Tadashi Sawamura

was a Japanese kickboxer whose real name was . He is often credited with sparking the "Shōwa era kickboxing boom", being one of the era's most popular Japanese fighters, and enjoying great fame throughout his career.

Biography

Early life

Hideki Shiraha was born in Manchukuo in 1943. In his youth, he studied Gōjū-ryū-style Karate and some Chinese Martial Arts from his grandfather. As a child, he was part of a children's theater company called "Theatrical Company Broad Bean" (gekidan sora mame - 劇団そらまめ), with aspirations of becoming an actor in the future.

Subsequently, he graduated from Hosei University Junior and Senior High School and joined Daiei Film Company. He enrolled in the Film Department of Nihon University College of Art as part of his training at Daiei. Around this time, he seemed to had given up his career as an actor and pursued to become a screenwriter. On the other hand, he had also joined the Goju-ryu Karate Club at university and won the All Japan Student Championship while he was still in school. He was undefeated in 60 fights.

Sawamura's debut match held at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium was a match called "Karate vs. Muay Thai" and won by 2nd Round KO over "Rākurei shīhāman" (ラークレイ・シーハーマン).

In June 1966, he fought against Muay Thai fighter Samarn Sor Adisorn, who was ranked #8 at Lumpinee's featherweight division, at the Riki Palace. Sawamura lost by 4th Round KO and during the fight, was knocked down to the mat 16 times during the fight (with some reporting 19 times) and received more than 25 bruises from the fight.

Disheartened, Sawamura wanted to retrain himself in jujutsu and hold a rematch. Noguchi met with Sawamura while he was healing, and suggested that Sawamura should be trained in kickboxing proper. Sawamura begins training in Kickboxing and turns his career around, starting to rack up KO wins with moves like "vacuum jump knee kick" (真空飛び膝蹴り - Shinkū tobihizageri) and "kick before jump" (飛び前蹴り - Tobi maegeri).

In 1973, he awarded the Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize. At that time, it was popular on the covers of several general magazines such as "Weekly Shonen Champion" (Akita Shoten) first issue in 1969 and "Weekly Shonen Magazine" (1968 issue 47).

The final match was held on July 2, 1977, and the retirement ceremony was held on October 10, the following year. His final record was 241 fights, 232 wins (228KO), 5 losses and 4 draws. and focused on managing his automobile repair company in Tokyo.

In media

His exploits were the basis of a manga series called Kick no Oni, written by Ikki Kajiwara and published in Shōnen Gahōsha. The manga was later adapted to an anime series by Toei Animation, and was broadcast on TBS from October 2, 1970, to March 26, 1971. Besides in domestic Japan, the anime series became very popular in Brazil during the 70's and early 80's, released there as "Sawamu, o Demolidor".

Sawamura has recorded two songs during his life. "Uta ikasu machida ze" (いかす街だぜ - "It's a cool city") in 1969

The Japanese name for the Pokémon Hitmonlee is Sawamurā (officially romanized as "Sawamular"), which is a reference to Sawamura.

In 2005, a Pachinko Machine named "CR Kick no Oni" based after him was released.

Championships and accomplishments

Japan Professional Sports Association
Japan Professional Sports Grand Prize recipient 1973
Japan Kickboxing Association
Oriental Lightweight champion (Defended 20 times)
Oriental Middleweight champion (Defended 14 times)

Kickboxing Record

241 total fights