Tsutomu Ohshima was born on August 6, 1930. He began practicing Shotokan Karate at Waseda University from 1948 under Master Funakoshi, and in 1952 was named the Captain of the Waseda University karate club.

Mr. Ohshima left Japan in 1955 to further his studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, and in January of 1956, held his first practice in the U. S. In 1959, the Southern California Karate Association was formed, which was renamed Shotokan Karate of America in 1969.

On October 24, 2003, Ohshima Sensei gave a lecture at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan about his experiences teaching karate and the long-term benefits of continuing to practice karate throughout one’s life.