On this day….(June 22)

On this day, 22 June 1931, Teruyuki Okazaki, the first official JKA instructor to reside in the United States, was born in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.

Okazaki began his Karate training in 1947. His training continued under Masatoshi Nakayama at Takushoku University, as a member of the famed Karate club.

Okazaki would go on to become an early influential instructor for the JKA. He was one of the architects of the JKA’s Instructor Course, from which many great Shotokan instructors have graduated.