Vestal / New York / United States
As a native of Japan and a U.S. citizen Hidy Ochiai, came to the US in 1962 with the mission of teaching the martial arts.After receiving his B.A. from Albright College In 1966, Master Ochiai moved to Binghamton, NY & established Washin-ryu (wa-harmony, shin-truth) Karate-do in the United States. Washin-ryu now includes 25 branch schools across the United States.From 1967-1980, Master Ochiai established himself as one of the world?s premier martial artists. He was rated the number one kata (form) competitor by the PKA (Professional Karate Association), having won the United States Grand National Karate Championship for five consecutive years, an unduplicated record. He has been inducted twice to the Black Belt Magazine?s Hall of Fame in 1979 as "Instructor of the Year" and in 1980 as "Man of the Year". In 2004, Hidy Ochiai was inducted to the Martial Arts History Museums Hall of Fame in Los Angeles. He received a record number of votes.
