Sep 10 2018
10 September On 10 September 1965 Charles Mack became the first British subject awarded a 2nd Dan in Shotokan Karate from the Japan Karate Association (JKA). Masatoshi Nakayama awarded him his grade at the JKA’s headquarters in Tokyo. Mack had previously been awarded his 1st Dan by Nakayama three years earlier, becoming the first British subject awarded …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-10-september-16-september/
Sep 03 2018
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 in his early twenties began …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-03-september-09-september/
Aug 28 2018
29 August On 29 August 1934 Steve Arneil, a pioneer of British Kyokushin Karate, was born in the mining city of Krugersdorp, South Africa. Arneil began training with the founder of Kyokushin Karate, Mas Oyama, around 1961. In 1965 Oyama asked Arneil to attempt the One Hundred Man Kumite Challenge. The challenge devised by Oyama, was designed to test if a karate-ka had the necessary endurance and character to fight one …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-27-august-02-september/
Aug 20 2018
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, who originally …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-20-august-26-august/
Aug 13 2018
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-13-august-19-august/
Aug 06 2018
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).
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-6-august-12-august/
Jul 30 2018
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-30-july-5-august/
Jul 23 2018
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-23-july-29-july/
Jul 16 2018
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-16-july-22-july/
Jul 09 2018
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-9-july-15-july/
Recent Comments