at 63 Banchi Suehiro-Cho, Kanda, Tokyo. He blended Shotokan karate with his knowledge of Shindō Yōshin-ryū jujutsu to form Wadō-ryū karate, although the art would only later take on this name several years later. With recognition of his style as an independent karate style, Ōtsuka became a full-time instructor. In 1940, his style was registered at the Butokukai, Kyoto, for the demonstration of various martial arts, together with Shotokan, Shitō-ryū, and Gōjū-ryū. Following World War II, the practice of martial arts in Japan was banned. After a few years, however, the ban was lifted; through the 1950s, Ōtsuka held various karate competitions. In 1964, three of Ōtsuka's students Tatsuo Suzuki, Toru Arakawa, and Hajime Takashima) from Nihon University toured Europe and the United States of America, demonstrating Wadō-ryū karate. Later life On April 29, 1966, Emperor Hirohito awarded Ōtsuka the Order of the Rising Sun, Fifth Class for his contributions to karate. In the next few years, Ōtsuka wrote two books on karate: Karate-Do, Volume 1 (1967, focused on kata) and Karate-Do, Volume 2 (1970, focused on kumite). On October 9, 1972, the Kokusai Budoin International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF Japan) awarded Ōtsuka the title of Shodai Karate-do Meijin Judan (first-generation karate master 10th dan); this was the first time this honor had been bestowed on a karate practitioner. Ōtsuka continued to teach and lead Wadō-ryū karate into the 1980s, and died on January 29, 1982. In 1983, his son, Jiro Ohtsuka, became the second Grand Master of Wadō-ryū karate and honored his father by taking the name "Hironori Ōtsuka II." Notes a. Ōtsuka's surname is sometimes also spelled as Ohtsuka. References External links International Federation of Wado-Ryu Karate-Do Organizations 1892 births 1982 deaths Japanese male karateka Japanese jujutsuka Karate coaches Martial arts school founders People from Ibaraki Prefecture Wadō-ryū Wadō-ryū practitioners Waseda University alumni 20th-century philanthropists