was sensitive to the educational limitations of his fans who were immigrants. Literacy levels were much lower in pre-World War II Japan than after (as a result of post-war educational reforms).8 Omori was a common family name that probably anyone could recognize, as both of the kanji used to write it are used in many personal and place names. But the first character in Jyoji was very uncommon. Even in 2013, well-educated Japanese (e.g., college teachers) rarely are able recognize the first character without consulting a dictionary. In addition, the fact that some of his publicity pictures were signed “friendly yours” indicates the involvement of a non-native speaker of English in North America. Finally, Omori’s Japanese awkward writing of his own name suggests that someone else copied his signature, someone who was not accustomed to writing in Japanese.

  Géo Omori was a man of few words. That was his reputation at least in Brazil, where he was described as “quiet, a friend of silence” [taciturno, amigo do silencio]. Some or all of his taciturnity may have be due to the fact that he could not speak a single word of Portuguese.9

  He was born in 1892 in Japan, where he was involved in the tropical fish business, which he loved. He trained at the Kodokan and was a friend of Conde Koma. The evidence does not permit us to say when or where he knew Conde Koma but it probably wasn’t Japan, since Koma left in 1904,10 at which time Omori would have been only 12 years old.

  He had lived and fought in North America before coming to Brazil. He began his professional Brazilian fight career in São Paulo in August 1928. Previously, he ran a tropical fish shop [casa de peixes raros e de fantasia]. The shop did not turn a profit. He was married to Cetuko, and had a daughter named Kimika,11 born in 1934. He died mysteriously and pennilessly in 1938.

  The national champion of luta grego-romana Archimedes Rogerio, wanted a piece of Omori. But there was a problem. He had failed twice before to beat Omori. The first time, he held out for 23 minutes before quitting. He also lost the revanche [rematch].

  Circo Queirolo spokesman Alcides Queirolo was cool to the idea of a third fight. A new match would be “absurdo”, he said. Fans did not like to see the “same fight many times” and might even suspect that the fights were fixed. Allcides hinted.12

  But Rogerio wanted another shot. The Queirolo brothers relented. Rogerio would get his shot.

  In the meantime, Omori confronted the Hispanic-American boxer Jack [Jacque] Marin on Saturday September 15, 1928.

  Jiu-Jitsu versus Boxer

  Jack Marin was described as North American, Spanish, and “hispano-Americano”. His first appearance in Brazil was in 1922 when he participated in the Campeonato de Box at the Theatro Carlos Gomes (where Conde Koma and his troupe had performed in 1915), which began on Saturday January 21, 1922. He weighed 68 kilos, and was 168 cm. tall. In 1923 he was hired as a trainer at the S. Paulo Boxing Club on rua Brigadeiro Galvão, n. 167. He had matches with another Omori opponent (in 1932), Tavares Crespo.

  Both, as well as other boxers of less than the highest caliber, also participated in luta livre contests, Ervin Klausner and Ismael Haki being among the better known.13

  The September 15 Omori versus Jack Marin fight lasted three rounds as stipulated in the contract. Near the end of a 5-minute over-time period [prorogação], Omori “managed to impose his superiority,” thereby winning the fight. The specific technique he used was not mentioned. It is not clear what type of fight it was for that matter. The headline to the result report read “Box e Jiu-Jitsu’” [boxing and jiu-jitsu]. That may have referred to the fact that Marin was best known as a boxer.

  It also might have been an error in the page make-up, something that was not uncommon. In any event, Marin lost the fight. Despite that, observers felt that Marin had given Omori his toughest fight so far.14

  While waiting for his chance to even the score with Geo Omori, Rogerio took on another Japanese jiu-jitsu champion by the name of M. Gotto. On this occasion Rogerio was described not as the national luta Greco-romana champion but rather as the São Paulo luta livre champion. The date was Monday September 17, 1928. The place was Circo Queirolo.

