Kenkojuku student of Gichin Funakoshi. He was a member of Funakoshi's karate association the Dai Nihon Karate-do Shotokai. In 1942, Okano was given permission to start a karate research club named Kenkokai Karate-bu in his hometown of Hachiōji, Tokyo. The club was started with the help of Suzuki Shinjo, Kaneko Isamu and Takagi Yoshitomo. He renamed the dojo Kenkojuku Budokan in 1948. Okano's karate was influenced by both Gichin and Gigo Funakoshi, and eventually this branch of Shotokan became known as Kenkojuku Shotokan. He retained the Shotokai lineage as well as the name Shotokan. Okano was on the panel of Masters
Ryu Hayabusa him among the "gaming's greatest patriots" of Japan. In 2011, "GamePro" speculated on Ryu's odds of filling the then-upcoming "Soulcalibur V's" lone guest-character slot (which ultimately went to Ezio Auditore of the "Assassin's Creed" franchise), opining that despite "Soul" regulars Taki and Yoshimitsu's "traditional place as the recognizable 'Japanese' characters, neither is a conventional ninja the way Ryu is." In 2012, after "Soulcalibur V" was released, Elton Jones of "Complex" included Ryu among fifteen guest characters he wanted in a future series entry. "We've had our fun going ninjitsu crazy with Taki and Natsu, but now it's time for Tecmo's