Yukio Tani (1881 – 24 January 1950) was a pioneering Japanese ju-jutsu and judo instructor and professional challenge wrestler, notable for being one of the first jujutsu stylists to teach and compete outside of Japan. 

 

He travelled to London by invitation of Edward William Barton-Wright, the founder of Bartitsu.

 

Tani's early jujutsu training in Japan were heavily tied to his father, who was a master of Tenjin-Shinyo-ryu, but he is also rumored to have studied with Mataemon Tanabe, as Tani's father and grandfather were friends with the Fusen-ryu master.

 

There is also some evidence he trained in Yataro Handa's jujutsu school called the Seibukan in Osaka.

 

After breaking with Barton-Wright in 1902, Tani joined forces with veteran show business promoter William Bankier, who had himself been a music hall performer under the name "Apollo, the Scottish Hercules" and had met Tani in his tenure with Barton.

 

Under Bankier's management, Tani became a professional wrestler on the music hall circuit, where he would challenge anyone willing to test his skill.

 

With the temptation of winning £1 for lasting each minute, for a bout of up to 5 minutes, or £5 to £100 for winning, there was never a shortage of challengers.

 

He allowed his challengers to use any technique that they wanted, insisting only that they wear a jacket, This gave him the one big advantage that he needed over all the wrestlers and boxers who were invariably larger than he was".

 

On stage Tani was known as the "pocket Hercules" and was famous throughout all levels of London society.

 

In 1904, Yukio Tani and Taro Miyake opened the  Japanese School of Jujutsu that was located at 305, Oxford Street W, London.

 

In 1918, Tani became the first professional teacher at the London Budokwai, created by his countryman Gunji Koizumi initially teaching jiujitsu. but moved over to judo.