Chester
County Shotokan Karate Club - info@ccskc.org
- 3838 West Lincoln Highway, Downington, PA 19335
Masatoshi
Nakayama, born in 1913 to a Samurai family, trained in Kendo, the
traditional Japanese art of the sword, for more than 5 years before
entering Takushoku University. But, at the University, he first
observed the martial art that was to become known as Shotokan Karate
and, in 1932, he began his training directly under Master Funakoshi.
In order to better understand Shotokan Karate, and quench his own
thirst for knowledge, Master Nakayama traveled extensively through
China, learning about other traditional martial arts.
His
lifetime accomplishments are too numerous to fully list here. Besides
authoring countless textbooks on the subject, and a lifetime of
teaching traditional Shotokan Karate-do, he is also credited with
creating the concept of "sport" Karate. His basic rules and concepts
for tournament competition are still used today, to promote, not
competition itself, but the use of competition as a training tool for
the serious student of Shotokan.
Personally
appointed by Master Funakoshi to oversee instruction of Shotokan,
Master Nakayama led the Japan Karate Association (JKA) for many years,
until his death in 1987
. . .