The Life of Tetsuhiko Asai

浅井哲彦，字悠翔，昭和10年（1935年）6月7日、作為警察官浅井常彦與其妻常子的五男四女中的長子出生了。
12的時候，加入了當地的空手道道場，踏出了作為空手家的第一。高中時參加了學校的柔道部並被賦予了二段等等，在少年時期就展現了武道上的非凡才能。因其空手道及柔道的修煉，所以才形成了讓他人無法追隨的空手道的基礎。
進京的淺井哲考入了拓殖大學，並作為空手道部的核心骨幹活躍著。
天生柔軟靈活並聰敏的身體能力，巧妙的過對手的技，並只在一瞬間決定使用的技術，被冠有他人無法企及的潛水艦稱號，創造了許多的技術，並收到了空手道界的矚目。
昭和33年（1958年）畢業後，作為公益社團法人日本空手協會的指導員，在盡力普及及蒙空手道的同時，追求空手道的真髓，一心繼續修行，後來作為技術局局長養育了許多空手協會的指導員。
昭和36年（1961年）在天皇陛下御覽下舉的空手道比賽中，獲得了型及組手的綜合優勝，而淺井哲之名聲響徹與世界空手道界，並被期待著肩負空手道之將來。
獲得了世界空手道界名聲的淺井哲為了向全世界推廣並普及空手道，從夏威夷開始，將空手道導入台灣全土、積極地培養指導員，故被稱為台灣空手道之父。之後進一在數十個國家、耗費十餘年來繼續指導的旅程。
淺井哲，29，一個年輕武道家就此開始了英姿颯爽的旅途。
歸國后的50年間繼續海外指導、並且一生中去過70多個國家、門下學徒亦有三十餘萬人。平成12年（2000年），他與空手道界有志之士一同除古老的舊習而適合時代，並為了實現真正且嶄新的空手道而設立了「NPO法人日本空手松濤連盟」。之後開發了車椅子（輪椅）空手道並設立了「日本車椅子空手道連盟」，完成其「型」，努力普及於海外。
淺井擔心未來空手道界會傾向於競技性，單是為了比賽獲得勝利，而失去它的武術性與體育性的一面。他認為磨煉更深的空手道技術、打造健康的身體，以及精神的鍛煉是不可或缺的。
為了實踐他的理念，在50年間無論發生了什麼事，他早上一定會花2小時的時間來進行嚴厲的稽古，從未間斷。

淺井提倡這個新的活動，對應不論年齡及性別、身體有障礙的人士及老年人士們進行指導和練習，並讓他們以此成為人生的支柱，讓空手道成為一生的事業。通過貫徹這些來達到具備擁有人情味的優秀人格的目標。
並且，淺井以不拘泥於流派的空手道為目標，突破了空手道60年的殼，全力灌注吸收了「松濤流」的古典型以及容納所有一切武術技巧的淺井空手道。
他鼓勵應與其他所有空手道家建立良好的關係、和氣地進行切磋琢磨。而創立了不問流派的「国際日本武術空手道会I.J.K.A.」、以「順路」為起點、創造了全新的42個型、積極地傳播至海外。淺井的這個想法因維世界和平而受到了海外諸國大力支持。
如果修得了那些型就對所有流派的技術都有效。因而為了尋求那嶄新的技術，其門下集結了多國的學生。
在海外舉的淺井技術講習會，成為鄰近諸國其他流派的參加者蜂擁而至，或一家人驅車花費數十小時來參加的程度的萬期待人氣頂的講習會。然後以日本全國、全歐洲以及全世界上的規模在日本、智利、愛爾蘭、瑞士、俄羅斯等多個國家舉了「浅井盃国際空手道選手権大会」
（詳細請參考其他頁面）
在其人尚在世時舉他的獎盃爭奪戰是很稀有的事。
平成16年（西2004年）、這些活動頗受好評，被授予俄羅斯國立極東大學名譽教授的稱號。。
淺井先生也盡力將空手道傳授給海外的警察們。
西班牙警察學校、匈牙利、東歐、加拿大、巴西、夏威夷、香港、艾爾蘭、墨西哥、智利、秘魯、阿根廷、羅馬尼亞等等。
在淺井理念的影響下，「NPO法人日本空手松涛連盟」「日本車椅子空手道連盟」一起持續發展下、於平成18年（西2006年）成為了擁有日本國350個支部、數萬人的空手道家的大組織。並且淺井自身也為追求空手道的極致，確立了不僅僅於壯年期實踐的空手道而更加注重在美的空手道。
「使雙腕像鞭子一樣柔，並且無法預測而連骨頭都能打碎的「鞭拳」，以及接連不斷的出強的力並變換自如的技，空前後並能常創造出新的技術等等，他的身姿被歌頌為「騰空如龍、撼地如虎」、並完成了昭如日星的偉業。」
他亦如預知一般在離世之時，將「順応自然」留在大會的秩序手冊，如其字「悠翔」一般向空中悠悠地飛翔。駕鶴西去。

Tetsuhiko Asai, azana(a name received upon reaching adulthood), was born on June 7 of the 10th year of the Showa era (1935) as the first son of Tsunehiko Asai, a policeman, and Tsuneko, in a family of five boys and four girls.

