Tetsuhiko Asai
Encyclopedia
was a prominent Japanese master
of Shotokan
karate
who was a former Technical Director of the Japan Karate Association
(JKA), founder and Chief Instructor of the International Japan Martial Arts Karate Asai-ryu (IJKA), and founder of the Japan Karate Shoto-Renmei (JKS; also known as the Japan Karate Shoto Federation).
(on the island of Shikoku
), Japan. He was the eldest of seven children. As a boy, he trained in sumo
. In addition, his father (a policeman) taught him judo
, kendo
, and sojutsu
. When he was 12 years old, he witnessed a fight between a boxer
and a karateka (practitioner of karate); the karate combatant was able to disable his opponent with a kick, and Asai was impressed.
, where he had trained in karate under Gichin Funakoshi
, Masatoshi Nakayama, and Teruyuki Okazaki
. He trained hard and was allowed to sleep in the karate dormitory. At Nakayama's recommendation, he entered the JKA instructor training program and graduated from the course three years later. Asai won the JKA championship in kumite
(sparring) in 1961, and in kata
(patterns) in 1963. He was overall JKA champion in 1961, having come first in kumite and second in kata that year. Asai became the first instructor to introduce karate to Taiwan. Through the second half of the 1960s, he taught karate in Hawaii for five years, with his students including Kenneth Funakoshi (a fourth cousin to Gichin Funakoshi).
Over the years, Asai advanced within the JKA, and was appointed as Technical Director. Following Nakayama's death, the JKA experienced political troubles and divided; Asai and colleagues (including Keigo Abe
and Mikio Yahara
) formed one group, while Nakahara Nobuyuki and colleagues formed another group—which in 1999 was officially recognized as the JKA. In 2000, he founded the International Japan Martial Arts Karate Asai-ryu and the Japan Karate Shoto-Renmei. Apart from the ranking of 9th dan in Shotokan karate, he also held the ranks of 3rd dan in jodo
, 2nd dan in judo, 2nd dan in jukendo
, and 2nd dan in kendo.
Asai's health deteriorated with age, and he underwent liver surgery on February 10, 2006. He died at 2:50 PM on August 15, 2006, leaving behind his wife, Keiko Asai, and their daughter, Hoshimi Asai. More than 2,000 people attended his funeral, which was held on September 1, 2006, at Gokokuji Temple
in Tokyo. Asai received the rank of 10th dan posthumously from the JKS, and was succeeded as President of the IJKA by his widow. Since that time, IJKA in Europe has apparently separated from K. Asai's IJKA.
Grandmaster (martial arts)
Grandmaster and Master are titles used to describe or address some senior or experienced martial artists. Such titles may be, to some extent, aligned to the elderly martial arts master stock character in fiction...
of Shotokan
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
who was a former Technical Director of the Japan Karate Association
Japan Karate Association
Japan Karate Association is one of the most influential Shotokan karate organizations in the world...
(JKA), founder and Chief Instructor of the International Japan Martial Arts Karate Asai-ryu (IJKA), and founder of the Japan Karate Shoto-Renmei (JKS; also known as the Japan Karate Shoto Federation).
Early life
Asai was born on June 7, 1935, in Ehime PrefectureEhime Prefecture
is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
(on the island of Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
), Japan. He was the eldest of seven children. As a boy, he trained in sumo
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
. In addition, his father (a policeman) taught him judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, kendo
Kendo
, meaning "Way of The Sword", is a modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting based on traditional Japanese swordsmanship, or kenjutsu.Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sport-like physical elements.-Practitioners:Practitioners...
, and sojutsu
Sojutsu
, meaning "art of the spear" is the Japanese martial art of fighting with the Japanese .-Origins:Although the spear had a profound role in early Japanese mythology, where the islands of Japan themselves were said to be created by salt water dripping from the tip of a spear, as a weapon the first...
. When he was 12 years old, he witnessed a fight between a boxer
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
and a karateka (practitioner of karate); the karate combatant was able to disable his opponent with a kick, and Asai was impressed.
Karate career
In 1958, Asai graduated from Takushoku UniversityTakushoku University
Takushoku University is a private university in Japan. It was founded in 1900 by Prince Taro Katsura . The university is located in Tokyo and has two campuses: the main campus in the Bunkyō district, and a satellite campus in the Hachiōji district...
