Moments In History

1800s1900s1910s1920s1930s1940s
1950s1960s1970s1980s1990s2000s
2010s2020s

1800s

1870, April 5Chōki Motobu, the founder of Motobu Ryu, was born in Okinawa.
1888, April 25Chojun Miyagi, the founder of Goju-Ryu Karate, was born in Naha, Okinawa.
1892, June 1The founder of Wado-Ryu Karate, Hironori Ōhtsuka, was born. Although he was an early student of Gichin Funakoshi, he had previously studied Shindo Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu for many years. After training in Shotokan Karate for around ten years, he left to form his own style of Wado-ryu in 1939.

1900s

1904, June 25Hideo Bo was born in Wakayama, Japan.
1907, April 11Minoru Mochizuki, founder of the Yoseikan dojo, was born in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
1909, January 20Gōju-ryu legend, Gōgen Yamaguchi, was born. Nicknamed the Cat, he was famed for his feline-like speed and prowess. Yamaguchi was a direct student of Gōju-ryu Karate founder, Chojun Miyagi. He began training with him in 1929.

1910s

1913, January 1Genshin Hironishi was born in Kyoto, Japan. Also known as Motonobu Hironishi, he was considered one of Gichin Funakoshi’s favourite students. Together with Shigeru Egami, he was an assistant to Yoshitaka Funakoshi. He was one of the main instructors at the Shoto Kan, Gichin Funakoshi‘a purpose-built dojo.
1917, May 7Seikichi Toguchi was born in Naha City, Okinawa. A body suppleness, the envy of many practitioners a fraction of his age, he was the first of Goju–Ryu founder, Chojun Miyagi’s students to open a dojo in Japan. He was also responsible for making advances in Okinawan Goju–Ryu.

1920s

1921, March 6Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate, led a Karate demonstration in front of Crown Prince Hirohito. The demonstration was performed at the Great Hall of Shuri Castle, in Okinawa.
1922, April 15Martial arts historian, Donald Frederick “Donn” Draeger was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the Great Depression of 1920s America.
1922, June 2Gichin Funakoshi gave a Karate demonstration in front of the Poplar Club in Tabata, Tokyo. The demonstration of Karate at the Poplar Club was one of several demonstrations given by him to introduce the Okinawan martial art to the Japanese people. The Poplar Club was an artists guild. The famous Japanese painter Hoan Kosugi was a member of the guild. He became a friend to Funakoshi and eventually was one of his first students. It was Kosugi who came up with the design of the Shotokan Tiger.
1922, June 3The earliest known Japanese newspaper article on Karate was published in the Tokyo Nichinichi  Shinbun. The title of the article was “The Mystical Martial Art – Karate: (Chinese Fist) from Ryukyu (Okinawa Prefecture). Wonderful Technique to Defend from an Opponent with Bare Hands. Kodokan to Study“.
1923, May 24Henri Plee was born in the French city of Arras. He is considered the “Father of European Karate”,
1927, March 31Tetsuji Murakami, a pioneer of Shotokan Karate in Europe, was born in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
1928, March 20Gichin Funakoshi gave a Karate display, with fifteen of his students. It was by Imperial invitation at the Palace grounds of Sainei-kan.
1929, February 9Shotokan master Taiji Kase, was born in Chiba, Japan.

