牛島辰熊は、拓大柔道部監督時代に国士舘大学柴田元総長とのつながりで国士舘大学柔道部へ指導に来ていた中島たけし元国士舘大学教授も指導を受けたその一人であった。また、牛島の愛弟子木村政彦は、後輩の大山倍達を可愛がっていた。中島は、木村の死後、夫人からビデオや資料をあずかり浜松の拳法会の大橋千秋を訪問し真相を伝え「武道のあるべき姿」を伝承しようとたびたび訪問している。
牛島辰熊（拓大柔道部監督）にとって力道山と大山倍達は、「最初は純粋な武道家・修行者として自分たちと同じ側と慕っていたが、やがて金と名声のために武道をビジネスに変え、愛弟子木村政彦の過去すら踏み台にした男たち」という共通の枠組みで捉えられていました。その変化のプロセスと牛島の視点の変化をみる。
1. 初期：大山倍達を「硬派な武道家」として高く評価していた。
戦後まもない時期、大山倍達は木村政彦の弟分であり、牛島にとっても「見どころのある若い武道家」だった。
- 大山は牛島辰熊が開いた柔道場（国際柔道協会）にも出入りし、牛島から柔道の指導も受けていた。
- 昭和29年の力道山対木村木村政彦戦の際、大山が力道山の裏切りに激怒し、木村のために敵討ちを叫んだ姿を見て、牛島は当時の大山に「純粋な武道家としての熱い魂」を感じて信頼を寄せていた。
2. 転換点：メディアを使った「ビジネス（自己プロデュース）」への傾倒
しかし昭和30年代以降、大山が「極真会館」を設立し、独自の空手を世界に広げていく過程で、牛島や木村の見る目は変わってきた。
- 『空手バカ一代』などの劇画・メディア戦略： 大山は自身の強さや伝説（牛殺し、ビール瓶切りなど）をメディアや漫画を通じて大々的に宣伝し、一大ビジネスへと発展させた。
- 牛島が嫌った「興行（ショー）化」： 命を懸けた真剣勝負を重んじる牛島にとって、大山の嘘を交えた派手なパフォーマンスや、知名度を利用した世界的な門下生ビジネスは、かつて軽蔑した力道山の「プロレス興行」と同じ、「武道を使った金儲け」に見えた。
3. 決定打：木村政彦の敗北をビジネスの「ネタ」にされた！
牛島が最も大山を許せなくなったのは、大山がビジネスを拡大する中で、愛弟子である木村政彦の「力道山戦の敗北」を都合よく利用したことである。
- 大山倍達は自著やマスコミで「木村は力道山に不覚を取ったが、もし自分なら力道山を倒せた」「木村先輩の仇を討つために私は立ち上がった」といったストーリーを広めた。
- これにより、大山は「木村よりも強い、力道山に対抗できる唯一の男」という看板を手に入れ、極真空手のビジネスを大成功させた。
牛島辰熊の結論
牛島辰熊にとって、木村政彦は自らの命を分けた唯一無二の存在です。その木村の悲劇的な敗北を、かつて弟分だったはずの大山倍達が「自分の空手ビジネスを大きくするためのプロモーション（売名行為）」として利用した瞬間、牛島の中で大山は完全に「力道山と同類の、信義なきビジネスマン（興行師）」へと成り下がった。
大山が純粋な修行者から「格闘技ビジネスの巨頭」へと変貌していく姿は、牛島にとって、戦後の日本武道が精神を失い、金と名声にまみれていく象徴のように映っていた。
Takeshi Nakajima—a former professor at Kokushikan University who received instruction from Tatsukuma Ushijima while Ushijima was coaching the Takushoku University judo team—was one of the individuals mentored by Ushijima; Nakajima had also been coached by the head of the Kokushikan judo team, President Shibata. Meanwhile, Ushijima’s beloved protégé, Masahiko Kimura, took a liking to his junior, Masutatsu Oyama. Following Kimura’s death, Nakajima received videos and documents from Kimura’s widow and made repeated visits to Chiaki Ohashi of the Kenpō-kai in Hamamatsu to convey the truth and pass on the "ideal form of Budo."
For Tatsukuma Ushijima (coach of the Takushoku University judo team), Rikidozan and Masutatsu Oyama fell into the same category: "men whom he initially admired as kindred spirits—pure martial artists and dedicated practitioners—but who eventually turned martial arts into a business for the sake of money and fame, even using the past of his beloved protégé, Masahiko Kimura, as a stepping stone." Here, we examine that process of change and the shift in Ushijima’s perspective.
1. The Early Stage: High regard for Masutatsu Oyama as a "hardcore martial artist（Budo）."
In the immediate postwar period, Masutatsu Oyama was a junior figure to Masahiko Kimura, and Ushijima viewed him as a "promising young martial artist（Budo)."
Oyama frequented the judo dojo established by Ushijima (the International Judo Association) and received judo instruction from him.
When Oyama witnessed Rikidozan’s betrayal during the 1954 match against Masahiko Kimura—and reacted with fury, vowing to avenge Kimura—Ushijima trusted him, sensing a "passionate soul of a pure martial artist" within him at the time.
2. The Turning Point: A shift toward "business (self-promotion)" via the media.
However, from the mid-1950s onward, as Oyama established the "Kyokushin-kaikan" and expanded his unique style of karate globally, the way Ushijima and Kimura viewed him began to change. Media Strategy and *Gekiga* (Dramatic Manga) Tactics (e.g., *Karate Baka Ichidai*): Oyama heavily promoted his own strength and legendary feats—such as killing a bull with his bare hands or slicing through beer bottles—via media and manga, transforming his reputation into a massive business enterprise.
The "Showmanship" Ushijima Loathed: For Ushijima, who valued life-or-death, serious combat, Oyama’s flashy performances (often laced with fabrications) and his global student-recruitment business—which capitalized on his fame—looked exactly like the "pro-wrestling spectacles" of Rikidozan (a man Ushijima had once despised): nothing more than "profiteering through martial arts."
3. The Final Straw: Masahiko Kimura’s Defeat Exploited for Business Gain!
What made Ushijima truly unable to forgive Oyama was how, while expanding his business, Oyama opportunistically exploited the defeat of his own senior disciple, Masahiko Kimura, at the hands of Rikidozan.
In his books and through the media, Masutatsu Oyama propagated narratives such as, "Kimura may have suffered an upset loss to Rikidozan, but *I* could have defeated him," and "I stepped up to avenge my senior, Kimura."
Through this, Oyama established an image of himself as "the only man capable of challenging Rikidozan—and stronger than Kimura," thereby achieving immense success with his Kyokushin Karate business.
Tatsukuma Ushijima’s Conclusion
For Tatsukuma Ushijima, Masahiko Kimura was a singular figure with whom he shared a bond deeper than life itself. The moment Masutatsu Oyama—once his junior—exploited Kimura’s tragic defeat as a promotional tool to boost his own karate business, Ushijima saw him sink to the level of a dishonorable businessman (or showman) no different from Rikidozan.
To Ushijima, Oyama’s transformation from a dedicated martial artist into a "titan of the combat sports business" symbolized the way post-war Japanese martial arts were losing their spirit and becoming tainted by the pursuit of money and fame.
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