Nov 06 2017
6 November On 6 November 1964, Pathe Pictorial released a color film showing Vernon Bell’s British Karate Federation (BKF) students training at the Kentish Town dojo. The film lasting three minutes, was shown in cinemas across Britain. Eddie Whitcher can be seen in the film. At the time he was a blue belt. 7 November On 7 November 2008, …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-6-november-12-november/
Oct 30 2017
3 November On 3 November 1954, Master Mitsusuke Harada was awarded the rank of Godan (5th dan), presented to him by Master Gichin Funakoshi. Harada started his karate training in November 1943, under Genshin Hironishi, a student of Master Funakoshi. Harada received his Shodan (1st dan) in 1951. He started teaching Karate for the Physical Education department at Waseda University, …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-30-october-5-november/
Oct 23 2017
26 October On 26 October 1957 the Federation Internationale De Karate (FIK) was formed at the headquarters of the French Karate Federation, located at 34 rue de la Montagne Sainte Genevieve, Paris. Present at the creation of the FIK was Vladimiro Malatesti (representing Italy), Vernon Bell (representing Great Britain), Jurgen Seydel (representing Germany), Henri Plee (representing …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-23-october-29-october/
Oct 16 2017
17 October On 17 October Doug James ran his very first beginner’s class at the Harrarby Community Center. The name of his club was the Cumbria School of Karate. This club would eventually become the headquarters (Hombu) of his association, the British Karate-Do Chojinkai Association (BKCA). The BKCA comprises of clubs in Cumbria, North Lancashire and …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-16-october-22-october/
Oct 09 2017
10 October On this day, 10 October 1928, Shotokan Karate master, Hidetaka Nishiyama was born. Nishiyama attended famed university, Takushoku, studying economics. In 1949 he was named the captain of the karate team, after joining earlier that year. In the early 1950s, Nishiyama was part of a group, including Masatoshi Nakayama and Isao Obata, selected …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/on-this-day-october-10/
Oct 02 2017
4 October On 4 October 1924, Motokuni Sugiura, a former Chief Instructor of the JKA, was born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Sugiura earned his 1st Dan aged only 20.At university he had been university he had been taught be Gichin Funakoshi and his son Yoshitaka. After he graduated in 1944 he joined the Tsuchiura Navy Flying Corps, serving …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/on-this-day-october-4/
Sep 25 2017
28 September On 28 September 1897, Shinkin Gima was born in Shuri, Okinawa. On Okinawa he studied under both Yasutsune Itosu and Kentsu Yabu before attending university in Tokyo. In 1922 he met and began training with Gichin Funakoshi. He was Funakoshi’s first black belt and would eventually reach the rank of 10th Dan.
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/september-28/
Sep 11 2017
11 September On 11 September 1934 Colin Williams, the founder of the Bukonkai Karate International (BKI) association, was born. He started training in the early days of Karate in the United Kingdom. On 11 September 1970 Michael Randall, Christopher Adamou and Nicholas Adamou graded to 2nd Dan under Hirokazu Kanazawa. All three men had started their Karate …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-11-september-17-september/
Sep 04 2017
4 September On 4 September 1931, Kenneth Funakoshi, a distant relative of Gichin Funakoshi, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Hirokazu Kanazawa, who was a former Grand Champion in Japan, had arrived in Hawaii in 1960 to represent the Japan Karate Association (JKA) as Chief Instructor, at the behest of Masatoshi Nakayama. Funakoshi, who was in …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-4-september-10-september/
Aug 28 2017
30 August On 30 August 1931, Shotokan Karate master, Hiroshi Shōji, was born in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Appearing in volume 4 of Masatoshi Nakayama‘s Best Karate series, he was known for his sharp quick movements and exceptional tai-sabaki. At the first JKA All-Japan Karate Championships in 1957, Shoji became the first All-Japan Kata Champion. He was …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-28-august-3-september/
Recent Comments