Patrick Donkor

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This week in history (13 August – 19 August)

14 August On 14 August 1934 the founder of American Goju-ryu Karate, Peter George Urban, was born in Jersey City, USA. Serving in the US Navy he was stationed in Yokohama, Japan. In 1953 he began studying Karate as a student of Richard Kim. In 1954 he was transferred to Tokyo. There he was introduced by Kim to Masutatsu Oyama and Gogen Yamaguchi …

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This week in history (6 August – 12 August)

6 August On 6 August 1930  Shotokan Karate master, Tsutomu Ohshima was born. He was a direct student of Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi. He was also influenced by Shigeru Egami at Waseda University. As an exchange student from Waseda University he began teaching Shotokan Karate in Los Angeles in 1955. The following year he founded Shotokan Karate of America (SKA).

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This week in history (30 July – 5 August)

30 July On 30 July 1949 KUGB stalwart, Robert Poynton, was born.  A member of the famed Liverpool Red Triangle Karate Club, he started training in 1965 aged 15. He was awarded his 1st Dan by Keinosuke Enoeda in 1968. A top competitor in the 1970s, he successfully transitioned into an administrative role in the KUGB …

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This week in history (23 July – 29 July)

27 July On 27 July 1923 the founder of Kyokushin Karate, Matsutatsu Oyama was born in Japanese occupied Korea. Born as Choi Yeong-eui, spent most of his life in Japan. He was a student of Gichin Funakoshi and later Gogen Yamaguchi. He founded his own style of Kyokushin in 1957.   ******************************************** On 27 July 1985 the Karate Championships were held …

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Musings: Should I be practicing right now?

  We all have moments when we don’t fancy training. The following graphic details the questions we should ask ourselves when struggling with motivation to train.

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Cover Star: Gary Alexander

A member of Black Belt Magazine’s Hall of Fame, former marine, Gary Alexander is a pioneer of martial arts in the United States.An Isshinryu Karate practitioner, he began training with the legendary Don Nagle, a student of Isshiryu founder, Tatsuo Shimabuku. Nicknamed the “Hammer”, Alexander faced challengers from other Karate styles and remained undefeated from …

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This week in history (16 July – 22 July)

18 July On 18 July 1959 Tetsuji Murakami made his first ever visit to England to teach for the British Karate Federation (BKF). He also conducted a number gradings at 12 Maybush Road, Hornchurch, Essex.   ******************************************** On 18 July 1963 Vernon Bell received a letter from his German counterpart, Jurgen Seydel, informing him that Tetsuji Murakami was not an official representative of the JKA …

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This week in history (9 July – 15 July)

9 July On 9 July 1943 Chief Instructor of the KUGB, Andy Sherry, was born.  Sherry is one of the highest ranked Shotokan practitioners in the United Kingdom, having been one of the first people awarded a JKA 1st Dan in Britain in 1966 by Keinosuke Enoeda. Now a 9th Dan and one of the most senior Shotokan Karate-ka in …

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This week in history (2 July – 8 July)

2 July On 2 July 2013 Shoei Miyazato, a Kobayashi Shorin-ryu master and early student of Katsuya Miyahira (the successor to Chosin Chibana), died aged 85 years.  Although born in Okinawa, Miyazato attended elementary and high school in Osaka, Japan. As it was during the 2nd World War he had to undergo mandatory training in Kendo, Judo and military affairs.  At the age of …

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This week in history (25 June – 1 July)

25 June On 25 June 1959 the first written correspondence between Vernon Bell and head of Yoseikan Karate, Minoru Mochizuki took place.  Mochizuki had first come to France in the early 1950s to conduct a number of training sessions in Judo and Aikido. All correspondence between Mochizuki and Bell had previously gone through Henri Plee. It was through Plee that Bell had the opportunity …

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