Tadashi Nakamura

Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura (中村忠 "Nakamura Tadashi", 22 February 1942 - ) is the founder of Seido Juku Karatedo.

Early years

Tadashi Nakamura was born on the 22nd February 1942 in the town of Maoka on the island of Karafuto. Young Tadashi Nakamura trained in various martial arts including Goju-Ryu, Kendo, and Kyokushin. In 1956 he started studying with Mas Oyama (founder of the Kyokushin style of karate) and by 1959 he had reached the rank of shodan (1st degree black belt).

When he was 19 years old (1961) he made his first tournament appearance, the All-Japan Student Open Karate Championship, where he was placed first. In 1962, he took part in a match against a Thai Kickboxing champion. The contest had been to determine which country had the 'best' martial art. In winning he became a Japanese national hero.

It was around this point in his life that Nakamura started passing his knowledge and experience onto others. Firstly at Camp Zama (a U.S. military base near Tokyo) from 1961 to 1965. He also coached the karate team for the Toho Medical University for three years. As if that didn't keep him busy enough he also served as chief instructor at the Kyokushin Karate Honbu in Tokyo while he earning his seventh dan.

Kyokushin

On April 5th 1966, the head of Kyokushin Karate, Masutatsu Oyama, personally selected Nakamura to go to the U.S.A. and spread the true spirit of karate. Aged 24 (just one year after he graduated university) he took the huge step of leaving his home and family in Japan to move to New York to begin teaching Kyokushin Karate. His first dojo was a small room in Brooklyn,at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Over the following years he dedicated himself to increasing the popularity of karate and in 1971 established the North American Kyokushin Karate headquarters. Over the next ten years he served as the American head of Kyokushin Karate. He trained many students who themselves became legendary in Karate Circles. Thomas Wiggins, Claude Battle, Charles Martin, William Best, Olen Lane and William Oliver were some of the most notable of his students.

As the Kyokushin style became ever more popular across America, Nakamura started to feel the quality of the instruction being taught throughout the country was slipping. He also began questioning the philosophy of his mentor Mas Oyama. In 1976 he respectfully withdrew from Kyokushin Karate, severed links with the Japanese Karate world and established his own style, Seido Juku.

Seido

Seido means 'Sincere Way' and aims to develop students not just physically but also mentally, helping create 'complete' and 'balanced' individuals committed to improving themselves and the communities they live in.

Seido Karate's three main principals are Respect, Love and Obedience. Love for one's family and friends. Respect for your fellow karate ka, your seniors, your parents and their knowledge and experience. Obedience (not subservience) to the laws and moral rules of life. Seido is headquartered in New York City at 61 West 23rd Street, but has many branch dojos around the world, ( [http://www.seido.com] ).

An important part of the Seido World Seido Karate Organization is the Seido Juku Benefit Foundation which performs many good works for charity, including the annual benefit tournament. Kaicho (Grand Master - 9th Dan) Nakamura has received praise and recognition from City, State, National and International leaders for the good works of the benefit foundation.

Books and Articles

Kaicho has authored several books and articles on Seido Karate as well as related topics such as meditation, breathing, and teaching. Some of these include;

* One Day, One Lifetime (1995) (ISBN 0-8048-3064-9)

* The Human Face of Karate (1989) (ISBN 4-07-975055-2)

* Karate: Technique and Spirit (2001) (ISBN 0-8048-3282-X)

* Karate Kyohon (2001) (ISBN 4-07-231722-5)

Selected articles;

* [http://www.seido.com/01_about_seido/philosophy_overview.htm Article: On Philosophy]

* [http://www.seido.com/01_about_seido/meditation_overview.htm Article: On Meditation]

* [http://www.seido.com/01_about_seido/philosophy_elements.htm Article: Seido Philosophy]

* [http://www.fightingarts.com/reading/article.php?id=76 Article: Teaching Karate-Do]

ee also

*Seido
*Kokorokan

External links

* [http://www.seido.com/01_about_seido/kaicho.htm Official Biography]
* [http://seidoindia.com/page11.html Biography (courtesy Seido India)]
* [http://www.seido.com/ World Seido Karate Organization]