  Rogerio was on offense from the beginning to the moment, 22 minutes later, when he applied a “gravata kimono” [kimono headlock] on Gotto and took him to the ground unconscious and seriously injured [sem sentidos e gravemente contundido]. According to the report, Rogerio demonstrated that he belongs to a race of strong people who can excel in any sport, including those of the land of the geishas [até os da terra das geishas]. The approximately 2,000 spectators gave Rogerio a warm round of applause.15

  Rogerio’s September 24 date with Geo Omori was described as a “tie-breaker” [embate-desforra], despite the fact that the previous two fights ended in Omori’s favor. The fight was scheduled to take on Monday, September 24. It would be a 30-minute one-round fight, with no time outs. A medal and all prize money of 3 contos de reis [three thousand reis] would go to the winner.

  Omori fought and beat Rogerio again in 1929. Given his track record, it is a reasonable bet that he won the third match, assuming that it was not “postponed indefinitely”, as well.16

  One of the Omori versus Rogerio matches might have what was described in a September 1928 Time magazine article17 as a “wrestling match” in a one-ring circus, in São Paulo. One combatant was a “gigantic nameless Bahian Negro” fighting “after the manner of capoeira”, a “national style of fighting that included “blows as well as grips”. His opponent was a ‘small….Jap’ name also unknown, using a style of combat peculiar to his nation; Jiu Jitsu, the gentle and famous art of making an opponent use his strength to encompass his own defeat”. If not Rogerio and Geo Omori, then it might have been Okido and Zacharias. Omori and Rogerio were in fact the best known “mixed” fighters, but they weren’t alone, as we will see below.

  Jiu-Jitsu versus Capoeiragem

  Omori had not been taking it easy. His next match was against a capoeira named Oswaldo Caetano Vasques (also known as “o Balaca capoeira carioca”), who was said to be the most fearsome capoeira in the famous Morro favela in Rio [o mais temido dos capoeiras do afamado Morro da Favela do Rio]. It was specifically advertised as “Capoeira contra Jiu-Jitsu”.

  The fight took place Friday October 19, 1928 at rua Formosa
no. 20-A, Praça do Correio (Tel: 4-4265). The current installment of the São Paulo Amateur Luta Romana Championship [Campeonato Paulista de luta romana para amadores], sponsored by the S. Paulo Jornal, was also presented.18

  Fight promoters had already learned than ethnic rivalries stimulate fan interest, especially in places, like Brazil, with diverse “colonias” [ethnic or immigrant communities]. It was rare that a fighters’ ethnic background was not highlighted, and probably to some extent modified to appeal to the local communities, the above mentioned case of Jack (Jacque) Marin being an example. Promoters apparently felt that a style versus style fight would do the same. Vasques was the nacional [Brazilian] representing the jogo nacional [capoeiragem] against the jogo nipponica [jiu-jitsu] of the Japanese champion.

  The promoter’s hunch had been well-founded. The fight aroused keen interest and was covered in detail. Capoeiragem partisans pinned high hopes on Vasques. The public had become accustomed to fights with “irregularities”, reporters commented, but believed that Vasques’ mastery of capoeiragem [perfeito conhecedor da inegualavel arma brasileira] gave him a good chance of beating Omori [perfeitamente capaz de vencer].

  Reporters complained about the exorbitant prices and inadequate facilities. The main event, Vasques versus Omori was set for four 3-minute “assaltos” [rounds]. The fighter’s weights were not indicated, but simply that Vasques had a considerable advantage.

  After two preliminary bouts, Omori and Vasques confronted each other. The fans were excited. As reporters described the fight, it wasn’t just the Japanese versus the Brazilian, it was also a demonstration of the efficiency of jiu-jitsu versus capoeiragem, whose Brazilian-ness was emphasized as a source of national pride [efficiencia de uma arma perigosa, como o jiu-jitsu, e da capoeira, insuperal, genuinamente nossa e que constitue um legitimo orgulho para nós brasileiros].

