Masatoshi Nakayama

MASATOSHI NAKAYAMA
Japan Karate Association
(1913–1987)

Martial Arts Books by Masatoshi Nakayama

Masatoshi Nakayama was the first Shotokan practitioner to be awarded his 9th dan while still alive and he was awarded his 10th dan after his death, in 1987.

Nakayama was born in the Yamaguchi prefecture. He began studying karate after he enrolled in Takushoku University in 1932. At the university he trained under Gichin Funakoshi and Funakoshi's son Gigo Funakoshi. Having studied the Chinese language at the university, Nakayama was sent to China in 1937 as part of the Japanese occupation where he worked as an interpreter. He was finally repatriated to Japan in 1946.

It was in 1949 that Nakayama helped found the Japan Karate Association with Gichin Funakoshi, and Nakayama was appointed as Chief Instructor. Using methods developed in modern sports sciences, Nakayama began to restructure the training. He established kata and kumite as tournament disciplines. It is his restructuring that contributed to an unequaled series of tournament successes by the students of the large JKA-Dojos in the 1950s and 1960s.

Nakayama worked very hard to spread shotokan karate throughout the world and he helped form the JKA Instructor Trainee program together with Funakoshi sensei, and other senior JKA instructors. It was the highly trained graduates of this program who were sent throughout the world to form new shotokan subgroups and this increase membership in the JKA. As happens so often, after Mr. Nakayama's death, the JKA split into two factions which led to a further splintering within the JKA. Many of the senior instructors left to form their own associations. Abe Keigo Sensei founded the Japan Shotokan Karate Association on February 10,1999. Tetsuhiko Asai founded the Japan Karate Shotokai also in 1999. In April 2000 Mikio Yahara established the Karatenomichi World Federation.

At Takushoku University, Mr Nakayama held positions in the physical education department, one of the many places he taught Karate throughout his career. He was also head of the ski team at Tokushoku University.

In 1972, Nakayama Sensei had help from one of his protege, H Kanazawa, and they set up a personal dojo in the basement of Nakayama Sensei's apartment building. They named the dojo "Hoitsugan." There were small dormitory rooms and karate enthusiasts from overseas lived in lived and trained in this dojo from the early 1970s.

Masatoshi Nakayama published many books on karate. He authored the "Best Karate" series, as well as the book "Dynamic Karate." His books are read in dojos all over the world. He has also produced excellent videos also used internationally.

Some of Masatoshi Nakayama most famos students are Keinosuke Enoeda, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Teruyuki Okazaki, Takayuki Mikami, Shirō Asano