was a Japanese master of karate who created the Wadà Â-ryà « style of karate. He was the first Grand Master of Wadà Â-ryà « karate, and received high awards within Japan for his contributions to karate.
à Âtsuka was born on June 1, 1892, in Shimodate City, Ibaraki, Japan. He was one of four children to Tokujiro à Âtsuka, a medical doctor. At the age of 5 years, he began training in the martial art of jujutsu under his great-uncle, Chojiro Ebashi (a samurai). à Âtsuka's father took over his martial arts education in 1897. At the age of 13, à Âtsuka became the student of Tatsusaburo Nakayama in Shindà  Yà Âshin-ryà « jujutsu.
In 1911, while studying business administration at Waseda University in Tokyo, Ã Âtsuka trained in various jujutsu schools in the area. Before his studies were complete, his father died and he was unable to continue studying; he commenced work as a clerk at the Kawasaki Bank. Although he wished to become a full-time instructor, he did not pursue this course at this point out of respect for his mother's wishes.
On June 1, 1921 , à Âtsuka received the menkyo kaiden (certificate of mastery and licence to teach) in Shindà  Yà Âshin-ryà « jujutsu from Tatsusaburo Nakayama. While a valid licence, a common misconception is that along with this certificate he became the "4th grandmaster" of Shindà  Yà Âshin-ryà «. This is inaccurate â the 3rd grandmaster (Tatsuo Matsuoka) actually outlived à Âtsuka by almost 8 years.
Jujutsu was not to become his primary art, however; in 1922, Ã Âtsuka began training in Shotokan karate under Gichin Funakoshi, who was a new arrival in Japan. In 1927, he also established a medical practice and specialised in treating martial arts training injuries.
By 1928, à Âtsuka was an assistant instructor in Funakoshi's school. He also trained under Chà Âki Motobu and Kenwa Mabuni, and studied kobudo, around this time. à Âtsuka began to have philosophical disagreements with Funakoshi, and the two men parted ways in the early 1930s. This may have come, in part, from his decision to train with Motobu. Funakoshi's karate emphasized kata, a series of movements and techniques linked by the fighting principles. Funakoshi did not believe that sparring was necessary for realistic training. Motobu, however, emphasized the necessity of free application, and created a series of two-person kumite called yakusoku kumite.
On April 1, 1934, à Âtsuka opened his own karate school the Dai Nippon Karate Shinko Kai at 63 Banchi Suehiro-Cho, Kanda, Tokyo. He blended Shotokan karate with his knowledge of Shindà  Yà Âshin-ryà « jujutsu to form Wadà Â-ryà « karate, although the art would only later take on this name several years later. With recognition of his style as an independent karate style, à Âtsuka became a full-time instructor. In 1940, his style was registered at the Butokukai, Kyoto, for the demonstration of various martial arts, together with Shotokan, Shità Â-ryà «, and Gà Âjà «-ryà «.
Following World War II, the practice of martial arts in Japan was banned. After a few years, however, the ban was lifted; through the 1950s, à Âtsuka held various karate competitions. In 1964, three of à Âtsuka's students Tatsuo Suzuki, Toru Arakawa, and Hajime Takashima) from Nihon University toured Europe and the United States of America, demonstrating Wadà Â-ryà « karate.
On April 29, 1966, Emperor Hirohito awarded à Âtsuka the Order of the Rising Sun, Fifth Class for his contributions to karate. In the next few years, à Âtsuka wrote two books on karate: Karate-Do, Volume 1 (1967, focused on kata) and Karate-Do, Volume 2 (1970, focused on kumite). On October 9, 1972, the Kokusai Budoin International Martial Arts Federation (IMAF Japan) awarded à Âtsuka the title of Shodai Karate-do Meijin Judan (first-generation karate master 10th dan); this was the first time this honour had been bestowed on a karate practitioner.
On March 22, 1970, à Âtsuka was presented with the key to the City of Niagara Falls, NY. Mayor E. Dent Lackey awarded à Âtsuka with the key to the city which was presented to à Âtsuka by one of his students (Robert Heisner, a Niagara Falls resident) who had recently been promoted to Nidan - Second Dan Black Belt by à Âtsuka.
à Âtsuka continued to teach and lead Wadà Â-ryà « karate into the 1980s, and died on January 29, 1982. In 1983, his son, Jiro Ohtsuka, became the second Grand Master of Wadà Â-ryà « karate and honoured his father by taking the name "Hironori à Âtsuka II."
a. Ã Âtsuka's surname is sometimes also spelled as Ohtsuka.