  In the first round. Omori was serene and unworried. Although this was his first public fight, Vasques also did not seem nervous. Both wore kimonos, to the disadvantage of the capoeira (the reporter explained), because the advantage of capoeiragem is distance. Once he is grabbed, he loses his “efficiencia”.

  Baiaca (Vasques) started well with a rabo de frente. Omori stood back descoberto [exposed]. Baiaca then entered into a rasteira, followed by two rabo de arrayos to the back. He immediately fell down into an impregnable “pulo de passarinho” and refused to stand up. During this phase Baiaca lost the chance to take his antagonist out of the game [pôr fóra de combate].19

  In the second round the farce [brincadeira de olhar] continued until the fans, tired of the pantomime, broke out in jeers [vaias]. If Vasques had wanted, the reporter believed, he could have knocked Omori down ten times, as he did to Lecont (Lecomte).

  But he didn’t [Se Vasques quizesse, teria derrubado dez vezes o seu antagonista, como fizéra com Lecont. Não tocou em Omori porem].

  Omori tried to apply leg techniques [golpes de perna], and advanced on Vasques, threatening savatadas [kicks]. When Omori grabbed Vasques’ collar, he was vulnerable to a “shot from the side”, a powerful kick to the chest [Na pegada de gola, o japonez ficou ainda a descoberto para uma ‘tirado de lado’-forte golpe no peito, produzido pelo pé].

  After the third round Omori could have finished the fight any time he wanted to, but waited until the final seconds before crushing [esmagar] the Brazilian, who “did not hesitate to tap three times to signal his defeat and disgrace”. The reporter was clearly very disappointed in Vasques’ performance. He scolded him for not having the patriotism to remember that he was representing Brazil and for letting money cause him to forget the thousands of people who looked at him as a hero.

  The writer contrasted Vasques’ weak showing against Omori with his much more satisfactory performance against Ledemonte [sic, Lecomte]. In that fight, both men were able to put into play all of their techniques, and Vasques won easily. The writer blamed Vasques for lacking the will to win [falta de vontade que Vasque tinha em vencer] and recommended that the fight should be investigated by the police.

  He summed up by saying that the fight clearly reflected the interest of the Circo Queirolo in maintaining the invincibility of Omori, whose winning record was a source of inexhaustible profits for the circus [fonte inesgotaval de appeititosa renda]. This was another way of saying that he thought that the fight was fixed, because otherwise Vasques should have won.20

  Luta Livre com Kimono

  The next week, October 23, again at Circo Queirolo, Geo Omori met Mariano in a luta livre versus jiu-jitsu match. On the same bill, Othelo fought Eduardo in a luta livre com kimono bout. Othelo was undoubtedly Othelo Queirolo, also known as “Chic-Chic,” who fought Oswaldo Gracie in 1936.21

  Just two days later, Omori met Jack Marin in a luta livre. The fact that their October match was a desempate [tie-breaker] suggests that they may have squeezed in one additional match between September 15 and October 25, a scheduling possibility that was not out of the ordinary.

  Although Marin was primarily a boxer, his encounter with Omori did not involve striking. Omori, like other jiu-jitsu men, did indeed beat large boxers, but on more than a few occasions the boxers were limited to grappling, where they were at a clear disadvantage. If the money was less than it would have been for a boxing match, it was also less painful. There was no time limit. They would fight without a break between rounds, until there was a winner [sem descanco até que haja um vencedor].22

  The following day there would be another luta livre match between the two giants Crispim (97 kilos, 190 cm) and Sardeilli (93 kilos, 185 cm). This was a luta livre match, but with a twist. It was luta livre “with kimono”[com kimono]. Just as there were jiu-jitsu without kimono [sem kimono], so too there could be luta livre “with kimono”, for example, the contest between Rogerio and Jose Detti at Circo Queirolo on October 18, 1928.23

  Both were the exceptions however. A jiu-jitsu without kimono match was usually classified simply as luta livre. Luta livre matches with kimono were usually referred to as “jiu-jitsu”.

