Ōtsuka Hironori
| Hironori Ōtsuka | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 1, 1892 Shimodate, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan |
| Died | January 29, 1982 (aged 89) Japan |
| Other names | Hironori Ohtsuka |
| Residence | Masaru_Shintani |
| Style | Wadō-ryū Karate |
| Teacher(s) | Gichin Funakoshi, Kenwa Mabuni, Chōki Motobu |
| Rank | 10th dan karate meijin |
| Notable students | Masaru Shintani Tatsuo Suzuki |
| Website | Official site |
Hironori Ōtsuka (大塚 博紀 Ōtsuka Hironori, June 1, 1892 – January 29, 1982) was a Japanese master of karate who created the Wadō-ryū style of karate. He was the first Grand Master of Wadō-ryū karate, and received high awards within Japan for his contributions to karate.
Ōtsuka was born on June 1, 1892, in Shimodate City, Ibaraki, Japan. He was one of four children to Tokujiro Ōtsuka, a medical doctor. At the age of 5 years, he began training in the martial art of jujutsu under his great-uncle, Chojiro Ebashi (a samurai). Ōtsuka's father took over his martial arts education in 1897. At the age of 13, Ōtsuka became the student of Shinzaburo Nakayama in Shindō Yōshin-ryū jujutsu.
In 1911, while studying business administration at Waseda University in Tokyo, Ōtsuka trained in various jujutsu schools in the area. Before his studies were complete, his father died and he was unable to continue studying; he commenced work as a clerk at the Kawasaki Bank. Although he wished to become a full-time instructor, he did not pursue this course at this point out of respect for his mother's wishes.
On June 1, 1921 , Ōtsuka received the menkyo kaiden (certificate of mastery and license to teach) in Shindō Yōshin-ryū jujutsu from Nakayama Tatsusaburo. While a valid license, a common misconception is that along with this certificate he became the "4th grandmaster" of Shindō Yōshin-ryū. This is inaccurate - the 3rd grandmaster (Tatsuo Matsuoka) actually outlived Ōtsuka by almost 8 years.
Jujutsu was not to become his primary art, however; in 1922, Ōtsuka began training in Shotokan karate under Gichin Funakoshi, who was a new arrival in Japan. In 1927, he also established a medical practice and specialized in treating martial arts training injuries.
By 1928, Ōtsuka was an assistant instructor in Funakoshi's school. He also trained under Chōki Motobu and Kenwa Mabuni, and studied kobudo, around this time. Ōtsuka began to have philosophical disagreements with Funakoshi, and the two men parted ways in the early 1930s. This may have come, in part, from his decision to train with Motobu. Funakoshi's karate emphasized kata, a series of movements and techniques linked by the fighting principles. Funakoshi did not believe that sparring was necessary for realistic training. Motobu, however, emphasized the necessity of free application, and created a series of two-person kumite called yakusoku kumite.
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