was a prominent Japanese

master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

Shotokan is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" throu ...

karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

.International Traditional Karate Federation: Hidetaka Nishiyama
(2009). Retrieved on April 17, 2010.
(c. 2009). Retrieved on April 17, 2010.
(c. 1997). Retrieved on April 17, 2010. He was an internationally recognized instructor, author, and administrator, and helped to establish the

Japan Karate Association Japan Karate Association (日本空手協会; ''Nihon Karate Kyokai''; JKA; sometimes referred to simply as ''Kyokai'' 協会 in Japan) is one of the oldest global Shotokan karate organization in the world. Origins Gichin Funakoshi played a ma ...

. Nishiyama was one of the last surviving students of

Gichin Funakoshi was a japanese martial artist who is regarded as the founder of Shotakan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is known as a "father of modern karate". Following the teachings of Anko Itosu and Anko Asato,Funakoshi, Gichi ...

, founder of Shotokan karate. He was based in the United States of America from 1961 until his death in 2008, and was a pioneer of karate in that country.Hidetaka Nishiyama: karate master
''The Times'' (November 22, 2008). Retrieved on April 17, 2010. He had been posthumously awarded the rank of 10th ''

dan Dan or DAN may refer to: People * Dan (name), including a list of people with the name ** Dan (king), several kings of Denmark * Dan people, an ethnic group located in West Africa **Dan language, a Mande language spoken primarily in Côte d'Ivoir ...

'' in karate.International Traditional Karate Federation: Karate Master receives 10th Dan
(October 10, 2009). Retrieved on April 17, 2010.

Early life

Nishiyama was born on October 10, 1928, in Tokyo, Japan.Asawa, G. (1962): "Master Hidetaka Nishiyama explains Karate's real goal ... not to bask in the glory of achievement but to push forward always to the limit of your capability." ''Black Belt'', 1(3):28–31.Warrener, D. (c. 2009)
A tall tree in the forest has fallen
Retrieved on April 17, 2010.
(c. 2007). Retrieved on April 17, 2010. His father was a lawyer and a

kendo is a modern Japanese martial art, descended from kenjutsu (one of the old Japanese martial arts, swordsmanship), that uses bamboo swords (shinai) as well as protective armor (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and has spread ...

master, and he had two sisters, Sumiye and Michiko. During Nishiyama's childhood, karate was mostly unknown in Japan, and children were required to train in either

judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyclopedia Nipponi ...

or kendo in middle school.Smith, M. (1975)
Smoke from an urbane volcano: Meet Hidetaka Nishiyama, a tough gentleman of Japan who is fighting to have karate accepted as an Olympic sport
''Sports Illustrated'' (August 18, 1975). Retrieved on April 17, 2010. He started learning kendo in 1933 and judo in 1938. Recalling the beginning of his martial arts training, Nishiyama said, "I began, as is the custom in Japan, on the 5th day of the fifth month at the age of five. I started in kendo." His kendo instructor, Moorio Mochida, had a strong and lasting influence on the youth's development in the martial arts.Pinheiro, J. A. (2006): "Hidetaka Nishiyama: An interview with a Karate Legend." ''Black Belt'', 44(1):112–117. By the time Nishiyama reached 14 years of age, he had attained black belt status in judo. In 1943, Nishiyama was promoted to the rank of 1st ''dan'' in kendo (and would eventually reach 3rd ''dan'' in that art), and began training in Shotokan karate at the art's ''

honbu Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top ...

dojo A is a hall or place for immersive learning or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts, but has been seen increasingly in other fields, such as meditation and software development. The term literally means "place of the ...

'' (headquarters training hall) under its founder,

. His interest in karate had been sparked by two things: an old book written by a sword master (Nishiyama estimated the book to have been written around 1550), and '' Zoku Sugata Sanshiro'' (1945), a film by

Akira Kurosawa was a Japanese filmmaker and painter who directed thirty films in a career spanning over five decades. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. Kurosawa displayed a bold, dyna ...

