Tadashi Sawamura
Encyclopedia
Tadashi Sawamura is a Japanese
former kickboxer
whose real name is Hideki Shiraha (白羽秀樹 Shiraha Hideki). He was one of the first popular participants in the sport, and is sometimes reputed to be the world's first kickboxer.
He enjoyed great fame throughout his career, and is sometimes credited for sustaining the early boom in the popularity of kickboxing in Japan.
in 1943. He practiced rugby
during university.
He debuted as a professional kickboxer on April 11, 1966.
He won Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize
in 1973
He retired on October 10, 1977.
He now manages his automobile-related company. He also enjoys teaching karate
to children in his free time.
series called Kick no Oni (which means "The demon of kickboxing", written by Ikki Kajiwara
), and he was also a guest on an episode of the series Ultraman
.
His anime series also became intensely popular in Brazil during the 70's and early 80's featuring 26 episodes under the name "Sawamu, o Demolidor". In this series, Tadashi Sawamu (Brazilian translation), was an arrogant karate fighter who was defeated by a kickboxer, leaving Sawamu in a mild coma. Once in the hospital and recovering from the coma, his opponent's kickboxing trainer Noguchi, came to his hospital room and convinced Sawamu to become a kickboxer. To which after some rigorous training, he learned a devastating finishing move: "The Jumping Vacuum Knee" (Shinku tobi hiza geri)
The Japanese name for Hitmonlee
, a Pokémon
character, is Sawamurā, which is most likely a reference to Sawamura.
In Cynthia
, a girl embraces a sandbag which was kicked by Tadashi Sawamura.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
former kickboxer
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
whose real name is Hideki Shiraha (白羽秀樹 Shiraha Hideki). He was one of the first popular participants in the sport, and is sometimes reputed to be the world's first kickboxer.
He enjoyed great fame throughout his career, and is sometimes credited for sustaining the early boom in the popularity of kickboxing in Japan.
Biography
Hideki Shiraha was born in ManchukuoManchukuo
Manchukuo or Manshū-koku was a puppet state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia, governed under a form of constitutional monarchy. The region was the historical homeland of the Manchus, who founded the Qing Empire in China...
in 1943. He practiced rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
during university.
He debuted as a professional kickboxer on April 11, 1966.
He won Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize
Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize
is given to one sportsperson or sports team every year since 1968 by the Japan Professional Sports Association. The award is one of the most prestigious all-sport awards in Japanese sport. The recordholders are baseball players Ichiro Suzuki and Sadaharu Oh...
in 1973
He retired on October 10, 1977.
He now manages his automobile-related company. He also enjoys teaching karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
to children in his free time.
Anime rendition
His exploits were the basis of an animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series called Kick no Oni (which means "The demon of kickboxing", written by Ikki Kajiwara
Ikki Kajiwara
was a Japanese author, manga writer, and film producer, also known under the pseudonym . His real name is . The pseudonym was used since he was writing for a rival magazine at the time. Having multiple names would not allow overlaps by the two magazines...
), and he was also a guest on an episode of the series Ultraman
Ultraman
is Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
.
His anime series also became intensely popular in Brazil during the 70's and early 80's featuring 26 episodes under the name "Sawamu, o Demolidor". In this series, Tadashi Sawamu (Brazilian translation), was an arrogant karate fighter who was defeated by a kickboxer, leaving Sawamu in a mild coma. Once in the hospital and recovering from the coma, his opponent's kickboxing trainer Noguchi, came to his hospital room and convinced Sawamu to become a kickboxer. To which after some rigorous training, he learned a devastating finishing move: "The Jumping Vacuum Knee" (Shinku tobi hiza geri)
The Japanese name for Hitmonlee
Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan
Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan, known in Japan as and , are two Pokémon species in Nintendo and Game Freak's Pokémon franchise. They were originally conceived by Game Freak's character development team and finalized by Ken Sugimori...
, a Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
character, is Sawamurā, which is most likely a reference to Sawamura.
In Cynthia
Cynthia
Cynthia is a feminine given name of Greek origin: Κυνθία, Kynthía, "from Mount Cynthus" on Delos island. It can be abbreviated as Cindy. There are various spellings for this name....
, a girl embraces a sandbag which was kicked by Tadashi Sawamura.