Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura began his karate training in 1953 at age eleven. His first experiences were in the Goju style under the instruction of Kei Miyagi Sensei, the son of the founder of the style. In 1956, Nakamura began studying with Masutatsu Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate, and in 1959, he earned his shodan rank. At the time, he was the youngest Kyokushin student in Japan to receive a black belt.