Isao Obata
| Isao Obata | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1904 Tokyo, Japan |
| Died | 1976 (aged 71–72) Tokyo, Japan |
| Other names | "Elephant" |
| Style | Shotokan Karate, Kyudo, Judo, Kendo |
| Teacher(s) | Gichin Funakoshi |
| Rank | 5th dan karate |
| Other information | |
| Spouse | Miyako Obata |
| Notable students | Tsutomu Ohshima, Kazumi Tabata, Shigeru Egami, Masatoshi Nakayama, Hidetaka Nishiyama, Taiji Kase |
Isao Obata (小畑 功, Obata Isao, 1904–1976) was a pioneering Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He was a senior student of Gichin Funakoshi, who is widely recognized as the founder of modern karate, and was a key figure in the establishment of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) under Funakoshi in 1949. Obata also helped introduce karate to the United States of America through his demonstrations of the art to United States Air Force personnel, and through his students, most notably Tsutomu Ohshima.