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Master Hidetaka Nishiyama (1928-2008)

Born in Tokyo, Japan, on October 10, 1928, Hidetaka Nishiyama started his martial arts training in 1933 at the early age of 5 with kendo, followed by judo training in 1938. In 1943, he began his training in shotokan at the Hombo dojo of Gichin Funakoshi, its founder. By 1946 he had earned his black belt in karate and by 1948, he would have his second dan.

He enrolled at Takushoku University, and subsequently joined the unversity's karate team. In 1949, he became the team's captain. While he was at the university, he co-founded the All Japan Collegiate Karate Federation and was elected its first chairman. In 1951, he graduated from the university with a Master's Degree of Arts in Economics, and that same year he co-founded the Japan Karate Association, (JKA) and was elected to the JKA board of Directors.

The following year, he began training American military personnel from the Strategic Air Command in Shotokan karate. The other karate instructors for this program included Masatoshi Nakayama, and Isao Obata. A year later, Curtis Lemay invited Nishiyama to tour American airbases on the American mainland.

In his efforts to spread the martial arts, in 1960, he published his first book, Karate: The Art of Empty-Hand Fighting which he co-wrote with Richard C. Brown. As of today, it is still considered a definitive text book on the subject, and in its 70th printing, (2,000 copies per printing) it is considered the best selling karate text book in history.

In 1961, karate students of the Strategic Air Command and the Japan Karate Association members living in the U.S. invited him to move to America, which he did. Later in that same year, Nishiyama started the organization the All American Karate Federation (AAKF) as a nationally based amateur karate organization. Additionally, he organized under the control of the AAKF the first National Karate Championship in Los Angeles, California, where he had established his dojo. Since that time, Nishiyama has been the proponent of Shotokan karate in the U.S. and abroad in countries around the world.

To facilitate communication and goodwill relations between countries, Nishiyama organized a committee with the cooperation of the major Japanese karate styles that led to the first United States vs. Japan Goodwill Karate Tournament, held in 1965. Because of the participation of the All Japan Collegiate Karate Team, this event became the first truly international karate competition.

The first World Invitational Karate Tournament, organized by Nishiyama, was held in 1968 at the Los Angeles Sports Arena in conjunction with the Olympic Commemorative Tournament hosted by the Mexico Karate Federation in Mexico City. A conference which took place during the tournament culminated in an agreement to form an international karate organization, and as a result, the first World Championship of karate was held in Tokyo. Based on the 1968 agreement formed at the Mexico City conference, tournaments were held in Tokyo (1970) and Paris, France (1973). These World Championships resulted in disagreements caused by the lack of a formal international organization. An international meeting in New York City resulted in the formation of the International Amateur Karate Federation (IAKF) with Nishiyama elected as its Executive Director.

During a period of reorganization of the traditional governing body of karate, the JKA Karate group separated and became the JKA-US, part of the AAKF. Nishiyama continued as Chairman of both organizations. In 1970, the AAKF became a member organization of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

In 1973, Nishiyama co-founded the Pan American Karate Union (PAKU) and was elected its First Executive Director. The first PAKU Championship was staged in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

The first IAKF World Championship was held in Los Angeles in 1975. Nishiyama oversaw the formation of the Mediterranean Karate Championship Committee and Bolivian Karate Federation in 1976. Also that year, acting on behalf of the IAKF, he submitted an application to the International Olympic Committee seeking Olympic recognition for Karate.

The Central America/Caribbean Karate Confederation as well as the Asia/Oceania Amateur Karate Federation were formed in 1977, with Nihsiyama's support.

With U.S. changes in the regulation of amateur sports governing bodies, came the necessity of making changes to the AAKF. It was succeeded by the American Amateur Karate Federation, a public benefit, non-profit corporation, and Nishiyama was elected its first President in 1979.

Nishiyama supported the formation of the South American Karate Confederation and the North American Karate Confederation, both of which ocurred in 1981.

Because the word "karate" had become a generic term being applied to many of the kicking/punching sports, the IAKF changed its name to the International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF) in 1985. Under Nishiyama's direction, the ITKF wanted to make clear it was the governing body of traditional karate. In 1987, the IOC officially confirmed that the ITKF was the governing body for traditional karate.

In honor of his 71st birthday, Nishiyama was presented with an American flag which had been flown on October 10, 1999 over the Capitol in Washington, D.C. The special flag was given to him in recognition of his decades of effort on behalf of Traditional Karate. This flag was intended to acknowledge his contribution towards the physical and psychological health of Americans through martial arts.

In May 2000, Nishiyama was further honored when the Nishiyama Cup was held in Moscow, the first official Karate event conducted in Russia since the end of the Soviet Union.

On November 3, 2000, the Emperor of Japan awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Rosette to him in a ceremony on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

On the occasion of the first Traditional Karate World Cup in 2001, the Republic of Poland honored Nishiyama with the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, which was presented by the nation's President, Aleksander Kwaniewski.
On November 1, 2003, he was awarded his Judan, or tenth degree black belt, the highest rank available in Shotokan karate.

Nishiyama's reputation spread worldwide because of his superior technical expertise and his disciplined instruction. He is noted among martial artists for his interest in the similarities between the very different martial arts styles of Tai Chi and Shotokan Karate. Among his former students are All Japan Karate Champions Hiroshi Shirai and Takeshi Oishi. In addition, he trained a host of international and national instructors, national champions and celebrities.

Before his death in 2008, Nishiyama taught at the Central Dojo in Los Angeles, and would regularly teach seminars and courses around the U.S. and abroad. He also produced new texts and manuals, as well as instruction video recordings showing traditional karate.

Nishiyama sensei died on November 7th, 2008 in Los Angeles. His love of traditional karate, the philosophy and ideals he continuously and untiring espoused and promoted throughout his lifetime, and his dedication to the community of people who share those same goals will live on through them and those who perpetuate the art and life of traditional karate.