Any info on Masatoshi Nakayama's activities during WW2?

Question

Masatoshi Nakayama, the author of many well-regarded books about Shotokan karate and the founder and visionary behind the JKA, spent almost a decade in China during the Japanese Empire's invasion, occupation, and subjugation of mainland Asia.

While this subject is taboo among members of the JKA, rumors abound about Nakayama's treatment of Chinese prisoners of war during this time. It is rumored that he practiced his karate on condemned prisoners -- beating several of them to death in attempts to perfect his ippon techniques and develop them to be as effective as his "one strike/one kill" philosophy of karate espoused.

While there are many well-documented instances of Japanese officers perfecting their samurai-sword technique on condemned prisoners (a favorite method of execution was to slice the prisoner completely in half through the pelvis, demonstrating the sharpness of the blade), I can find no online mention of Nakayama's alleged activities. Does anyone have any info?

Answer 1

WOW!

This is news to me.

I only heard that he studied Tai Chi Chuan and got really good at it.

I never heard anything like this.

Hmmm.

I won't down-play it.

The Japanese enslaved the Okinawans too, and were very brutal.

That is why when the Japanese forced the Okinawans to teach them Toudi/Karate, they watered it down bigtime!

They taught the Japanese the movements and left out the hidden applications within the kata.

Japanese karate practitioners don't like to hear this but it is true. They excelled in the sport aspect of kumite but could only use kicking and punching in real fights.

Karate is sooo much more than just kicks and punches.

Answer 2

I would suggest going to a Chinese source as a lot of Chinese Americans have documented the actions of notable Japanese instructors as being unpunished war criminals.

For example, many Chinese Americans consider the late Doshin So (or Kaiso), the founder of Shorinji Kempo, as an unpunished war criminal because he was a  member of the Kempen Tai (Japanese secret police), was stationed in Manchurai during the war, and allegedly had rough access to a lot of Chinese prisoners.

Go to a Chinese American consulate and enquire about Masatoshi Nakayama.

Answer 3

1st the concept of "ikken isatsu" one strike one kill was 200 years old before NAKAYAMA was born.It is a KENJUTSU/KENDO principle applied to point sparring where if all things were correct stance focus power timing you could theoretically kill your opponent with one kick or punch.This is a rare skill so rare that 99% of practioners could never hope to attain it unless they trained like samurai everyday for years.

I can remember when they wouldn't award points for a back fist "no power" they would say .

As for the rest of it japanese soldiers who did those things faced a war crimes tribunal after the war.GOGEN YAMAGUCHI founder of the japanese branch of GOJU RYU also served in MONGOLIA and was a prisoner of the RUSSIANS for awhile .Apparently he scared the c**p out of his guards and the other prisoners .But that may just be rumour also.