Tsunioshi Tanaka (田中 恒義), 10th dan, was the founder and president of the Tanaka Karate-Do Association. He was born on February 14, 1934, in the city of Lins/SP, and died on January 18, 2017, in São Paulo/SP.
He graduated in Physical Education from the College of São Caetano do Sul, and had also taken courses in Sports Science, such as “Psychomotor Education in Sports” at USP (University of São Paulo), among others. He had over 50 years of experience in Karate. He was also a Karate teacher as a complementary subject at the College of Physical Education in São Caetano do Sul. He was director of the São Paulo Karate Federation (FPK) and affiliated with the São Paulo Interstyle Karate Federation (FPKI).
He was the son of Masayoshi Tanaka and Tomo Tanaka, Japanese immigrants from the city of Masuda, in the province of Shimane, who disembarked with their families at the port of Santos in 1931 to work on the farms in the rural area of the State of São Paulo. He was the second of six brothers. He learned the values cultivated in martial arts first from his father, who was a Kendo instructor in his homeland.
In 1963, Tsunioshi Tanaka, together with several members, founded the São Paulo Karate Association, later renamed the Tanaka Karate-Do Association. At the time, Tanaka’s group was linked to the Brazilian Karate Association (ABK) and had Shikan Akamine (Goju-Ryu) as its master. A few years later, he was invited by Mas Oyama to represent Kyokushin Karate in Brazil, being the first to introduce this school in the country.
In 1970, he traveled to Japan to receive direct instruction at the Hombu Dojo. He also promoted events and championships and brought instructors to Brazil, in addition to Oyama himself on more than one occasion. In 1974, he left Kyokushin due to disagreement with some of the organization’s policies. The Association continued as an independent organization from then on.
Between 1994 and 2014, Master Tanaka represented the World Seido Karate Organization, owned by Tadashi Nakamura, another former Kyokushin representative with whom he befriended during his visit to Japan.
Master Tsunioshi Tanaka was very concerned about taking care of his students and instilling in each one the Karate for life. Not for violence and not for one to prove himself better than the other, but for each practitioner to be the best for himself and for others around him.
He always emphasized the physical and psychological benefits of practicing Karate, trying to instill awareness in his students about this. He also frequently spoke about the moral aspects of the art, with valuable teachings to be applied inside and outside the dojo.
Throughout the Association’s history, Kaicho Tanaka’s work has been recognized and honored on several occasions by heads of state, representatives of the political class and leaders of the Eastern community. An example of this recognition was a tribute granted to the master by the Chamber of Deputies, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Tanaka Karate-Do Association.
His work continues through his students, who keep the dojo where the Association was founded in the 60s active, located in the Vila Prudente neighborhood, in São Paulo city, with training sessions every day.