. He recalled that training in the ''honbu dojo'' was around 80% ''

kata ''Kata'' is a Japanese word ( 型 or 形) meaning "form". It refers to a detailed choreographed pattern of martial arts movements made to be practised alone. It can also be reviewed within groups and in unison when training. It is practised ...

'' (patterns) and 20% ''

kihon is a Japanese term meaning "basics" or "fundamentals." The term is used to refer to the basic techniques that are taught and practiced as the foundation of most Japanese martial arts. The practice and mastery of kihon is essential to all advanced ...

'' (basics), and that Funakoshi and his son,

Gigō Funakoshi (1906 - 24 November 1945) was the third son of Gichin Funakoshi (船越義珍) (the founder of Shōtōkan 松濤館流 karate) and is widely credited with developing the foundation of the modern karate Shotokan style. Early years Gigo Funakos ...

, would divide the teaching load evenly between them. Nishiyama served in the

Imperial Japanese Navy The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...

before the end of World War II, and was unable to continue his karate training during this brief period. In 1946, he was promoted to the rank of 1st ''dan'' in karate, and in 1948, he was promoted to 2nd ''dan''. With the war over, he was able to begin studying at university.

Japan Karate Association

While enrolled at

Takushoku University Takushoku University (拓殖大学; ''Takushoku Daigaku'', abbreviated as 拓大 ''Takudai'') is a private university in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 1900 by Duke Taro Katsura (1848–1913).

, Nishiyama became a member of the university's karate team, and in 1949 he was named team captain. That same year, he helped to establish the

(JKA). He also co-founded the All Japan Collegiate Karate Union, and was elected its first chairman. In 1950, Funakoshi promoted him to 3rd ''dan'' in karate. Nishiyama received a Master of Arts degree in economics from Takushoku University in 1951.Hidetaka Nishiyama, 1928–2008
''Cultural News'' (December 2008, p. 2). Retrieved on April 17, 2010. That year, he was appointed to the JKA's Board of Directors. He began working for

Shell Oil Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New Yor ...

, but his JKA role soon became his full-time occupation. He was appointed to take charge of the JKA instructors' training program, and continued to oversee it until the late 1950s. Recalling notable graduates of the course, he said, "There were many but I think Mr. Kanazawa was exceptional, even though he left the JKA. There were many very good people, like Mr. Enoeda, Shirai,

Mikami is a Japanese name. Place Name * Mount Mikami, a mountain in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan * Mikami Shrine, a temple at the foot of Mount Mikami Surname Notable people with the surname include: *Kyohei Mikami, Japanese wrestler * Masat ...

and many others as well." In 1952, Nishiyama began teaching karate to US military personnel from the

Strategic Air Command Strategic Air Command (SAC) was both a United States Department of Defense Specified Command and a United States Air Force (USAF) Major Command responsible for command and control of the strategic bomber and intercontinental ballistic missile ...

(SAC). The other karate instructors for this program included

Masatoshi Nakayama was an internationally famous Japanese master of Shotokan karate.DF_56_of_80">("S_...,_who_were_known_as_kenjutsu_instructors,_from_the_Nagano_Prefecture.html" ;"title="kenjutsu.html" ;"title="DF 56 of 80/nowiki>">DF 56 of 80">("S ..., who were k ...

and

Isao Obata was a pioneering Japanese master of Shotokan karate.Blair, R. L. (1972): "Karate is dying, says Isao Obata, disciple of the venerable Gichin Funakoshi, Founder of Modern Karate." ''Black Belt'', 10(10):27–33. He was a senior student of Gichin F ...