1930s

1931, May 3Shotakan master, Hirokazu Kanazawa was born in Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. A legend of Karate, much has been written about him. For many years he was been one of the most recognisable faces of Karate. Considered by many to be the greatest of the Shotokan Masters, he is arguably one of the best technicians to come out of the JKA.
1931, May 25Takahiro Konishi was born. He is the son of Yasuhiro Konishi, one of the most outstanding, Japanese Karate Masters of the 20th century
1931, June 22Teruyuki Okazaki was born in Nogata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. He has been described by some, as one of the most technically gifted karatekas to come from the Japanese Karate Association (JKA). He was a living textbook on the history and practice of Shotokan Karate. He was part of the third generation of students to train with Shotokan founder Gichin Funakoshi.
1933, January 6Chuck Merriman, a pioneer of Goju-Ryu Karate in America, was born in Waterford, Connecticut.
1933, May 13Charles Naylor, a former Vice-Chairman of the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB), was born in Hubli, South West India.
1934, January 13Maynard Miner was born in Brooklyn, New York. A pioneer of Shotokan Karate in the United States, he helped lay the foundations of Shotokan Karate in the US. His many students include the likes of George Cofield, John Mullin, and many others. Like many of his generation, he learned his Karate in the postwar Japan of the 1950s.
1934, January 27Raymond Fuller, one of the students present at the founding of the KUGB (Karate Union of Great Britain), was born.
1935, May 4Fusei Kise, a master of Kenshin Kan Shorin-Ryu Karate, was born in Okinawa.
Kise, who began learning Karate from his uncle in 1947, is also an expert in Kubodo and Okinawan Kempo.
1935, June 7Shotokan master and former Technical Director of the Japan Karate Association (JKA), Tetsuhiko Asai was born in Ehime Prefecture, Japan.
1938, January 20Cyril Cummins, a pioneer of Shotokan in Central England, was born. He began his Karate training in 1964 at the Kyu-Shin-Kan School of Judo Ltd, located in Birmingham. His initial instructors were Jonny Brown, Tommy Ryan and Les Hart. They had learnt their Karate mainly from Hidetaka Nishiyama‘s book, Karate: The Art of ‘Empty-Hand Fighting. They eventually joined the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB).
1938, June 17The former Chief Instructor of the JKA in Belgium, Satoshi Miyazaki, was born in Sagai, Japan.
1939, January 29The Shoto Kan was officially opened. It became the Hombu of the Shoto training group. Both Gichin and Yoshitaka Funakoshi lived on the top floor of the new building and taught classes in the downstairs dojo.
1939, July 2Steve Muhammad was born Steve Sanders in Indianola, Mississippi, United States. Once said to have the fastest hands in Karate, he is a nine-time World Champion. A pioneer of tournament Karate, he made it acceptable for black people to compete in tournaments at a time when favouritism and racism existed in many tournaments.

1940s

1940, February 29JKA legend, Hideo Ochi, was born in Saigo Japan.
1941, February 24Shotokan master, Masahiko Tanaka, was born in Tokyo, Japan.
1941, May 5Terence ‘Terry’ Wingrove, an early pioneer of Karate in the UK, was born.
1942, May 20Robin Rielly, an American Shotokan Karate, was born. he began practising Karate in the early 1960s in Okinawa. He went on to become one of the first Americans to be promoted to 6th Dan in Shotokan. He was also the first American appointed to the International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF) Technical Committee.
1944, April 8Michael Randall was born. He received his 1st Dan from Hirokazu Kanazawa.
1945, January 8Pauline Bindra (nee Laville), who holds the distinction of being the first woman in Britain to earn a JKA (Japan Karate Association) black belt in Karate, was born in Middlesbrough, England.
1945, March 8Roger Hall a founding member of the English Shotokan Karate Association (ESKA), was born.
1945, March 10The Shotokan dojo was destroyed during the bombing raid of Tokyo by American B29 bombers, during World War II.
1946, February 26Brian Fitkin, a Kyokushin instructor, was born in London.
1946, March 3British Shotokan instructor, Robert Rhodes, was born in Leeds, England.
1946, March 14Michael Billman, a high-ranking Karate administrator, was born in the East End of London.
1946, June 10Michael Dewey, the Chief Instructor of Shotokan of England Karate Union (SEKU), was born.
1947, February 17Nicholas Adamou was born. He began his Karate training, alongside his older brother Chris in 1964.
1947, March 31Malcolm Dorfman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He started practising Karate in 1966 under South African Karate pioneer Stan Schmidt.
1947, May 15Steve Cattle was born. Until his untimely death, aged only 47, he was one of the longest-practising Shotokan practitioners in Britain. He was also a keen historian of Karate.
1947, May 29Hamish Adam was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a part of the British team that won the team kumite title at the 1975 World Championships held in Long Beach, California. He was also part of a Scottish team that won the 1973 European Team Championships at their first attempt.
1947, June 18Dominique Valera was born in Lyon, France, to a family of Spanish immigrants. He was one of six children, three boys, and three girls.  His family had emigrated from Cartagena before World War Two.
1948, January 24Dirk Heene was born in Aalst, East Flanders Province of Belgium. His father was a mining engineer. A long-time student of Shotokan’s, Taiji Kase, Heene has done a lot to promote the teachings of Kase.
1948, February 24Hitoshi Kasuya was born in Tokyo, Japan. He is a top Shotokan instructor and has also been a top competitor in both kata and kumite.
1948, February 27Terence (Terry) O’Neill, one of the best karateka ever produced in Britain, was born in Liverpool, England.
1949, January 23Henri Plee was graded to his Judo 1st Dan under Mikinosuke Kawaishi.
Plee became the 16th Judoka to attain this rank in France.
1949, February 4Michael Nursey, a founding member of the English Shotokan Karate Association (ESKA) was born.
1949, May 1The Japan Karate Association(Nippon Karate Kyokai) was formed. Kichinosuke Saigo was the first President of the association, with Isao Obata the first Chairman.
1949, May 4Eddie Daniels, who was one of the highest-ranked Karate instructors in the UK, was born in Gateshead, Newcastle. His mother was from Newcastle and his father was from the West African country of Ghana.
1949, May 27Isao Obata, alongside Shigeru Egami, Masatoshi Nakayama, and others, helped establish the Japan Karate Association (JKA). Obata became the JKA’s first Chairman. Gichin Funakoshi was made Honorary Chief instructor, with Nakayama becoming Chief Instructor. Other appointments included:
– Kichinosuke Saigo becoming President
– Masatomi Takagi becoming Administrator
– Kimio Itoh becoming Director of Administration
– Hidetaka Nishiyama becoming Chief of the Instruction Committee