When he was 12 years old, he entered a local karate dojo, and started his career as a karate practitioner. He joined the judo club at high school, and reached the second dan rank, showing a remarkable talent for martial arts from boyhood. He began to lay the foundations of his higher karate techniques through training in judo and karate at this time.

Tetsuhiko Asai then came to Tokyo, attended Takushoku University, and became a central member of the karate club. His lithe and agile physique allowed him to create many inimitable techniques, such as the "submarine", in which he passed under an opponent's kick and rapidly made his winning attack. Therefore, he gained much attention in the karate world.

In the 33rd year of the Showa era (1958), he graduated from Takushoku University, and was appointed as an instructor of the Japan Karate Association. He devoted his life to seeking for the quintessence of karate, and later became a chief instructor of the technical division of the Association and fostered many karate instructors.

In the 36th year of the Showa era (1961), Tetsuhiko Asai won the overall championship of "kata" and "kumite" contests at a karate competition that was watched by the reigning Emperor Showa. His name became well known in the international karate world, and was considered to have great potential. After he became famous in the karate world, he began teaching karate outside Japan in the 40th year of the Showa era (1965), beginning in Hawaii, then Taiwan, where he aggressively developed instructors and became known as the father of karate in Taiwan. He continued to travel to over 10 countries to teach karate for over 10 years. He was only 29 years old when he started teaching karate outside Japan, which was a rapid start for such a young martial artist.

Tetsuhiko Asai returned to Japan but continued to teach worldwide for the next 42 years. His students came from over 70 countries and taught over 300,000 students in his life. In the 12th year of the Heisei era (2000), he established "Japan Karate Shoto Federation", an Incorporated Nonprofit Organization, with like-minded people, to create a truly new, modern and unconventional school of karate. He then developed wheelchair karate, founded "Nihon Wheelchair Karatedo Renmei", and tried to spread this new style overseas.

Tetsuhiko Asai worried about the tendency to attach too much importance to competition in karate. He thought that the character as a martial art and the gymnastic aspects of karate should receive more attention, and that practitioners should try not only to win competitions, but also to develop more profound karate skills to build a healthy body and mental discipline. He continued severe training in karate for 2 hours early every morning without a single day off to practice his ideas for over 45 years. The new movement advocated by Asai aimed to shape a humanistic and gentle personality through karate, regardless of age, sex, and disability. Therefore, anyone including the disabled and old could study karate as a support for life through practicing and instruction according to their individual needs.

Tetsuhiko Asai sought a new style of karate, by not adhering to any traditional styles. He broke down 60 years karate's old pattern techniques, and concentrated on establishing the new Asai karate by introducing skills of various martial arts into the traditional Shoto style. He founded the International Japan Martial Art Karate Asai ryu (I.J.K.A.) for all karate lovers, regardless of style, where the karate lovers should improve by learning from others through friendly competition. He created more than 42 new kata, which were extensively introduced overseas. This concept of Asai was regarded as helping world peace, and was mostly supported by foreign countries. As his techniques would be effective against any style, practitioners came from more than 20 nations to study.

Asai's technical lectures held overseas were highly popular. Many practitioners of other styles attended from other countries, and some travelled more than 10 hours by car, bringing all members of their family. The Asai Cup International Karate Tournament was held in Japan, Chile, Ireland, Switzerland, Russia, and other countries, to include both Japan, Europe, and countries all over the world.

In the 16th year of the Heisei era (2004), the Far Eastern National University of Russia recognized his activities and conferred the title of honorary professor on him. Asai also tried to encourage instruction in karate within police services overseas, including Spain, Hungary, East Europe, Canada, Brazil, Hawaii, Hong Kong, Ireland, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Romania, and others.

Both the "Japan Karate Shoto Federation" and "Nihon Wheelchair Karatedo Renmei" continued to progress under the ideas of Asai, and had 350 branches and more than several million members in Japan in the 18th year of the Heisei era (2006). Tetsuhiko Asai himself had reached a deep understanding of karate, and had established a flowing, elegant and mature karate style with more emphasis on the internal aspect, departing from his practical karate practised in late middle age.

As he foresaw his farewell, he spoke some words, like a benediction, describing the "adjustment to nature" in the program of the national competition. He had passed through the air sedately and at ease in the wide sky. Tetsuhiko Asai was admired as "he always created extra ordinary and unprecedented new techniques, for example, bowing both hands as a whip, striking a nonpredictable heavy blow enough to crush bones, and dropping kicks at will with his huge leg power; and his appearance was like a dragon flying in the sky and like a tiger running on the ground." Tetsuhiko Asai achieved a number of great feats, and reached the 10th dan, the highest rank of karate, during his life.

Keiko Asai