. The following year,

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

General

Curtis LeMay Curtis Emerson LeMay (November 15, 1906 – October 1, 1990) was an American Air Force general who implemented a controversial strategic bombing campaign in the Pacific theater of World War II. He later served as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air ...

invited several instructors, including Nishiyama, to tour US air bases on the North American mainland. In 1960, Nishiyama published his first book, ''Karate: The Art of Empty-Hand Fighting'' (co-authored with Richard Brown).Nishiyama, H., & Brown, R. C. (1960): ''Karate: The Art of Empty-Hand Fighting''. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle. This work has been recognized as a seminal textbook on karate;Urban, P. (1967): ''The Karate Dojo: Traditions and tales of a martial art'' (1991 reprint, p. 149). Rutland, VT: Tuttle Publishing. ()The Shotokan Way: Nishiyama – The Legacy of an Eternal Student
(c. 2009). Retrieved on April 17, 2010.Lindsay, P. (2010)

Retrieved on April 17, 2010. the cover of a 1990 reprint noted that over 300,000 copies had been sold.Nishiyama, H., & Brown, R. C. (1960): ''Karate: The Art of Empty-Hand Fighting'' (1990 reprint). Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle. () In June 1960, Nishiyama was promoted to the rank of 5th ''dan'' in Shotokan karate.

United States

In July 1961, Nishiyama moved to the United States of America at the invitation of his students from the SAC, and founded the All American Karate Federation (AAKF). It was around this time that

Tsutomu Ohshima is a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the organization Shotokan Karate of America (SKA).Evans, J. K. (1988): "The battle for Olympic Karate recognition: WUKO vs. IAKF." ''Black Belt'', 26(2):54–58. The arrangement did not work out satisfactorily, and was to be a source of bitterness between the two men.Clary, D. W. (1992): "Political rivalries in the martial arts: Can't we all get along?" ''Black Belt'', 30(12):24–28. Four years later, in 1965, Nishiyama organized the first United States vs. Japan Goodwill Karate Tournament. He wrote a long letter on the state of karate tournaments, published in 1967 by '' Black Belt'' magazine.Nishiyama, H. (1967): "Nishiyama calls for new look at Karate tournaments." ''Black Belt'', 5(8):33. In that letter, he warned of the dangers of unqualified competitors and officials. In 1968, he organized the first World Invitational Karate Tournament, held at the

Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park (Los Angeles), Exposition Park, in the University Park, Los Angeles, University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial ...

. In 1973, Nishiyama co-founded the Pan American Karate Union and was elected its first Executive Director. He became Executive Director of the International Amateur Karate Federation (IAKF) in 1974. The first IAKF World Karate Championship was held in Los Angeles in 1975. The organization would later become the

International Traditional Karate Federation The or ITKF is the international governing body for Traditional Karate. This organisation was founded by Hidetaka Nishiyama. In the early 1990s, Nishiyama's refusal to align his ITKF organization with the World Union of Karate-Do Organizations ...

(ITKF) in 1985. In 1979, the AAKF became the American Amateur Karate Federation (and kept the same acronym).Hidetaka Nishiyama, 1928–2008
''Cultural News'' (December 2008, p. 4). Retrieved on April 17, 2010. Nishiyama was elected as the inaugural President of the new AAKF. Through the 1980s, Nishiyama served in a variety of administrative leadership roles, including President of JKA International (USA), Chairman of the AAKF, and President of the ITKF. He was based in Los Angeles, where he had settled with his family, but travelled across the world to teach karate. Nishiyama was featured on the cover of the December 1986 issue of ''Black Belt'' magazine.Black Belt Magazine: December 1986
Retrieved on April 17, 2010. In 1989, he published the ''Traditional Karate Coach's Manual''.Nishiyama, H. (1989): ''Traditional Karate Coach's Manual''. Los Angeles: International Traditional Karate Federation. In the early 1990s, Nishiyama's refusal to align his ITKF organization with the

World Union of Karate-Do Organizations The World Karate Federation (WKF) is the largest international governing body of sport karate with 198 member countries. It was formed in 1990, is the only karate organization recognised by the International Olympic Committee and has more than te ...

