Category: Traditional

Gilbert Gruss

Personally I would define Karate-do as the way of the free hand rather than that of the empty hand. Because the goal is to make what you have learned bare fruit. Nothing is fixed in the combat arts. Gilbert Gruss Considered one of the pioneers and greats of French Karate, Gilbert Gruss has dedicated his …

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Seiji Kanamura

One of Mas Oyama’s top students, Seiji Kanamura has been involved in Karate since its early days. He has done much to establish Kyokushin Karate in the United States and the wider world. Seiji Kanamura was born in 1944, in Tokyo, Japan. Kanamura’s father was a friend of Mas Oyama. In 1958 Kanamura began training …

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Bernard Bilicki

What makes a martial artist’s heartbeat? For me, it’s the quest for perfection, not just in technique, but in life itself. Bernard Bilicki With the likes of Dominique Valera, Jean-Pierre Lavorato, and Patrice Belrhiti, Bernard Bilicki is a legend of French Karate. He has practised martial arts for over 60 years. He began practising Karate …

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Jiro Ohtsuka (Hironori Ohtsuka II)

In learning Karate simply as a sport, one will surely quit or retire from it as physical strength declines. Jiro Ohtsuka The son of one of Karate’s true legends, Jiro Ohtsuka had one of the best Karate teachers in his father. He developed into a phenomenal martial artist. He was described as a protector of …

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Ryozo Tsukada

I may not be very rich financially. But I am very very rich, intensely rich even, in human relations and this is thanks to Karate Ryozo Tsukada Known as a technical and patient instructor, Ryozo Tsukada was among the early cohort of Japanese instructors to teach Karate in Europe. For many years he was one …

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Patrick Baroux

One of the faces of French Karate during the early days of Karate in France, Patrick Baroux has been forgotten by many people. His accomplishments in French Karate include being the first European Karate Champion Patrick Francis Marcel Baroux was born on 14 January 1945 in Orleans, France. He had a younger brother Jean-Robert. At …

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Ryo Kiyuna

Before being a Budoka, be a human being. Ryo Kiyuna Karate’s first Men’s Individual Kata Olympic Champion, Ryo Kiyuna is arguably the most successful kata competitor of his generation. A Ryuei-Ryu practitioner he is a 6x World Champion and 11x Asian Champion. Some have called him the GOAT(Greatest Of All Time). Kiyuna was born on …

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Junior Lefevre

You judge the value of a man on what he left after him. Junior Lefevre A ferocious competitor, Junior Lefevre is a former World and European Kumite Champion. He is a 28-time Belgian National Champion and a four -time Croatian National Champion. He is also made the successful transition from being a competitor to a …

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Cezar Borkowski

I truly believe it’s important to honour tradition, but never be limited by it. We are not medieval re-enactors but thoughtful practitioners adapting to modern conditions and needs! Thus to remain relevant, Karate and all Budo training should be an organic, expanding – and thriving – experience. Cezar Borkowski Known for his encylopedic mind on …

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Yasuhiko Oyama

When a person walks into a dojo, he should sense that there is a serious attitude about the place. The people should be sweaty from a lot of hard work. Yasuhiko Oyama One of the early pioneers of Kyokushin Karate, Yasuhiko Oyama was known as a phenomenal fighter. Alongside his brother Shigeru Oyama, Tadashi Nakamura, …

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