Kazutaka Otsuka
I was born March 14, 1965, the first son of Grandmaster Jiro Otsuka II and grandson of Grandmaster Hironori Otsuka I – Founder of Wado-Ryu Karate.
My first experience of practicing Wado-Ryu Karate was when I was five years old, but it did not last long. It was difficult for a five year old to accept the learning of a family business, particularly to study a subject under my father, who had to treat me as one of his students and not to give anyone special treatment during his karate class. Moreover, my father had a belief in the saying that the father lion let his own children fall into the unfathomable ravine and only the child who climbed up to the top would succeed. Then he put the theory into practice on me.
I refused to practice karate when I turned six. But, in order to quit karate training, my father gave me a bargaining point, which was I had to start practicing other martial arts. He then put me into Iai-do training and I practiced that for 11 years. During those 11 years I also practiced other martial arts parallel with Iai-do such as Judo, Aiki-do, and wrestling.
When I was admitted to Tokai University, I joined the Iai-do club. The club was well known as promoting champions at the university level. Even then, I was chosen to be a regular member of championship from my first years. My second time of the unfathomable ravine was there.
About the same time, the members of the Wado-Ryu committee began to be concerned about the Wado-Ryu successor of the third generation not being nominated. So, I had to start practicing Wado-Ryu Karate again and submit to my fate. There was a Wado-Ryu Karate Club in the same university and it made it east to transfer to the karate world, except the Iai-do club did not want me part from them. The member of the karate club gave a warm welcome, because the son of the Grandmaster of Wado-Ryu was going to practice with them, but I was not congenial with part of the alumnus of the club.
In 1981 the Wado-Kai separated from the main body of Wado-Ryu. After that happened there were still some dojos that had not determined yet to which group they should belong.
Around 1983, the part of the alumnus from Tokai University Karate Club had a scheme to take side with Wado-Kai. During the same period of time, I practiced in the club without knowing the facts. So years of my college life got into a mess. The tried to encourage me to drop out of the club quickly. For these reasons I experienced a variety of hazing and torment, but I did not give up by the halfway. Since then thirteen years and still the club does not belong to either side.
After graduating from Tokai University, I studied in America when I met my wife Marie-Caroline from France. I currently hold the position of Director of the Wado-Ryu Honbu Dojo in Tokyo. Three times a week, my father and I teach children and adults the finer points of kata and kumite at the Honbu Dojo. Many people from all over Japan train with us here and because we also teach in English, several international students have also joined us. Upon the death of his father, Hironori (Kazutaka) Otsuka is now the third Grandmaster of Wado-Ryu. He and his wife have two children Benoit and Marion.