Kiyoshi Yamazaki Kaicho, 9th Dan
“Konishi Sensei believed that karate is not a sport, it is like chess, you must think about your moves and their consequences ahead of time.”
Kiyoshi Yamazaki Kaicho is the Overseas Chief Instructor and president of Japan Karate-Do Ryobu-Kai. He holds a lengthy and impressive karate resume that includes being the only person to hold the Technical Chairman position in USA Karate, Pan America Karate Federation, as well as the World Karate Federation.
Yamazaki Kaicho, the son of a kendo teacher, was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, on August 16, 1940. His martial arts training began during his childhood days under his father.
In 1956, he joined Konishi Sensei's Ryobu-Kan at the age of 16 , and he received his first teaching license for karate in 1962. In the same year he had extensive Okinawan kobudo training with Shugoro Nakazato Sensei, the then head of Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu, in Okinawa.
Yamazaki often recounts how he passed his Shodan with Konishi Soke;
“Konishi Sensei failed me the first time for “poor spirit” although I had good technique. The second failure came when I was not nice to my training partner during testing. On the third try I was awarded Shodan-ho. I was unsure when Konishi Sensei would test me again, for Shodan. It was two years later. This taught me that it was important to just train and to always be ready to be tested”.
From 1960 to 64 Yamazaki Kaicho attended Senshu University and trained with the Shotokai under the famous Hironishi Motonobu Sensei, a direct student of Funakoshi Sensei.
Sensei Yamazaki made rapid progress, and soon established himself as a member of the University Karate Team, along with the club senior, Taiji Kase Sensei, who would later become one of the top instructors in the JKA and eventually moving to France.
After graduating in 1964 with a degree in Economics, he returned to training at the Ryobu-Kan, and eventually, he was asked to assist Konishi Soke in demonstrations and seminars worldwide.
Yamazaki Kaicho moved to the United States following an invitation by Dan Ivan Sensei in 1969. He went to adult college to learn English and trained in kata in his hotel room before he eventually began teaching formal classes at Citrus College in Azusa, California. He later opened a dojo in Anaheim, California. Encouraged by Takayuki Kubota Sensei and Fumio Demura Sensei he participated widely in karate demonstrations with them, particular at the Japanese Village and Deer Park in Buena Park, California, which helped in gaining a following of students.
Kaicho often says that coming to the USA was like being reborn, he had to learn to speak a new language and embrace a different culture as his home.
The original JKR Hombu in Anaheim, California
In 1970, Kaicho Yamazaki was chosen to serve on the committee to select the US Karate Team that would participate in the first World Karate Tournament in Japan. Other members of the committee included Fumio Demura Sensei, Gōsei Yamaguchi Sensei and Hidetaka Nishiyama Sensei. This tournament marked the beginning of the World Union of Karate-do Organizations (WUKO), which eventually became the World Karate Federation (WKF).
The new JKR Hombu in Garden Grove Winter Gasshuku (lodging together a name for special training) December 2019. Kaicho explain the finer points. Centre photo with Kaicho and his daughter Minako Yamazaki Sensei, Martin Smith Sensei 7th Dan JKRUK, Paul Ives 4th Dan JKRUK, Simon Oliver Sensei 7th Dan JKRUK Head Instructor and Jonathan Smart 5th Dan Head Instructor JKR Mexico.
By 1973 the JKR-USA was established enough to organise a visit from Konishi Soke. This was part of a major event culminating in a championship at UCI.
Yamazaki Kaicho often recounted how Konishi sensei did not like competition which made Shindo Jinen Ryu it less appealing to young people, compared to other styles.
In contrast, many other styles/masters of Karate openly encouraged competing (Mabuni and Taira even developed the first protective gear for Karate) and wrote popular books and technical manuals on Karate.
By the time Konishi sensei passed away, he was deeply impressed by the fact that Karate was so widely recognized by the general public – the fact that he could have obtained a lot of fame was of no concern. At his traditional Japanese ‘beiju’ celebration (commemorating his 88 years of age), Konishi held one of his last speeches:
“The things a man can do throughout one’s short life might be very little, but anyone can achieve at least one great thing if one tries one’s best, without expecting too much.
Success might be the best, but even if one fails to attain what one expected, the fact that one tried one’s best should be recognized and that has meaning to one’s life.”
Yamazaki Kaicho has often said that;
“Konishi sensei was a strong believer in the fact that there ultimately is no significant difference between the various martial arts; whether it is judo, kendo, jujutsu or karate. They are all fundamentally one and the same in the end.
Most of us have two arms, two legs and one head.
There are only so many ways they bend.”
Yamazaki Kaicho in his movie days with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Terry O’Neill Sensei.
In addition to karate and kobujutsu, Yamazaki Kaicho is an accomplished exponent of Iaijutsu in the traditions of Omori-Ryu and Kashima Shin-Ryu. His expertise in the martial arts attracted producers in Hollywood; he has served as a technical advisor, instructor, and even acted in several movies. His celebrity students include Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sting, Richard Hatch, Dennis Quaid, Sandal Bergman, Wilt Chamberlain, Bridget Nelson, and Grace Jones.
Today, in addition to teaching at his dojo in Garden Grove, Yamazaki Kaicho maintains a busy schedule promoting the philosophy of Shindo Jinen Ryu and supervising and developing all the schools of Japan Karate-Do Ryobu-Kai outside of Japan.
His travels to conduct seminars take him to many countries, including Venezuela, the Bahamas, Australia, India, United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, France, Israel, Mexico, Canada and more. He is a sought-after instructor, not only because of the depth of his knowledge, but for his open, in-depth teaching style.
Yamazaki Kaicho is currently a Japanese Karate Federation (JKF) 8th Dan. There are only a handful of JKF 8th Dans; and he is the only person outside of Japan to reach this level.
Today he maintains a busy schedule promoting the legacy of Yasuhiro Konishi and Shindo Jinen-Ryu at all the schools of Japan Karate-Do Ryobu-Kai worldwide.
Yamazaki Kaicho will reminders us of the words of Konishi Soke in the following traditional Japanese-style poem written by Konishi Soke;
Karate is
Not to hit someone
Neither to be defeated
But to avoid trouble