| Katsuaki Sato | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 4 1946 Sakhalin, Japan |
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Katsuaki Satō (佐藤 勝昭 Satō Katsuaki?, born April 4, 1946) is the founder and director of Satojuku Karate, also known as Odo (The Champion's Way) karate. The Satojuku honbu is located in Tachikawa, Japan.
History
Sato was born on Sakhalin Island (now controlled by Russia). In 1947 his family moved to Nakoso, in Fukushima Prefecture. In high school Sato trained-in Judo and after graduation, continued to study it while working full-time as a journalist and going to school part-time at Chuo University. However, at the age of 20, he injured his knee and shoulder and had to give-up judo. Instead, he began training in Kyokushinkai karate, earning his black belt in only one-year's time. Sato excelled in tournament competition. He won the 1971 and 1974 All-Japan Karate Tournaments as well as the 1975 First World Open Karate Tournament. He then retired from full-time karate training and competition and devoted himself to assisting his family's business. In 1977, he started his own karate style—Satojuku in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan as a single dojo. Satojuku has now grown to include dojos in many locations in Japan. Satojuku is known as a similar style to Kyokushin, but emphasizes precise knockdown techniques over techniques designed to injure or "knock-out" one's opponent. The organization sponsors an annual tournament, the All-Japan Point & K.O. Tournament, held at Yoyogi National Gymnasium 2 in Tokyo, Japan, with full-contact, knockown rules of competition.
