Traditional Karate International Confederation

Las Vegas, April 4th, 1999

Dear Honored Guests, Instructors, Students and Family members,

Welcome to the Master Ozawa Memorial and 19th Annual Traditional Karate Tournament. We are gathered in this event to honor the life of Mr. Osamu Ozawa; master, friend, and the great man, who was my husband and ran this tournament for eighteen years before passing away. The force of his spirit is always with me. My husband was a man of great character; kind, wise, and compassionate. By knowing him, I learned to be a better person, I know we all did.

We also know how much Master Ozawa loved Karate. For him, Karate was more than a sport or a self-defense practice. In his mind Karate was the art of life. His profound dedication to Karate is reflected on simplicity of his life. My husband's life is full of those examples. He had the ability to touch people's hearts. He had the same respect and love for those with high rank as for those in the lowest ranks of Karate.

Shihan Ozawa taught four very special students; to be leaders and sensei of the Las Vegas School of Shotokan Karate. He believed that one of the most important things he could teach was Chi, Yu, Jin -- knowledge, bravery, and kindness. These are qualitites he believed that a person should have to be come a great leader. He also relied on these sensei to help run the tournament as well as I do now. They are: Mr. James Tawatao, Mr. Rey Braganza, Mr. Chuck Russell and Mr. James Whitehead. I want to thank these sensei for their help and loyalty; and, I look forward to continuing the legacy of the Samurai, Osamu Ozawa, for more years to come -- together.

In closing, I want you to know that Shihan Ozawa kept a very special place in his heart for every one of you. The memory of my husband will be in my heart for the rest of my life.

Anata Daisuki

Thank you very much everyone, for being our friends.

Sincerely yours

/s/ Magaly Ozawa

Webmaster's note:
This is reprinted with the kind permission of Las Vegas School of Shotokan Karate.
Let us all honor the great sensei who have come before us, and helped us on our own roads of discovery.

"The ultimate aim of the art of karate lies not in victory nor in defeat,
but in the perfection of the character of its participants."

Gichin Funakoshi