1950s

1952, January 16Minoru Kawawada was born in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Although he may not be as well known as some other JKA masters, he was a longtime instructor at the JKA Hombu. For many years he went about his task of teaching excellent Karate to his students. He is also considered to be one of the best competitors of his generation, equally at home competing in kata or kumite. Humble and friendly, he is known for his immense Karate knowledge.
1952, February 25Kazuhiro Sawada was born in Hamamasu, a small village near Sapporo on the island of Hokkaido, Japan.
1952, March 4Fujikiyo Omura was born Shizuoka, Japan. He began learning Karate at high school in 1970.

Known for the speed and dynamism of his Karate, Omura is a former JKA All Japan and World Champion. He is a much respected and in-demand instructor and is a frequent guest instructor on gasshuku held around the world. He has also helped to build a healthy Shotokan Karate following in Thailand, where Thai Boxing, Taekwondo, and badminton are the dominant activities in the country. All-Japan
1952, May 23Kenwa Mabuni, the founder of Shito-Ryu Karate, died at the age of 63. His eldest son, Kenei, succeeded him as the 2nd Chief Instructor of Shito-Ryu Karate-do. Many of his other top students founded their own versions of Shito-Ryu.
1952, May 28Clive Layton was born in Hertfordshire, England. A Shotokan practitioner, he received his black belt in 1977 from Hirokazu Kanazawa. It is as a writer that he is best known. He has written numerous books on the history of Karate.
1953, May 1Fujikiyo Omura was born Shizuoka, Japan. He began learning Karate at high school in 1970.

