Toshishiro Obata

Toshishiro Obata (2011)

Toshishiro Obata ( Japanese 小 幡 利 城 , Obata Toshishiro ; born October 20, 1948 in Gunma Prefecture , Japan ) is one of the founders of Shinkendō . As an actor, he is known as Toshirô Obata in Western films .

He is known in Japan as the Tameshigiri Champion for several years in a row and is an authorized Shitoka.

Life

Toshishiro Obata was born in Gunma Prefecture, Japan in 1948.

In 1980 he moved to America to begin an apprenticeship and to develop his own swordsmanship through his extensive experience. In 1990 the International Shinkendo Federation was officially established. The association has founded 80 international branches and continues to expand. Obata, as the founder of the school, is called "Obata Kaiso" ( 小 幡 開 祖 , roughly: founder Obata ) by his students . He travels all over the world giving seminars for his students all over the world.

Beginnings in martial arts

Yoshinkan Aikido

In 1966, 18-year-old Obata left his small rural hometown for Tokyo to pursue a career in martial arts. In the Yoshinkan-Aikidō headquarters as Uchi-Deshi (student living in the house) he trained under the guidance of Master Gōzō Shioda , the founder of Yoshinkan. Sensei Obata served as a teacher for universities, the riot police, and the Japanese army for seven years. It was at this time that Obata introduced the Japanese art of swords.

Sword art

In order to expand the sword arts that he had acquired during Aikido training, he simultaneously trained the sword style "Yagyū Ryu" (in the 21st generation of Sōke Yagyū Nobuharu) and the art of Zen (with members of Shiyukai). As Uchi-Deshi, however, Obata was unable to study other arts intensively, which he took as an opportunity in 1973 to leave the Yoshinkan. He studied and achieved high placements in many famous Japanese schools including Nakamura Ryu, Ioriken Battojutsu, Toyama Ryu, Yagyū Shinkage-ryū , Kashima Shin Ryu, Ryūkyū Kobudō , and others. He also joined the Tokyo Wakakoma, Japan's elite group of stuntmen and combat choreographers, and was responsible for the introduction and increasing popularity of aikidō in Japanese films. During that time, Obata won seven consecutive All-Japan target-cutting championships.

Film career

Since 1986, Obata has appeared in several Hollywood films, including Black Rain , Turtles and Turtles II , Showdown in Little Tokyo , The Cradle of the Sun , Shadow and the Curse of Khan , The Hunted , and Demolition Man . He also made several appearances in documentaries about martial arts.

Books

Obata Kaiso has written several books, most notably on Shinkendō, Japanese swordsmanship based on his art, and dedicated to the Shinkendō Tameshigiri the safe and effective practice of cutting . Kaiso is still working on several books, including a treatise on the philosophy of Shinkendō, deeper studies in aspects of the art of fencing, and a historical view of Toyama Ryu.

Web links

• Toshishiro Obata in the Internet Movie Database (English)