January 2022 archive

On this day….(January 31)

On 31 January 1999 Keigo Abe resigned from the Matsuno faction of the JKA. Masatoshi Nakayama, the Chief Instructor of the JKA, died in 1987. Tokyo businessman, Nobuyuki Nakahara became the Chairman of the JKA. A number of instructors, led by Tetsuhiko Asai, disagreed with the decision. This led to a split in the JKA. …

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On this day….(January 29)

On 29 January 1962, one of the founders of the French Karate movement, Jim Alcheik, was assassinated, aged only 31. Alcheik is widely regarded as one of the greatest martial artists to come out of Europe. He held the ranks of 4th Dan in Aikido, 2nd Dan in Karate, 2nd Dan in Kendo and 3rd …

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On this day….(January 27)

On 27 January 1934, Raymond Fuller, one of the students present at the founding of the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB), was born. Fuller started his Karate training in January of 1964 at Vernon Bell‘s Horseshoe pub dojo, located in London. At the time the British Karate Federation (BKF) were affiliated with Yoseikan Karate. …

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On this day….(January 26)

On 26 January 1964 Tetsuji Murakami performed his last official grading for the British Karate Federation (BKF) at their Blackpool dojo. Murakami’s association with the BKF had begun in July 1959, when he arrived in England from France. He conducted his first lesson and grading at 12 Maybush Road, Hornchurch. Murakami has been described as …

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Chuzo Kotaka

Karate is a lifelong progression of learning and betterment. It takes a lot of determination, perseverance, and most importantly, self discipline. These are important qualities of a champion, but they are also the qualities of every day karateka. No matter what your goals in Karate are, always remember to keep those qualities dear to your …

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On this day….(January 25)

On 25 January 2000, Kyokushin Karate legend, Hiroki Kurosawa made his kickboxing debut in the K-1 Kickboxing promotion. K-1 was the brainchild of Kazuyoshi Ishii and was designed to promote the best stand-up martial artists. In his debut, Kurosawa faced American Maecus Ruiz, who he knocked out in just 56 seconds.

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On this day….(January 24)

On 24 January 1987, Tetsuji Murakami, an early pioneer of Karate in Europe, died from an incurable disease after a long illness, in his adopted city of Paris. He was only 59 years old.

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On this day….(January 23)

On 23 January 1949, Henri Plee was graded to his Judo 1st Dan under Mikinosuke Kawaishi. He became the 16th Judoka to attain this rank in France.

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Felix Ntumazah

Why do people blame the system when people are the architects of the system…we live in a world full of hypocrisy. Felix Ntumazah A six-time European Kyokushin champion, Felix Ntumazah’s early life reads like a thriller novel. There were assassination attempts against his father and he and his family had to flee various countries to …

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On this day….(January 22)

On 22 January 1961, Hirokazu Kanazawa was sent to Hawaii by the JKA, to become their Chief Instructor in Hawaii. He held this position for two years. Introducing the new art of Shotokan Karate to Hawaii was not without its problems. Kanazawa faced challenges from other instructors of other Karate styles and martial arts. They …

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