Category: On this day

This week in history (2 September – 8 September)

4 September On 4 September 1931 Kenneth Funakoshi, a distant relative of Shotokan Karate founder, Gichin Funakoshi, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Hirokazu Kanazawa, 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 …

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This week in history (26 August – 1 September)

26 August On 26 August 1941 Karate instructor and humanitarian, John Van Weenen, was born in Enfield, just outside London. He was the second of six children. In 1964 Van Weenen along with his brothers Jeff and Garry emigrated to Australia settling in Adelaide. He and his brother Jeff began Karate training under Moss Hollis, …

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This week in history (19 August – 25 August)

19 August On 19 August 2017 Henri Plee, the Father of European Karate, died in Paris, France. Held a 10th Dan in Karate, a 5th Dan in Judo, a 3rd Dan in Aikido and a 1st Dan in Kendo, it can be argued that no one has done more to promote Karate in Europe than …

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This week in history (12 August – 18 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 Urban was stationed in Yokohama, Japan. In 1953 he began studying Karate as a student of Richard Kim. In 1954 he was transferred to Tokyo, where he was introduced …

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This week in history (5 August – 11 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 Isao Obata and Shigeru Egami at Waseda University. As an exchange student from Waseda University Ohshima began teaching Shotokan Karate in Los Angeles in 1955. The following …

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This week in history (29 July – 4 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 …

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This week in history (22 July – 28 July)

22 July On 22 July 1967 the 1st KUGB Championships took place at the Alexandra Palace in London. Jack Green won the individual kumite title, with Andy Sherry winning the individual kata title. Liverpool Red Triangle won the first of its five consecutive team kumite titles. 23 July On 23 July 2011 Steve Arneil, a …

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This week in history (15 July – 21 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 …

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This week in history (8 July – 14 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 …

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This week in history (1 July – 7 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 …

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