Known for the speed and dynamism of his Karate, Omura is a former JKA All-Japan and World Champion. He is a much respected and in-demand instructor and is a frequent guest instructor on gasshuku held around the world. He has also helped to build a healthy Shotokan Karate following in Thailand, where Thai Boxing, Taekwondo, and badminton are the dominant activities in the country. All-Japan
1954, June 27Ernie Molyneux was born in Liverpool, England. Recognised as one of the best Goju–Ryu instructors in the world, he has been at the forefront of British Goju-Ryu Karate for many years.
1955, March 2Henri Plee became a founding member of the Federation Francais de Karate et Boxe Libre. He became the Federation’s, General Secretary.
1955, June 8Masao Kagawa was born In Osaka, Japan. He is one of the best technicians and competitors to come out of the Japan Karate Association (JKA).
1956, February 21The earliest known letter is written by Vernon Bell to Henri Plee. It is believed that Bell wrote to the Fédération Française de Karaté on becoming affiliated with them.
1956, March 7The earliest known letter was written from Henri Plee to Vernon Bell. This letter was a response to an earlier letter written by Bell to the Fédération Française de Karaté on 21st February 1956.
1956, April 14French martial arts pioneer, Henri Plee was graded to 3rd Dan by the great Judo master Ichiro Abe.
1956, June 9Seiji Nishimura was born in Kumamoto, Japan. Having a competitive career second to none, he is one of Japan’s most successful, kumite competitors, spanning over eight years.
1956, June 30Martial arts historian, Donn Draeger left the Marine Corps. He held the rank of lieutenant.
1957, March 13Vernon Bell was awarded his black belt in Yoseikan Karate from the Fédération Française de Karaté, under Hiroo Mochizuki and Henri Plee. He was awarded his grade on 13 March 1957 and his certificate was dated 1st April 1957.
1957, March 20Shotokan practitioner, Paul Mead was born. A student of Shiro Asano, he is a former SKI British, European and World Champion
1957, April 26Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate, died in a Tokyo hospital, aged 88. His family and close student Shigeru Egami were at his bedside.
1957, April 30The British Karate Federation (BKF) held its very first grading. Two students were graded.
1957, May 10The founder of Shotokan Karate, Gichin Funakoshi, was laid to rest at the Zen Sho-ji temple in Kakiu. He was cremated and his ashes laid alongside those of his wife.
1958, January 21Yasunori Ogura was born in Hokkaido, Japan. A stalwart of the JKA, he is known for his attention to detail. He is a former kumite and kata champion, who is a senior instructor at the JKA Hombu.
1958, May 14Motokuni Sugiura, former JKA Chief Instructor, received his license as a Physical Education Instructor from the Ministry of Education.
1958, May 16Jeff Whybrow was born in South London. A legend of British Kyokushin Karate, he was a protege or Steve Arneil. He was one of the faces of British Karate during the 1970s and the 1980s.
1959, May 29Pat McKay was born in Kilmarnock, Scotland. Fighting at light heavyweight (- 80 KG) his record is second to none. He is a 13-time Scottish Champion and a 5-time World Champion. Alongside Vic Charles and Geoff Thompson, he was one of Britain’s first multiple World Champions.
1959, June 3The final known letter between Vernon Bell and Henri Plee was written by Bell. Plee had been instrumental in introducing Karate to Europe. Bell had studied Karate under Plee and was responsible for introducing Karate to Britain through Plee’s encouragement. However, the two men had fallen out over various issues and the letter was the last correspondence between the two of them.
1959, June 25The first written correspondence between Vernon Bell and the head of Yoseikan Karate, Minoru Mochizuki took place.

