The world of American karate is in mourning. But that's not all. All Hollywood learned this Thursday the death of Kiyoshi Yamazaki, 9th dan of karate and figure of martial arts in Hollywood. It was the karate federation he had helped create that announced his death in a statement on Facebook.
He died peacefully at his home Tuesday evening, according to the message. "Karate has lost a leader, a pioneer, a visionary, an outstanding technician and a source of in-depth knowledge. Kaicho's dedication to teaching Shindo Jinen Ryu Karate-Do, his success in building a respected and global martial arts organization, and his emphasis on humility and lifelong learning are all indisputable," the tribute to the "sensei" said.
He is best known for being Arnold Schwarzenegger's martial arts and sword teacher in Conan the Barbarian (1982) and its sequels in the 1980s. The latter paid him a vibrant tribute on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
I just heard the news that my sensei, Kiyoshi Yamazaki, passed away. He was a wonderful man and a fantastic teacher who made me believable as Conan the Barbarian with his sword training. When I say no one is self-made, this is what I mean. Who knows if Conan would have been a... pic.twitter.com/wpPhY2T5rO
— Arnold (@Schwarzenegger) August 30, 2023
"I just heard the news of the passing of my sensei, Kiyoshi Yamazaki. He was a wonderful man and a fantastic teacher who made me believable in the role of Conan the Barbarian thanks to his sword training," says the former "Terminator" actor. "When I say no one is self-taught, that's what I mean. Who knows if Conan would have been a success if Sensei Yamazaki hadn't made my sword game realistic? He played an important role in my life, he was a dear friend and my thoughts are with his family," concluded the former governor of California.
Kiyoshi Yamazaki was also Kyle McLachlan's master in "Dune" in 1984, excuse me.
@Kyle_MacLachlan learning some martial arts basics from Master Kiyoshi Yamazaki before he fought the robot in #Dune #FlashbackFriday https://t.co/RuN1G66mdH pic.twitter.com/WZIbreZ1aZ
— Tina (@lostdogs20) November 10, 2017
Sensei of Hollywood stars
His other famous students are Sting, Wilt Chamberlain, Brigitte Nielsen, Grace Jones, Sean Connery and Dennis Quaid, figures of Hollywood cinema of the 1980s. In 1997-1998, he also starred in the television series "Conan: The Adventurer", and was its technical advisor.
Kiyoshi Yamazaki, son of a kendo teacher, was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, on August 16, 1940. He began training in martial arts during his childhood, under the guidance of his father. In 1956, Yamazaki Sensei began training in karate at Ryobu-Kan, under the guidance of Yasuhiro Konishi, the founder of Shindo Jinen Ryu. Konishi Sensei issued him a license to teach karate in 1962.
"Yamazaki Sensei" moved to the United States in 1969. He began teaching at Citrus College in Azusa, California, and later opened a dojo in Anaheim, California that remained open until the year 2020. At the time, he frequently participated in karate demonstrations at the Japanese Village and Deer Park in Buena Park, California, and also performed in samurai sword shows.