Teruyuki Okazaki — Shotokan master and ISKF founder

Training and early career

Born in Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan, Okazaki trained under leading Shotokan figures, including Gichin Funakoshi and Masatoshi Nakayama. He collaborated with peers at the Japan Karate Association to develop an organized instructor training program that emphasized consistent technique, effective teaching methods and the transmission of kata and practical application.

Founding the ISKF and international work

Okazaki established the International Shotokan Karate Federation to unite affiliated dojos and provide standardized instruction worldwide. He spent much of his later life teaching abroad, conducting seminars, certifying instructors and helping adapt traditional Japanese methods for a global student base while safeguarding core principles.

Style, curriculum and teaching focus

As a senior master, Okazaki emphasized fundamentals and the interplay between form and function. His teaching commonly stressed repetition, timing, power generation and the ethical dimensions of training. Core components featured in his syllabus included:

• kihon — basic techniques and stances practiced for precision
• kata — structured sequences that preserve technique and strategy
• kumite — controlled partner practice and applications
• discipline, etiquette and instructor development

Legacy and passing

Okazaki's influence endures through the instructors and schools that trace their lineage to his seminars and certifications. He is remembered for professionalizing instructor education within Shotokan and expanding the art beyond Japan. He died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 21, 2020 from COVID-19 at the age of 88.