1960s

1960, February 1Michael Manning became the first British Karate Federation (BKF) student to grade to 1st kyu. he was one of Vernon Bell‘s original Karate students. He was nineteen when he started training with Bell in Jiujitsu in 1956. Manning was described as having a withered right arm.
1960, March 2Gichin Funkoshi’s eldest son, Yoshihide, died aged 71.
1960, April 20Luis Maria Sanz was born in Valladolid, Spain. He holds a notable place in Karate, being the first non-Japanese man and the first Shotokan karateka to become WKF World Champion, in 1992.
1960, April 21Gary Harford was born. He was part of the Great British team that defeated Japan in the final of the Men’s Team Kumite, at the 7th World Championships (3rd Shoto Cup), in 1990.
1960, May 6Frank Brennan, considered by many to be the best karateka of his generation, was born in Liverpool, England.
1961, January 22Ray Fuller officially joined the British Karate Federation (BKF). He trained twice a week, with the likes of Terry Wingrove, Jimmy Neal, Eddie Whitcher, Mick Peachey, and Michael Randall, to name a few.
1961, June 9Andy Sherry officially joined the British Karate Federation’s (BKF) Liverpool dojo, although he had already been training with the BKF’s Fred Gille for some two years before that. He was dedicated to his training and would take every opportunity to increase his knowledge. He made frequent trips to train at Vernon Bell’s London dojo.
1962, January 29One of the founders of the French Karate movement, Jim Alcheik, was assassinated, aged only 31. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest martial artists to come out of Europe. He held the ranks of 4th Dan in Aikido, 2nd Dan in Karate, 2nd Dan in Kendo and 3rd Dan in Judo.
1962, March 1The British Karate Federation (BKF) issued a club affiliation certificate to the Liverpool Karate Club. The club, formed in 1959 under Fred Giles, would eventually come to be known as the Red Triangle Shotokan Karate Club.
1962, March 4Charles Mack was graded to 1st Dan by Masatoshi Nakayama at the JKA headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. This earned Mack the dual distinction of being the first British subject to be awarded a Shotokan Dan grade in Japan and also the first British subject to be awarded a JKA black belt.
1962, April 18Kyokushin Karate legend, Kenji Midori was born in Amami Oshima, Japan.
1962, May 22Akira Masuda was born in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. An exceptional fighter known for his strong kicks, he was one of the few individuals to have completed the gruelling 100-Man Kumite Challenge of Kyokushin Karate. He was the last man to complete the challenge in front of Kyokushin Karate founder, Mas Oyama.
1963, January 15Akiyoshi (Shokei) Matsui was born in Chiba, Japan. Of Korean heritage, he was named Moon Jang-gyu. Considered by some to be a “Kyokushin Karate genius“, he was the youngest man to become Kyokushin World Champion. A tough competitor, he won 50 out of 56 fights. He is also one of the few people to have completed the gruelling 100-man Kumite Challenge, unique to Kyokushin Karate.
1963, April 7Yoshiaki Ajari, a direct student of Wado-Ryu Karate founder Hironori Ohtsuka, established the US Wadokai Karatedo Federation.
1964, January 20Ray Fuller officially joined the British Karate Federation (BKF). He trained twice a week, with the likes of Terry Wingrove, Jimmy Neal, Eddie Whitcher, Mick Peachey, and Michael Randall, to name a few.
1964, January 22The BKF (British Karate Federation) formally accepted the JKA’s (Japan Karate Association) invitation to become their agent in Great Britain. This was in response to a letter dated 19 December 1963 written by Vernon Bell to Masatomo Takagi.
1964, January 26Tetsuji Murakami performed his last official grading for the British Karate Federation (BKF) at their Blackpool dojo.
Murakami’s association with the BKF had begun in July 1959, when he arrived in England from France. He conducted his first lesson and grading at 12 Maybush Road, Hornchurch.
1964, February 5Vernon Bell received his 1st Dan from the Japan Karate Association (JKA), following the British Karate Federation (BKF) formally agreeing to become the JKA’s agents in Britain. This was more of an honorary grade as Bell never took an actual grading examination.
1964, February 20José Manuel Egea Caceres, the oldest of three boys, was born in the Pan Bendito neighbourhood of Madrid, Spain.
He is one of the greatest European competitors, being an 8-time World Champion (junior and senior), a 13-time European Champion, a 14-time Spanish Champion, and the winner of numerous open tournaments.
1964, March 18Keinosuke Enoeda was promoted to 5th Dan, becoming the 25th person to be awarded the rank by the JKA. At the time he was teaching at the JKA Hombu and also at the Tokyo Art School.
1964, February 22Hiroo Mochizuki, representing Yoseikan Karate, arrived in the UK for a three-day visit. He was invited by the British Karate Federation (BKF) to conduct lessons at their London and York dojos. He also conducted a grading at the York dojo.
1964, May 20The Foreign Affairs Officer for the JKA, Kazuo Nagai, arrived in London as part of a feasibility tour of Europe. The purpose of the tour was for the JKA to send instructors to teach in Europe.
1964, May 29JKA instructor Tatsuya Naka was born in Tokyo. He started Wado-Ryu Karate at the age of thirteen in high school. He attended the famous Takushoku University where he began learning Shotokan Karate under Katsunori Tsuyama. After graduating from university he entered the JKA Instructors Course, graduating in 1989. Known for his in-depth knowledge of kata, he is a former All-Japan Karate Champion.
1965, March 29The JKA World Tour commenced at Hanada Airport, Tokyo. The touring party consisted of Taiji Kase, 6th Dan, who had started training in 1944 at the original Shoto-Kan under Yoshitaka Funakoshi. Hirokazu Kanazawa, 5th Dan, was the next member of the party. He was the first All Japan JKA Championships Grand Champion. The next member of the team was Keinosuke Enoeda, 5th Dan. Nicknamed Toru meaning Tiger, he was known for his strong fighting spirit and had won the kumite title at the All Japan JKA Championships in 1963. The youngest member of the group was Hiroshi Shirai, 5th Dan, who had become the third-ever All Japan JKA Championships Grand Champion in 1962.
1965, April 5A touring party from the JKA arrived in West Germany for the European leg of their tour. the party consisted of Taiji Kase, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Keinosuke Enoeda, and Hiroshi Shirai. As they had been in the United States, the party were a big success. They were hosted by Lothar Fischer and the Deutscher Karate Bund (DKB).
