Anton Geesink, Dutch Judo World Champion, Dies at 76

Anton Geesink, Medalist Who Helped Popularize Judo, Dies at 76 (Published 2010)

My respects and salute to a great man!

When I was a child, Geesink was THE world champion without a question. Regardless of the level of interest in judo, everyone in Japan knew him. He was seen with awe and fear and eventually with respect and admiration. He was the goal that every Japanese practicing judo wanted to overcome.

ﾂ"And here, in Tokyo, ﾂ"a big, blond foreigner had humiliated Japan in front of the entire world,ﾂ" Mr. Buruma pointed out. ﾂ"It was as though the ancestral Sun Goddess had been raped in public by a gang of alien demons.ﾂ"

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Hey, who said that?! I've never heard such a thing said by a Japanese in my life! To me, it's a rightwing-ist view written to incite a flame war where there is no fire! :box:

It was big news in Holland last week. He was one of the top athletes of the 20th century in Holland. Too bad the younger generation doesn't know him very well.

"genuine" judoka

Dutch Baka said:

It was big news in Holland last week. He was one of the top athletes of the 20th century in Holland. Too bad the younger generation doesn't know him very well.

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In Japan, Mr Geesink is well known among Judo athletes as well as others as the man knows true Judo spirits.

His victory over Akio Kaminaga (1936-1993) in the open weight division is remembered for how he conducted himself after the bout.

The moment he won, excited Dutch delegation members leapt up on the tatami mat, and Geesink sternly warned them off with a hand gesture. Geesink was not smiling, nor did he strike a victory pose. His demeanor and posture amply revealed his respect for his defeated opponent, and many Japanese knew then that he was a "genuine" judoka.

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The Asahi Shimbun | Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Not only this article but also many articles in Japanese newspaper/media. Maybe he was more famous in Japan than in Holland.

Anton Geesink was also absolute very popular in the Dutch Judo world.
He owned a Judo school in Utrecht (his town) in the Netherlands. The school will continue of course.
He was a fine sportsmman.