Category: Kumite

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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Elwyn Hall

There are obviously some absolutely fantastic Sensei around and some really fantastic karateka around. However, I do not think especially in this day and age of so much choice with regards to the proliferation of Martial Arts, and a propensity towards activities that deliver a quick fix, that the natural temptation is to meet the …

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Geoff Thompson

No true champion likes losing. We’re in the job of winning. Geoff Thompson Standing at an imposing 6ft 6in, Geoff Thompson is a multiple heavyweight kumite World Champion. Alongside Vic Charles and Jerome Atkinson, he took competitive Karate to the next level with his power and athletic ability. During the 1980s he was the face of Sport …

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Vic Charles

Vic Charles has been described as “the epitome of what a Karate competitor should be”. As a competitor, he was tough, resilient and technically proficient, in equal measures. Jerome Atkinson, a former world champion, described him as “the greatest competitor he had ever seen“. A winner of multiple World Championships, he was part of a …

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Elisa Au-Fonseca

I want to show my children that it is good to dream big, work hard and be kind to those who support you. Elisa Au-Fonseca Elisa Au holds a number of firsts in her competitive career. She was the first American woman to win an individual kumite world title. She was also the first person, …

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Pat McKay

If you want to compete at the top in this sport then training has to become full-time. Pat McKay When one talks about the great fighters that have represented Britain, the name Pat McKay has to be in the mix. Fighting at light heavyweight (- 80 KG) his record is second to none. He is …

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Mervyn Etienne

….. the relentless desire to be better than you were is a key trait in the highest performers – they appear not to be happy with the status quo and are always looking for ways of improving and finding the marginal gains that will give them the milliseconds in reaction time and information processing speed that …

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Masahiko Tanaka

You must learn not only how to make Karate natural to you but also how to strengthen your body without stressing it more than necessary. Masahiko Tanaka Nicknamed ‘Hasha’, meaning champion, Masahiko Tanaka is one of the most technically gifted and dynamic kumite masters to come out of the JKA. He was blessed with speed …

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Billy Higgins

There is so much involved in karate starting from white belt right through. I’d just like to say that I’ve been doing karate a long time but I feel even now that I am only scratching the surface. Anyone who ever thinks they ‘know it all’ is completely wrong. Billy Higgins Billy Higgins may not …

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Yoshimi Inoue

Karate is 99% feeling. Yoshimi Inoue For many, Yoshimi Inoue’s name will be associated with the many great kata champions he coached, that included Mie Nakayama, Atsuko Wakai and Ryoko Abe. However, Inoue was more than a great coach. He was a martial artist first and foremost. What made him a unique and successful coach …

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