Teruyuki Okazaki

Infobox_martial_artist


name = Teruyuki Okazaki
residence = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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birth_date = June 22 1931
birth_place = Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
martial_art = Shotokan
teacher = Gichin Funakoshi, Masatoshi Nakayama
rank = Master 10th "dan"
students =

Teruyuki Okazaki (b June 22, 1931), a tenth degree black belt in Shotokan Karate, is the founder, chairman and chief instructor of the International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF). Along with Funakoshi and Nakayama, Okazaki helped found the JKA Instructor training program.

History

Early Years

Teruyuki Okazaki was born in Fukuoka Prefecture Japan. As a young man, he grew up studying judo, kendo, and aikido. In 1948, at the age of sixteen, he entered Takushoku University. It was here that Okazaki began his karate training. Teruyuki Okazaki studied primarily under Gichin Funakoshi (Shotokan's founder) as well as Masatoshi Nakayama. In 1953, Okazaki graduated and was immediately appointed coach of the Takushoku team. Later that year, it was decided that Okazaki would be trained as a "test case" for the still formulating JKA Instructor Trainee Program. In 1955, he was appointed head of the program, which produced some of modern Shotokan's most integral leaders. Takayuki Mikami, Takaura Eiji, and Hirokazu Kanazawa were among the first graduates from this program.

Coming to North America

As part of an effort by Nakayama to spread the practice of Shotokan karate internationally, Okazaki came to the United States in 1961, originally planning to stay only six months, but has since opened a dojo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and settled there permanently. [ [http://www.iskf.com/pskc/pskc.html Philadelphia Shotokan Karate Club] ] In 1977, Okazaki founded the International Shotokan Karate Federation.

ISKF Independence

In summer 2007 Okazaki proposed, as chief instructor of the ISKF, termination of the ISKF's relationship with the JKA and form an external, independent body. This motion was supported by 25 other countries which continued their relationship with the ISKF and discontinued relations with the JKA.

This decision came following Okazaki's concern that the JKA had not been conducting itself in the manner appropriate to the teachings of Master Gichin Funakoshi.

At the following Canadian National ISKF Championships in Toronto, Canada in October 2007, the ISKF technical committee announced Okazaki's promotion to 10th dan, the highest ranking karate master in the ISKF, and among only a couple others internationally at the time, of which Hirokazu Kanazawa is one.

Professional life

Although Okazaki has spent most of his adult life promoting Shotokan throughout North America, he has also held a faculty position at Philadelphia’s Temple University since 1970 and is an instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, West Chester University, and Thomas Jefferson University.

Published Works

*Teruyuki Okazaki and Milorad V. Stricevic. (April 1984). "The Textbook of Modern Karate", Kodansha Amer Inc. ISBN-10: 0870114611, ISBN-13: 9780870114618
*Teruyuki Okazaki. (2006). "Perfection of Character: Guiding Principles For The Martial Arts & Everyday Life", GMW Publishing, ISBN-10: 0978576322, ISBN-13: 978-0978576325 [http://www.nijukun.com]

References

External links

* [http://www.doshinmartialarts.com/okazaki.html Interview with Teruyuki Okazaki]
* [http://www.iskf.com/masters.html ISKF official site profile of Okazaki sensei]
* [http://www.nijukun.com/biography.html The Perfection of Character]
* [http://www.temple.edu/]
* [http://www.empiremediallc.com/Table%20of%20Content%203rd%20ISSUE.htm Featured Article in Masters Magazine, Fall 2007]