Tatsuo Suzuki Sensei
Founder of Wado Kokusai & Director of WIKF
1928 – 2011
I was deeply saddened and shocked to hear of the passing of Sensei Tatsuo Suzuki on 12 July 2011.
Sensei was an inspiration to me and always will be, from the first time I trained in his class as a 14-year-old child to our last meeting in June 2011.
Sensei Suzuki was unique. His karate was dynamic, and he expected the best from his students — yet he was a gentleman. His contribution to Wado Karate is remarkable — the last of the great Karate Masters.
Sensei will be truly missed. He touched the lives of many people, but his legacy will live on through Wado Kokusai.
“I will greatly miss Sensei. He will always be in our hearts and in our Karate.”
— Robert McGrath
Early Life & Martial Arts Training
Professor Tatsuo Suzuki was born in Yokohama in 1928. He became interested in karate at the age of 14 and began training at the YMCA in Yokohama under Kazuo Kimura, one of the top instructors of Master Hironori Ohtsuka’s Wado-Ryu.
He was later accepted as a direct student of Hironori Ohtsuka, founder of Wado-Ryu, and trained daily at the Osaki Police Station, which served as the Wado headquarters at the time.
Suzuki Sensei trained rigorously — often 10 hours a day — even during harsh winters. Every January, he would retreat to a temple in Akagi Mountain for intense solo training. By the age of 19, he had achieved 3rd Dan, a remarkable accomplishment.
Later, Wado-Ryu headquarters moved to Ueno’s Dojo (Tenshin Koryu Jujutsu), then Tsukiji Police Station, and finally to Sanko Construction Company’s Dojo.
In 1951, Suzuki was awarded 5th Dan, the highest Wado-Ryu grade at the time, personally endorsed by Master Ohtsuka.
Beyond Karate: Other Disciplines
In addition to karate:
- 2nd Dan in Tenshin Koryu Bo-Jutsu (staff fighting)
- 1st Dan in Judo
- Trained in Zen under Genpo Yamamoto and Soen Nakagawa at Takizawaji Temple in Shizuoka
He demonstrated Wado techniques in US Army camps across Japan and later toured Europe and North America in 1963 with Toru Arakawa and Hajime Takashima.
Global Spread of Wado
After returning to Japan, Suzuki received international invitations to teach karate. He chose to settle in England in 1965 because he could speak English. From there, he expanded Wado across Europe.
In 1975, he was awarded:
- 8th Dan, the highest grade given by the Federation of All-Japan Karate-do Organizations (Wado-Kai)
- The title of Hanshi, the highest title in Japanese martial arts — awarded by a relative of Emperor Higashikuni
Wado Kokusai & WIKF
In 1991, Suzuki Sensei founded the Wado International Karate-Do Federation (WIKF) to preserve the original teachings of Master Ohtsuka.
The WIKF became a worldwide organization. Suzuki Sensei visited over 85 countries, teaching and standardizing authentic Wado techniques.
Final Years & Legacy
Sensei Suzuki passed away on 12 July 2011 — a tremendous loss to the world of Wado Kokusai.
His name, teachings, and legacy live on through WIKF and the many students and instructors he inspired.