1965, April 14A touring party from the JKA arrived at Brussels Airport, Belgium, for the next leg of their European tour. The party consisted of Taiji Kase, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Keinosuke Enoeda, and Hiroshi Shirai. As guests of Leo Aarts, and the Belgische Nationale Karate Federation they visited the cities of Brussels and Antwerp.
1965, April 20A JKA touring party arrived at Heathrow Airport where they were met by Vernon Bell of the British Karate Federation (BKF). They stayed at Bell’s home in Ilford. The JKA party consisted of Taiji Kase, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Keinosuke Enoeda, and Hiroshi Shirai.
1965, April 21The first authorised demonstration by the JKA in Britain took place at the Kensington Townhall, London. This was the first of three demonstrations given in London.
1965, April 23A JKA party consisting of, Taiji Kase, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Keinosuke Enoeda, and Hiroshi Shirai arrived in Liverpool to give a demonstration at St. Georges Hall.  All in attendance were in awe at the technical skill on display.
1965, April 24The second authorized demonstration by the JKA in Britain took place at Hornsey Town Hall, London.
1965, April 26A touring party from the JKA gave their third authorized demonstration in Britain. The party consisted of Taiji Kase, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Keinosuke Enoeda, and Hiroshi Shirai. The demonstration took place at Poplar Town Hall, London.
1965, May 22Steve Arneil turned up for his normal training session and was told he would be attempting the 100-Man Kumite Challenge. His first fight lasting around fifteen seconds ended with him knocking out his opponent. He would go on to knock out thirty-four of his opponents. He did lose some fights, but importantly he survived. The challenge lasted around two hours and forty-five minutes. At the end of the challenge, his body was covered in bruises.
1965, June 5Yutaka Yaguchi, arrived in Los Angeles, to assist Hidetaka Nishiyama at his Los Angeles dojo. James Field, who would go on to become one of the top Shotokan practitioners in the United States, remembered Yaguchi’s arrival. He had been close to quitting Karate at the time. However, when he saw Yaguchi training, he was so impressed by the way he moved, that he wanted to train with him. Yaguchi would have a profound effect on Field’s training.
1965, June 12Hirokazu Kanazawa took his first teaching trip outside of London to the British Karate Federation’s (BKF) Liverpool dojo. The trip lasted from 12 to 19 June.
1965, June 26Hirokazu Kanazawa took his first teaching trip to the British Karate Federation’s (BKF) Dundee dojo. He was there for a week.
1965, July 3Hirokazu Kanazawa took his first teaching trip to the British Karate Federation’s (BKF) York dojo. He was there for a week.
1966, February 10Andy Sherry and Joseph Chialton became the first students in Great Britain to be graded to 1st Dan by the Japan Karate Association (JKA). The grading took place at the Liverpool Karate Club which was located at 157 Everton Road. The grading was conducted by Keinosuke Enoeda.
1966, February 11Jack Green, instructor of the British Karate Federation’s Blackpool dojo was graded to 1st Dan under Keinosuke Enoeda. He was the third man in Great Britain to be awarded his 1st Dan.
1966, February 23Edward Whitcher and Robert Williams of the British Karate Federation’s London dojo are graded to 1st kyu by Hirokazu Kanazawa. They were the first students in Britain to be graded to 1st kyu by the Japan Karate Association.
1966, April 20Edward Whitcher became the first British student to be graded to black belt by Hirokazu Kanazawa under the JKA.
1966, May 11Much to the dismay of many students, Hirokazu Kanazawa departed the UK for South Africa. His contract with the BKF came to an end and was not renewed. Kanazawa had built a fierce and loyal devotion from his students, especially those from the London area. They felt directionless and wanted to be taught by no one other than Kanazawa.
1966, May 18Wayne Otto, a multiple European and World Champion, was born in Hackney, London.
Otto is one of the most successful fighters to come out of Britain. Nicknamed the “Black Shark” and the “Black Pearl” by his rivals, he was the backbone of many successful British and English teams coached by Ticky Donovan.
1966, June 18Elwyn Hall, perhaps one of the most dynamic and exciting fighters to come out of the British Isles was born in Lewisham, South London.
1967, January 6Michael Randall gained his 1st Dan from Hirokazu Kanazawa. He was one of the first men in Britain to gain the rank of 1st Dan from the Japan Karate Association (JKA).
1967, April 15Mas Oyama promoted Terutomo Yamazaki to 1st Dan. Nicknamed the ‘Dragon of Kyokushin‘, Yamazaki was an exceptional fighter, also known for his expertise in tameshiwara (board breaking). A highly respected teacher, he has taught the likes of Katsuaki Sato, Miyuki Miura, Seiji Isobe, Howard Collins, and Shokei Matsui.
1967, May 2The 2nd European Championships were held at the Crystal Palace, London. Brian Fitkin was selected to be a member of the British team, even though he was a green belt. Britain defeated a powerful French team in the Team Kumite event. During the tournament, the 20-year-old Fitkin defeated a number of celebrated European black belts. Teammate Peter Spanton won a bronze medal in the Ippon event. The championships were completed on 4 May.
1968, January 1The UKKW (United Kingdom Karate-Do Wado-Kai) was established. It became the governing body of Wado-Ryu Karate in the UK. Tatsuo Suzuki became the Chief Instructor of the UKKW.
1968, March 18Frenchman Christoph Pinna was born in the Saint Sylvestre district of Nice, France. He was one of the best competitors of his generation.
1968, May 5Walter Seaton, known for his Wado-Ryu Karate, was graded to 1st Dan under the JKA. He began learning Shotokan Karate under Fred Kidd of the British Karate Federation (BKF).
1969, May 10The 3rd KUGB National Championships were held at Crystal Palace, London.
Competitors from the Liverpool Red Triangle Team dominated the tournament. In the kata final, Andy Sherry defeated Chris Adamou, winning his third kata title. Terry O’Neill defeated Danny Bryceland in the kumite final. Sherry and O’Neill joined forces with other members of the Red Triangle Team to win the team’s third consecutive team kumite title.
1969, May 17Keinosuke Enoeda married Reiko Hayashi. Charles Naylor, who would become a stalwart of the KUGB was his best man.
1969, July 1Gary Viccars had his first grading at the Kyokushin Karate dojo of Bill Paauw located in Geelong, Australia. He had started training the previous year.

