Budo international Martial Arts Magazine Jul.-Aug. 2014 | Page 167

WADO RYU KARATE BY HIRONORI OTSUKA
Otsuka was born on June 1, 1892, in Shimodate City, Ibaraki, Japan. He was
one of four children to Tokujiro Otsuka, a medical doctor. At the age of 5 years,
he began training in the martial art jujutsu. Otsuka's father took over his martial arts education in 1897. Then at the age of 13, Otsuka became Shinzaburo
Nakayama’s student.
By 1911, while studying business administration at Waseda University in
Tokyo, Otsuka trained at various jujutsu schools. When his father died suddenly Otsuka was unable to continue studying. He found work as a clerk at
a bank. Although he wanted to become a full-time instructor, he waited, out
of respect for his mother's wishes.
On April 1, 1934, Otsuka opened his own karate school - the Dai Nippon
Karate Shinko Kai in Kanda, Tokyo. He blended Shotokan karate with his
knowledge of Shindo Yoshin-ryu jujutsu to form Wado Ryu karate. With
recognition of his style Otsuka became a full-time instructor. In 1940, his
style was registered at the Butokukai, Kyoto. Through the 1950s, Osuka
held various karate competitions.
WADO RYU KARATE is a direct translation of the Japanese work by
Hironori Otsuka. Masters Publication took on the job of the translation
in 1997. Theis book has since then be