Rikidozan, the king of professional wrestling in the world (His real name is Kim Sin Rak) Rikidozan getting a neck hold on an American wrestler in the contest held in Honolulu Rikidozan knocks down Kimura, Japanese player, in the finals for the Japanese professional wrestling championship A scene of Asian tag wrestling contest which attracted Rikidozan applying a headlock on Rue Thez, American wrestler an unusually large attendance At Los Angeles Rikidozan gains a fall on an American wrestler to win the world professional wrestling champi- onship A wrestler is struck down by one blow of Rikidozan’s iron fist Ortega who has lost the match in the First World Professional Wrestling League Game hands over the trophy cup to Rikidozan Rikidozan defeats The scene Rue Thez, of Rikidozan American administering a wrestler hard blow with his karate chop on the chest of American wrestler Mike Rue Thez congratulates Rikidozan for preserving again Rikidozan knocks the trophy cup in down Kong to the Fourth World win the Asian Professional professional Wrestling League wrestling Game championship 2. Money Spent in Advance .........................................115 3. The Returned Champion Belt ..................................123 CONTENTS 4. The Hand-Sword of Justice ......................................126 5. Contest with Rue Thez Again ..................................132 Preface ...........................................................................10 6. His Partner Was a Double-Crosser ..........................148 Chapter 1 Chapter 4 1. From a Japanese Sumo Wrestler 1. The Decisive League Game .....................................164 to a Professional Wrestler ........................................12 2. The Smashed Decoration .........................................175 2. Going to Hawaii Alone .............................................25 3. The Warm Fatherly Bosom ......................................187 3. His Forte Karate Chop ..............................................34 4. I Am a Korean (1) ....................................................193 4. “I Want Korea to Have It” ........................................45 5. The Eighth of December ..........................................210 6. I Am a Korean (2) ....................................................222 Chapter 2 1. Birth of the “Rikidozan Training School” ................61 Epilogue .......................................................................248 2. Contest with Rue Thez ..............................................64 3. A Cowardly Fellow ...................................................74 4. Niita Shinsaku ...........................................................88 Chapter 3 1. Azumafuji ................................................................104 8 9 a Japanese one. But he was always subjected to national contempt due to his Korean origin. He won Japanese sumo PREFACE wrestling contests many times, but never once his name was made known widely to the public. Rikidozan (Kim Sin Rak is his real name), the hero of So, with resentment against those who despised him this story and king of world professional wrestling, lived because he was a Korean, he changed over to professional all his life with the national pride and self-respect of a wrestling. In the ten-odd years when he was engaged Korean preserved in the depths of his heart. in professional wrestling he defeated many celebrated I became acquainted with Rikidozan on October 6, professional wrestlers of Japan, the United States and 1957. It was a Sunday and a wrestling contest for world other capitalist countries and held the world championship championship was to take place at the Korakuen Ball continuously. His name as the “king” of professional Game Field in Tokyo between Rikidozan and Rue Thez of wrestling resounded throughout the world. America. Unfortunately it rained and the contest was put Indeed, we are proud of this. I met Rikidozan many off. On my way home I called at the house of Rikidozan times and saw the scenes of his contests directly and on with a few friends of mine. television. In this course I was able to get a glimpse of his Rikidozan was delighted beyond measure to see us high national spirit as a Korean. This is why I have made Korean students in Japan. He said he was also a Korean up my mind to write a book to make the story of Rikidozan and told us of the circumstances in which he had found known to the world. himself taken to Japan in an excited, sometimes furious, tone. It was in the latter part of the 1930s when Japanese January 1989 imperialism was holding Korea as a colony. Unusually strong and stout, he was taken to Japan in his teenage and made to discard his Korean name and adopt 10 11 the sumo wrestler’s name of Rikidozan. This name was conferred on him by the Japan Sumo Wrestling CHAPTER 1 Association. He made good showings in the regular tournaments 1. From a Japanese Sumo Wrestler and his standing rose every year. All other sumo wrestlers to a Professional Wrestler would ascend the ladder of wrestler’s ranks with great difficulty, now rising and now falling. But Kim Sin Rak In February 1939 Kim Sin Rak (Rikidozan) entered never once fell but kept rising rung by rung. the Nishonoseki Sumo Wrestling Company in Ryogoku, Rikidozan was now widely known among the sumo Tokyo. fans. In face of all descriptions of insults and mistreatments, Even in the sumo wrestling community he came to he made desperate efforts to improve his sumo wrestling be called by the name of Rikidozan rather than by his techniques in this company. Even when others were Japanese name Momota Mitsuhiro. Kim Sin Rak thus sleeping in the lodgings, he came out to the training became Rikidozan. gymnasium and trained himself hard. Sumo experts predicted, “Rikidozan will soon become As a result, he participated in the regular sumo a Yokozuna (the highest title of the sumo wrestler–Tr.), tournament in 1941, two years after he joined the grand champion sumo wrestler.” The sumo fans held the Nishonoseki Sumo Wrestling Company. This was a same view. startling event either for the whole sumo wrestling The spring sumo tournament of 1950 offered Rikidozan community of Japan or for the Nishonoseki company. a decisive opportunity. In the spring tournament the Tamanotumi, the head of this company, placed previous year he had suffered a reverse due to his illness great hopes on Kim Sin Rak. Kim entered the regular from pulmonary distomiasis. But in the subsequent tournament for the first time from the west team under summer and autumn tournaments, he made good records. 12 13 Therefore, if he should make a fair showing in this protested against the wicked attempt to make money spring tournament of 1950, he could be promoted to the through the instrumentality of him by fabricating his rank of Ozeki (second highest rank of the sumo wrestler– name, nationality and place of birth without his own Tr.) or Yokozuna. knowledge. He fought splendidly and won the contests. The sumo But all he got for this was abuses, intimidation and fans believed that he would now be made a Yokozuna. thrashing. The newspapers reported in the same way. Nevertheless, He now made up his mind, “All right, if I am fated to the ranking committee of the Sumo Wrestling be a Japanese sumo wrestler, I must be the king of sumo Association did not take up the question of raising by all means. I must become a Yokozuna and shake up this Rikidozan in rank. Japanese sumo company who despise and humiliate me The ranking committee refused to confer the well- because I am a Korean.” deserving rank of Yokozuna on him for the sole reason After that, he was engrossed in hard training. And in that he was a Korean. face of all manner of national discrimination and despise, Rikidozan was a Korean. He was born at Sinphung- he climbed up the ladder rung by rung from the bottom ri, Ryongwon Sub-county, Hongwon County, South until at last he reached the rank of Sekiwake (the third Hamgyong Province, on November 4, 1920, as the third rank of the sumo wrestler–Tr.). It was indeed the reward son of the farmer Kim Sok Thae. for the blood and sweats and tears he had shed for the Momota Inosuke, a Japanese entertainment business past ten years. manager, who happened to watch Kim’s performance And now again, he was being treated in this unfair in the Korean wrestling circle was fascinated by his way, and so his anger burnt up in him. He went to physique and fight and could not keep his eyes off him. Tamanoumi and declared: He took him to Japan and, changing his nationality into “I’m disgusted with the sumo community and so I’m Japanese, sent him into a sumo wrestling company. Kim leaving my place.” 14 15