Soke Takayuki Kubota, world-renowned 10th-degree black belt karate master, passed away on Aug. 14 at the age of 89.
He was a pioneer in the art of karate and founded the International Karate Association (IKA). The world organization has had its headquarters in the U.S. for over 60 years.
Kubota was born in Kumamoto on Sept. 20, 1934. He created his own style of karate known as Gosoku Ryu, which translates to “hard and fast style.” He was bestowed the title of soke, which means “founder” or “grandmaster.”
He trained in karate for an unprecedented 85 years, beginning when he was 4 years old. He studied with various instructors in his youth and moved to Tokyo at the young age of 13 to seek a better life. This was not long after the end of World War II and young Kubota was homeless, living on the streets of Tokyo.
He assisted police in controlling a civil disturbance and was noticed by a police detective named Karino, who gave young Kubota a home. It was at this time that Kubota started teaching police officers karate. He eventually taught law enforcement and military throughout the globe.
Kubota started his first school in Tokyo in 1954. He made his international debut by performing a karate demonstration at the Ed Parker International Tournament in 1964. He immigrated to the U.S. the same year with the help of the LAPD.
The IKA then moved to the U.S., where he set up his karate school first in Long Beach, then in Hollywood and finally in Glendale, where his school has been for over 45 years. Kubota’s karate style flourished and over the decades established itself in various countries around the world.
He was also an accomplished actor and appeared in close to 300 commercials and movies throughout his career, including the “The Mechanic” starring Charles Bronson, “Rising Sun” with Sean Connery, and “The Hunted” with Christopher Lambert. He also made a memorable appearance on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” cutting Johnny’s desk in half with a samurai sword.
Kubota is well-known for inventing a keychain self-defense tool known as the Kubotan, which was developed in the 1960s for female undercover LAPD officers. The Kubotan is sold throughout the world and the techniques Kubota developed using the Kubotan are taught worldwide.
Kubota passed after a long illness. Two weeks prior to his passing, he lost his son Tyler, who had been battling cancer. He is survived by his wife Thea and his two daughters, Amy and Sara.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, Sept. 20, at 12:30 p.m. at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills. On that date, he would have turned 90 years old.