(WUKO) caused the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swiss ...

to suspend its recognition of WUKO as amateur karate's international governing body.Coleman, J. (1993): "Watch out, WUKO—Here comes Shotokan Karate's Nishiyama! Noted Instructor claims he is ready to lead Olympic Karate movement if IOC ousts WUKO." ''Black Belt'', 31(4):18–22. The ITKF and WUKO had been due to merge and form a unified karate organization, but this did not eventuate.World Union of Karate-Do Federations: About us
(c. 2009). Retrieved on April 17, 2010. The WUKO eventually became the World Union of Karate-Do Federations in late 2008. In 1999, the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

honored Nishiyama by presenting him with the US flag that had been flown on October 10 (his birthday) that year over the

US Capitol The United States Capitol, often called The Capitol or the Capitol Building, is the seat of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, which is formally known as the United States Congress. It is located on Capitol Hill at ...

in Washington, D.C.Hidetaka Nishiyama, 1928–2008
''Cultural News'' (December 2008, p. 6). Retrieved on April 17, 2010.
(1999). Retrieved on April 17, 2010. The flag was awarded in recognition of his contributions to traditional karate. At the request of US Senator

Slade Gorton Thomas Slade Gorton III (January 8, 1928 – August 19, 2020) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Senator from Washington from 1981 to 1987 and again from 1989 until 2001. A member of the Republican Party, he hel ...

, the accompanying letter stated: "I would like to thank you for your many years of service to this country. Your efforts in bringing the art of Karate to the United States Armed Forces has been immeasurable. On behalf of your grateful students and friends, I wish you the best in your many endeavors."

Later life

In May 2000, Nishiyama was honored when the Nishiyama Cup was held in Moscow, the first official karate event conducted in Russia since the end of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. On November 3, 2000, the Emperor of Japan awarded the

Order of the Sacred Treasure The is a Japanese order, established on 4 January 1888 by Emperor Meiji as the Order of Meiji. Originally awarded in eight classes (from 8th to 1st, in ascending order of importance), since 2003 it has been awarded in six classes, the lowest ...

, 4th Class (Gold Rays with Rosette), to him in a ceremony on the grounds of the

Tokyo Imperial Palace The is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor has his living quarters, the where va ...

.International San Ten Karate Association: Master Hidetaka Nishiyama
(c. 2009). Retrieved on April 17, 2010. Nishiyama was one of only 11 recipients of the award from outside Japan in that year. During the first Traditional Karate World Cup, in October 2001, Poland honored Nishiyama with the Officer's Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland The Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Order Zasługi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) is a Polish order of merit created in 1974, awarded to persons who have rendered great service to Poland. It is granted to foreigners or Poles resident ab ...

. The award was presented by the President of Poland,

Aleksander Kwaśniewski Aleksander Kwaśniewski (; born 15 November 1954) is a Polish politician and journalist. He served as the President of Poland from 1995 to 2005. He was born in Białogard, and during communist rule, he was active in the Socialist Union of Poli ...

. On November 1, 2003, the International San Ten Karate Association (ISKA) awarded Nishiyama the rank of 10th ''dan''. The ISKA reported that "Master Nishiyama at first tried to turn aside the honor, but was moved by the heartfelt affection of the ISKA leadership." The

calligraphy Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

for the certificate was executed by Eri Takase.Clayton, B. D. (2004): ''Shotokan's Secret: The hidden truth behind Karate's fighting origins'' (p. 53). Burbank, CA: Black Belt Books. () Nishiyama died on November 7, 2008, in Los Angeles, following a long battle with lung cancer. His funeral was held on November 30 at the Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple in Los Angeles, with over 500 people in attendance. He was survived by his wife, Yohko, and their three daughters: Yumi, Amy, and Nami. On October 10, 2009, the ITKF posthumously awarded the rank of 10th ''dan'' to Nishiyama; his daughter Nami accepted the honor on his behalf. ITKF Chairman Richard Jorgensen recalled, " ishiyamaalways said he never wanted to achieve the level of 10th Dan because he believed to do so and acquire the highest rank meant that his learning and his life would be over ... he would never accept the rank while he lived."

References

External links