Category: Kumite

Shigeru Takashina

If I make will, I can kill you, but it is not my character…. My main goal now is to educate people in more than just show Karate but in the cultural Karate, the real cultural benefits [of Karate]. Shigeru Takashina Shigeru Takashina was a true stalwart of the Japan Karate Association (JKA). A graduate …

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James Field

Through teaching I learned that Karate is for everybody, not just athletes and competitors. Everybody can get something out of it… James Field A pioneer of American Shotokan Karate, James Field is one of the first four Americans certified to teach Shotokan Karate in the United States. A technical martial artist, he was also a …

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Kenji Midori

There are a few things that I tell my students. First is to prepare more than others. Second, do not ever give up. Third, do not be average. Kenji Midori Standing at around 5’4″ (1.6 m) in height, Kenji Midori is known as the “Little Giant“. He became the first lightweight competitor to win Kyokushin …

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Frank Smith

Karate should first be a martial art. Then, sport is used to test your levels and skill. Frank Smith The legendary Bill “Superfoot” Wallace named him in his list of “Top 10 Karate Fighters of All Time”, and he has also been described as “America’s greatest JKA Fighter“. Frank Smith was one of the big …

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Terrance ‘Tokey’ Hill

I know what the martial arts did for my life, and I think that we as champions owe up-and-coming martial artists an opportunity to have access to things we never had. Tokey Hill A Shotokan Karate practitioner, Tokey Hill is a traditional martial artist who strongly believes in sport Karate. He is a multiple National …

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Thomas ‘LaPuppet’ Caroll

If someone confronts me on the street, I will run like hell and hope he doesn’t catch me; if he does, he is in trouble. Thomas LaPuppet Known as the “Gentleman of Karate“, Thomas LaPuppet was a pioneer of American karate. A ferocious competitor, he was nicknamed “La Puppet (The Puppet)” for his ability to …

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Brian Fitkin

In addition to teaching my students Karate, I try to make really good people of them. Karate instructors have a tremendous responsibility because the students tend to copy them, but a lot of instructors don’t seem to realise it. Brian Fitkin Fighting at heavyweight, Brian Fitkin was described by legend Steve Arneil as being like …

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Masao Kagawa

Of course, there are heavier kata and there are lighter kata and for my body type, the heavier kata are more natural. But it is important to not only do what you are good at. In fact, it is more important to practice what you are not good at in order to create balance in …

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Mikio Yahara

I know Karate as a martial art, but now Karate seems like dancing. I would like to return to the original Karate, to its sources. Budo Karate, according to my opinion, is when I may finish my opponent definitively by one killing blow. Mikio Yahara Moving like a leopard, Mikio Yahara is one of the …

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Molly Samuel

No conversation about top female Karate competitors would ever be complete without mentioning the name Molly Samuel. She is arguably Britain’s most successful female competitor, winning multiple European and World titles. She was Britain’s first individual female World Karate Federation (WKF) World Champion. Fighting at middleweight (-60-kg), she was a pioneer of women’s competitive Karate, …

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