, where he had trained in karate under Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi
was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the 'father of modern karate.' Following the teachings of Anko Itosu, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921...
, Masatoshi Nakayama, and Teruyuki Okazaki
Teruyuki Okazaki
Teruyuki Okazaki , a tenth degree black belt in Shotokan Karate, is the founder, chairman and chief instructor of the International Shotokan Karate Federation . Along with Gichin Funakoshi and Masatoshi Nakayama, Okazaki helped found the Japan Karate Association's instructor training program.-Early...
. He trained hard and was allowed to sleep in the karate dormitory. At Nakayama's recommendation, he entered the JKA instructor training program and graduated from the course three years later. Asai won the JKA championship in kumite
Kumite
Kumite means sparring, and is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. Kumite is the part of karate in which you train against an adversary, using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata....
(sparring) in 1961, and in kata
Kata
is a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs. The term form is used for the corresponding concept in non-Japanese martial arts in general....
(patterns) in 1963. He was overall JKA champion in 1961, having come first in kumite and second in kata that year. Asai became the first instructor to introduce karate to Taiwan. Through the second half of the 1960s, he taught karate in Hawaii for five years, with his students including Kenneth Funakoshi (a fourth cousin to Gichin Funakoshi).
Over the years, Asai advanced within the JKA, and was appointed as Technical Director. Following Nakayama's death, the JKA experienced political troubles and divided; Asai and colleagues (including Keigo Abe
Keigo Abe
is a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the Japan Shotokan Karate Association in 1999 and is its Chief Instructor. He holds the rank of 9th dan in karate, is a direct student of Masatoshi Nakayama , and was a senior instructor in the Japan Karate Association.-Early life:Abe...
and Mikio Yahara
Mikio Yahara
is a Japanese Shotokan karateka and Chief Instructor of the Karatenomichi World Federation. He is famous for his performance of the Unsu kata.After graduating from Kokushikan University, he became Kenshusei in the Japan Karate Association and had a competitive career from 1974-84.In April 2000 he...
) formed one group, while Nakahara Nobuyuki and colleagues formed another group—which in 1999 was officially recognized as the JKA. In 2000, he founded the International Japan Martial Arts Karate Asai-ryu and the Japan Karate Shoto-Renmei. Apart from the ranking of 9th dan in Shotokan karate, he also held the ranks of 3rd dan in jodo
Jodo
, meaning "the way of the jō", or is a Japanese martial art using short staffs called jō. The art is similar to bōjutsu, and is strongly focused upon defense against the Japanese sword. The jō is a short staff, usually about 3 to 5 feet long...
, 2nd dan in judo, 2nd dan in jukendo
Jukendo
is the Japanese martial art of bayonet fighting, and has been likened to kendo . Jukendo techniques are based on sojutsu or bayonet techniques from the 17th century, when firearms were introduced to Japan....
, and 2nd dan in kendo.
Later life
Reflecting on relations between JKA instructors who had graduated from Takushoku University, Asai said, "we all pretty much get on nowadays, contrary to our official stances and federations. In saying that, some of us don't, but isn't that life? ... I am happy to say that most of the deep rooted rivalry has gone amongst my peers. I think that the passing of Mr. Enoeda, Mr. Kase, Mr. Tabata and Mr. Shoji and so forth has brought many of us back to reality. Obviously this is not limited to Takushoku University, it is all about us international karate pioneers getting very old."Asai's health deteriorated with age, and he underwent liver surgery on February 10, 2006. He died at 2:50 PM on August 15, 2006, leaving behind his wife, Keiko Asai, and their daughter, Hoshimi Asai. More than 2,000 people attended his funeral, which was held on September 1, 2006, at Gokokuji Temple
Gokoku-ji
is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Tokyo's Bunkyō.-History:This Buddhist temple was established by the fifth shogun Tokugawa, Tsunayoshi, who dedicated it to his mother...
in Tokyo. Asai received the rank of 10th dan posthumously from the JKS, and was succeeded as President of the IJKA by his widow. Since that time, IJKA in Europe has apparently separated from K. Asai's IJKA.