Meijin, Soke, Judan, Hanshi
(1892-1982)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Hironori Otsuka Sr. Meijin, Soke, Judan, Hanshi (1892-1982) |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Master Hironori Otsuka, the founder of the Wado Ryu Style of karate, was born on June 1 1892, in Shimodate township of Ibaragi, the second of four children of Tokujiro and Sato Otsuka. He was originally name Kuo, the name Hironori is a type of martial arts nickname or title that he adopted at a later stage in his life. His father Tokujiro Otsuka operated a medical clinic at their home in Shimodate, Ibaraki perfecture. His mother's uncle, Chojiro Ebashi was a samurai warrior who is said to have kept the young boy spellbound with his exciting tales of samurai adventures. Here perhaps we can see the sowing of the seeds of fascination for the martial arts that was to stay with Sensei Otsuka throughout his life. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ibaraki Perfecture Office (1872) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| At the age of 5, Sensei Otsuka began his martial arts training under his father and great uncle Ebashi, who was chief martial arts instructor of the Tsuchiura Clan and at the age of 13 he enrolled in the school of Yokiyoshi Tatsusaburo Nakayama (1870-1933), master of Shindo Yoshin Ryu school of Jujitsu, who was also a kendo instructor, where he practiced the art of the sabre (kendo) and Jujitsu. Sensei continued this martial atrs trainning with ponctuallity for 5 years. At these times, most schools concentrated on grabbing techniques but this school concentrated more on atemi (punching and kicking techniques). His trainning continued until 1911, the year when Sensei Otsuka entered Waseda Universtity to study in administration. It is at that time that time that master Otsuka studied Atemi style of Toshin-Kempo, while continuing his trainning of Shindo Yoshi Ryu Jujitsu. When his father died in 1913, sensei was forced to quit school and to return to Shimodate to work in a bank while practicing Jujitsu in M. Kanaya, Kyoshi's (2rd master of Butokukai) Yoshin Ryu dojo. M. Kanaya was at the same time a master of judo and practiced a traditionnal medecine; care of fratured and articulations. Sensei also met Ueshiba Morihei, the founder of Aikido in 1917. In 1920, Sensei Otsuka received his diploma from Yoshin Ryu school. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Young Hironori Otsuka | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sensei Otsuka (seated centre) 1917 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| On June 1 1920, sensei celebrated his 29th birthday by acheiving mastership, therefore graduating highest degree of Shindo Yoshin Ryu Jujitsu and receiving the title of Menkyo-Kaiden, therefore succeeding to his Master's (Nakayama) position. An honor few could even imagine attaining before they were twice his age. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| In 1922, Master Hironori Otsuka discovered karate. He had read an article in a newspaper about Crown Prince Hirohito's visit to Okinawa. The article said the while there, Hirohito was entertained by a dancing performance and a demonstration of karate, which was at the time a little-known Okinawan martial art. The news article mentioned that a certain Okinawan school teacher, Gichin Funakoshi, had been invited by the Crown Prince to travel to Tokyo to perform this local martial art before the Emperor of Japan at a public hall in Tokyo. Some say sensei Otsuka heard from this by his friend Ito, who mentioned a martial art named Ryukyu-Karate-Jutsu. Ito was a godan in judo, a student of J. Kano. Ito tells him that J. Kano has invited an Okinawan master named Gichin Funakoshi. Sensei Otsuka, believing in J. Kano's judgement, decides to go see Sensei Funakoshi. Sensei Otsuka was impressed by what he saw of Master Funakoshi's karate and introduced himself to him. The was the start of a long and close frienship between two of the most important people in martial arts of the twentieth century. Master Otsuka started his karate training in July 1922 and trained virtually ever night at the Meishojuko dojo and began to have ideas on how to adapt his atemi techniques to karate. He even appeared in Master Funakoshi's third book, Karatedo Kyohan, publiched in 1935.Sensei Funakoshi taught him with passion what was karate. He told him that he knew 15 katas and that it is possible, for someone who has no experience of Budo, to learn these katas in five years but that an expert in Budo discipline might only take two years. Sensei Funakoshi then explain to Sensei Otsuka that the progression to a higher level depends on the quality of one's training. Sensei Hironori Otsuka, now student of Master Gichin Funakoshi, learns the 15 katas in a year and a half, and to his Jujitsu point of view, juges that in each of these katas there are techniques that are inapplicable in fighting. Later on, Master Funkoshi decided to stay in Japan and to teach karate in Meishojuku dojo of Tokyo. In 1925, his mother died and then in 1927, Sensei Otsuka left the Shimodate bank to become a martial arts injury medecine specialist to commit himself even more to karate. After two years, Sensei received his medecine diploma to practice Budo more intensely. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back | Next Page | Home | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sensei Otsuka receiving an award from Sensei Funagoshi | |||||||||||||||||||||||