Description

Japanese Shotokan karate master and founder of Shotokan Karate of America (SKA). He trained under Gichin Funakoshi at Waseda University and was awarded 5th dan by Funakoshi. He founded the first university karate club in the US at Caltech in 1957 and established the Southern California Karate Association, later renamed SKA. He translated Funakoshi's Karate-do Kyohan into English and was selected as Black Belt magazine's Japanese Instructor of the Year in 1968.

Teachers (1)

• 
  Funakoshi Gichin

  linkShotokan 3

  Confirmed

  Ohshima trained directly under Gichin Funakoshi at Waseda University from 1948 to 1953 and was promoted by him; extensively documented

  (1948-1953)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  Ohshima trained directly under Gichin Funakoshi at Waseda University from 1948 to 1953 and was promoted by him; extensively documented

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Ohshima began studying karate in 1948, while a student at Waseda University. There, he trained under Shotokan's founder, Gichin Funakoshi"

  — Tsutomu Ohshima (Wikipedia EN)linkinfo

Ranks (1)

• linkShotokan

  military_tech5 dan 3

  Confirmed

  Promoted by Gichin Funakoshi himself, documented in Wikipedia and SKA history

  Dan-Kyu System (1957)

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  1 source

  fact_check

  Promoted by Gichin Funakoshi himself, documented in Wikipedia and SKA history

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Funakoshi promoted Ohshima to 5th dan - the highest rank awarded by Funakoshi"

  — Tsutomu Ohshima (Wikipedia EN)linkinfo

Students (2)

• 
  Chuck Norris

  linkShotokan 2

  Probable

  Norris trained under Tsutomu Ohshima in Shotokan Karate; documented in American Tang Soo Do article and Ohshima's biography

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  Norris trained under Tsutomu Ohshima in Shotokan Karate; documented in American Tang Soo Do article and Ohshima's biography

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Norris continued his martial arts training with Shotokan Karate masters Tsutomu Ohshima"

  — American Tang Soo Do (Wikipedia EN)linkinfo

  Tsutomu Ohshima (Wikipedia EN)linkinfo
• Cl
  Claude Goetz

  linkShotokan 2

  Probable

  Two independent sources state Goetz trained with Ohshima; the details (period, venue) are not documented

  expand_morefact_checkassessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  2 sources

  fact_check

  Two independent sources state Goetz trained with Ohshima; the details (period, venue) are not documented

  assessed by FSMverified

  Frederico Muñoz

  Researcher, Martialis

  "Claude and Jacques DELCOURT... trained in Paris together with Tsutomu OSHIMA, disciple of Giehin FUNAKOSHI."

  — CNK - Centre National de Karate history page linkhistoryinfo

  "...my karate teacher Claude Goetz (the European karate pioneer who studied with Tsutomu Oshima, a disciple of Gichin Funakoshi)..."

  — Warrener, Don. (2011). Jean Claude Van Damme - Behind The Public Image. FightingArts.comlinkhistoryinfo

Sources