  Both luta livre and jiu-jitsu men agreed that their styles differed mostly in details, the most conspicuous one being the kimono. But some jiu-jitsu men were willing to fight without kimono. And some luta livre men were willing to put on a kimono. They were professionals. They followed the money.

  There were also luta livre de jiu-jitsu contra luta livre [luta livre versus jiu-jitsu], in response to public demand or as a novelty to stimulate ticket sales.

  The difference was primarily in the rules. In a jiu-jitsu match sem kimono, jiu-jitsu rules applied, except the rule specifying the kimono. Similarly for luta livre com kimono. In style-versus-style fight, the rules always had to be negotiated. One fighter might wear kimono while the other did not. Striking might or might not be permitted, and if so, which strikes were permitted was also negotiable. The kimono was also an equalizer and a bargaining chip.

  Some fighters refused to leave the familiar territory of their chosen style. But not many. They tended to be boxers who were successful enough in the boxing ring to earn adequate incomes without needing to branch out into luta livre.

  Jiu-Jitsu Representatives

  Geo Omori was not the only jiu-jitsu representative employed by Circo Queirolo. Another was the 67 kilo Peruvian Dario Letone. Letone was a champion of boxing, luta romana, and more [“campeão de box, Luta Romana etc,”].24 The “etc.” evidently included jiu-jitsu. On November 11 he faced the noted boxer Ervin Klausner at Circo Queirolo. The fight was “ardently disputed” [a luta foi arduamente disputada], but Letone lost.25

  Omori and the Circo Queirolo were not the only game in town. The Japanese jiu-jitsu champion Okido reigned undefeated at Circo Alcebaides in São Paulo, making short work of anyone foolish enough to confront him.

  Okido stumbled on November 9 when he was challenged by the pretinho brasileiro [Brazilian black boy] Benedicto Zacharias. The fight began at 11:50 p.m., and went on for one hour and 40 minutes, After a rocky start, Benedicto imposed his tota
l domination on the champion. Okido was saved from certain defeat when the police stepped in and suspended the fight. Nevertheless, Benedicto was cheered by fans for his outstanding performance. The reporter expressed the opinion that if a desempate took place, and Benedicto managed to apply a “golpe feliz” he would have a good chance to defeat the fearsome Okido.26

  Okido moved to the Colombo, run by Empresa: J. Castro e Cia, at Largo de Concordia (tel: 9-0070). On December 14, he confronted Henkin in a jiu-jitsu versus luta livre match. His colleague Goto faced M. de Abreu. Challengers, both amateurs and professionals, were invited to step up and take their chances in a luta livre versus jiu-jitsu fight. They would earn 500 reis if they were successful.27

  Star Power

  Okido did not stay on the scene for long. Omori basically ruled the roost. He had what Hollywood movie people called “star power”. His name sold tickets. Fighting Omori was considered by other fighters as a mark of success, win, lose, or draw (as an actor would regard working with a distinguished director). Winning was hard, so most aimed at not losing. But even that could increase one’s earning potential, if the fight demonstrated excellent qualities, but just fell slightly short of being enough.

  One example was Gibin, who fought Omori (at least) three times. He lost every time, but that was enough to give him a reputation as a strong fighter, someone who could put up an interesting fight and create some uncertainty as to the outcome, qualities that were as important to gamblers as to fans. That unfortunately, paved the way to combinadas and other “arrangements”. Professional fighting was after all a form of spectator entertainment. Getting paid was the bottom line. At the same time, winners usually got paid more than losers. If a fighter had what it took to win, he would generally be better off winning. Omori had it.

  It was not even necessary to fight and lose to Omori. It was sometimes enough merely to “challenge” him. In November, a capoeira named Antonio Gomes, from Campinas, sent a letter to the Diario Nacional, expressing his desire to fight Omori. He would even fight Omori at Circo Queirolo, Gomes offered. The paper said that it would lend its support if Gomes would come to São Paulo and demonstrate his skills. Apparently, nothing came of it.28