Miyake Defeats Boxer

On Saturday, December 30, 1916, Taro Miyake fought Ben de Mello, a professional boxer, in a mixed styles six round challenge bout. 1,000 spectators filed into the Hilo Armory to watch a rare legitimate contest between a boxer and jiu jitsu expert.

Referee H.S. Prager started the bout between the 35-year-old Miyake and the younger boxer. Miyake warily circled de Mello looking for an opening. Miyake tried to close the distance with de Mello, but the boxer’s left hook found Miyake’s eye.

Miyake stagged for a second. The blow left Miyake with a black eye. Quickly recovering, Miyake grabbed de Mello and threw him to the mat. Miyake held de Mello down for the rest of the round. Newspaper reporters gave Miyake the first round despite the black eye.

Miyake thew de Mello to start the second round. Miyake worked for a submission on the mat, but de Mello survived the second round.

In the third round, Miyake ended the contest. After throwing de Mello, Miyake put de Mello in a straight armbar. Miyake forced de Mello to give up to the armbar. As the case in so many grappler versus boxer matches, the grappler holds a big advantage.

Miyake fought two or three more mixed style bouts but transitioned into worked professional wrestling matches as Miyake approached forty years of age. By the 1920s, Miyake no longer fought legitimate contests. Miyake worked his jiu jitsu into his wrestling matches.

Today, practitioners of the traditional Japanese style of jiu jitsu, write it as Jujitsu. However, both the early judo black belts and jiu jitsu experts all called their style of grappling, jiu jitsu. It is why the Gracies called their style of martial arts, Gracie Jiu Jitsu or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

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Sources: The Hawaiian Gazette (Hilo, Hawaii) January 5, 1917, p. 7

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