Walter Todd”s martial arts career spanned over 50 years, and although he generally avoided the limelight, he was featured in numerous martial arts magazines. Walter E. Todd Sensei began training in budo, the traditional martial arts of Japan, in 1945, while stationed in Tokyo with the American military. He married a Japanese woman, and lived in Japan off-and-on throughout the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. Todd Sensei studied under many illustrious teachers including Mifune Kyuzo Sensei, judan (tenth-degree black belt), and Abe Ichiro Sensei, eighth dan, at the Kodokan Judo Institute.

Mifune Sensei, a legendary figure, was the last living holder of the tenth dan awarded by Kano Jigoro Sensei, the founder of judo. He accepted Walter Todd as his personal student. In 1948, Todd Sensei became the first foreign student of Otsuka Hironori Sensei, founder of Wado Ryu karate-do and tenth dan. Later, in 1954, Todd Sensei trained under Obata Isao Sensei and other Japanese experts in Shotokan karate-do. Obata Sensei was a direct student of Funakoshi Gichin Sensei, founder of Shotokan karate and the person responsible for bringing karate to Japan from Okinawa. Funakoshi Sensei is commonly regarded as the “Father of Japanese Karate,” and Funakoshi Sensei approved Todd Sensei”s black belt certificate, making him the first foreigner in history to obtain a dan rank in Shotokan karate-do.

After returning to the USA, Todd Sensei trained in karate-do and Aikido under Takahashi Yokou Sensei, a direct disciple of the legendary Toyama Kanken Sensei. Toyama Sensei, the founder of his own celebrated system of karate, eventually appointed Walter Todd as Shibu-cho (Branch Director) for the U.S., giving him complete authority to rank students in Toyama-style karate and direct the development of karate in America. After Toyama Sensei”s death, his son approved Todd Sensei”s rank of eighth dan.

Todd Sensei later began aikido under two world famous instructors–Tomiki Kenji Sensei, founder of Tomiki aikido, and Tohei Koichi Sensei, the only man ever to receive a tenth dan certificate in aikido directly from the art”s originator, Ueshiba Morihei Sensei. In fact, Ueshiba Sensei personally approved and signed Walter Todd”s first and second dan certificates. Todd Sensei later received a sixth dan in aikido from the celebrated Kokusai Budoin of Tokyo. In June of 1993, the Kokusai Budoin, which was founded in 1952 by leading masters of various forms of budo, issued Todd Sensei an eighth dan in judo. Even in Japan, ranks above fourth dan are difficult to achieve, and it is extremely rare to find a foreigner ranked sixth dan or higher. The Kokusai Budoin is one of few groups in history to be authorized to issue rank certificates by Japan”s Imperial Family; it has branches in dozens of countries, and is known to be rather conservative in nature.

Despite battling back from a near fatal automobile accident several years ago, and surgery to install two artificial hips, Walter Todd Sensei, a rugged, solidly built senior citizen, continued to teach and subdue young opponents literally one-third his age. His supporters saw him as “a living testament to the power of perseverance and the vitalizing capacity of authentic budo.”

He was a Martial Arts legend who will be greatly missed. But we can be thankful for his teachings and how they have influenced so many in the west to have a greater understanding of the east.