Asai Tetsuhiko 浅井哲彦

Footage from JKS gashuku in Hungary Asai Tetsuhiko, June 7, 1935 – August 15, 2006 was a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate of the Japan Karate Association (JKA), founder and Chief Instructor of the International Japan Martial Arts Karate Asai-ryu (IJKA), and founder of the Japan Karate Shoto Federation (JKS) In 1958, Asai graduated from Takushoku University, where he had trained in karate under Gichin Funakoshi, and Masatoshi Nakayama. He trained hard and was allowed to sleep in the karate dormitory. At Nakayama’s recommendation, he entered the JKA instructor training program and graduated from the course three years later. Asai won the JKA championship in kumite (sparring) in 1961, and in kata (patterns) in 1963. He was overall JKA champion in 1961, having come first in kumite and second in kata that became the first instructor to introduce karate to Taiwan. Through the second half of the 1960s, he taught karate in Hawaii for five years, with his students including Kenn