Hidetaka Nishiyama

Hidetaka Nishiyama (西山 英峻, Nishiyama Hidetaka, October 10, 1928 – November 7, 2008) was a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He was an internationally recognized instructor, author, and administrator, and helped to establish the Japan Karate Association. Nishiyama was one of the last surviving students of Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan karate. He was based in the United States of America from 1961 until his death in 2008, and was a pioneer of karate in that country. He was posthumously awarded the rank of 10th dan in karate.

Early life

Nishiyama was born on October 10, 1928, in Tokyo, Japan. His father was a lawyer and a kendo master, and he had two sisters, Sumiye and Michiko. During Nishiyama's childhood, karate was mostly unknown in Japan, and children were required to train in either judo or kendo in middle school. He started learning kendo in 1933 and judo in 1938. Recalling the beginning of his martial arts training, Nishiyama said, "I began, as is the custom in Japan, on the 5th day of the fifth month at the age of five. I started in kendo." His kendo instructor, Moorio Mochida, had a strong and lasting influence on the youth's development in the martial arts. By the time Nishiyama reached 14 years of age, he had attained black belt status in judo.