1970s

1970, April 5Yuki Mimura, the winner of three consecutive World titles, was born in Ashimura, a small village in the mountains near Matsumoto city on the Japanese island of Honshu.
1971, May 23Eddie Whitcher graded for 2nd Dan at the JKA headquarters in Tokyo, under Masatoshi Nakayama. He was the British subject to do this.
1971, July 3The 5th KUGB Championships were held at Crystal Palace, London. Terry O’Neill won his first-ever KUGB kata title. G. Haslam became kumite champion. The Liverpool Red Triangle Club won its fifth straight team kumite title.
1972, May 14Nobuaki Kanazawa was born in Tokyo, Japan. An accomplished master in his own right, known for his dynamic style of Karate, he is the son of one of the greatest Shotokan practitioners, Hirokazu Kanazawa.
1973, January 23Nicholas Pettas was born on the island of Mykonos, Greece. Sometimes known as the ‘Blue-eyed Samurai‘, he was one of Mas Oyama’s last live-in students and as a competitor, was known for his powerful low kicks.
1973, March 18Miyuki Miura was promoted to 4th Dan by Mas Oyama. Later that year he was asked by Oyama to attempt the 100-Man Kumite Challenge.
1973, April 13Miyuki Mimura was the next man to complete the 100-Man Kumite Challenge. However, there would be a 13-year wait until the next successful completion of the challenge. He completed the challenge in just over three hours. He became the first Japanese man to complete the challenge in its new format of a single day. He was the seventh person to complete the challenge.
1973, April 21Kyle Yoshinobu Funakoshi, the second son of Kenneth Funakoshi was born. A technically gifted martial artist, he has passed his love for Karate to his sons Kevin and Kyle. His sons have become successful martial artists in their own right.
1975, February 26Shane Dorfman, the son of South African pioneer, Malcolm Dorfman, was born.
1975, May 2The 10th European Karate Championships were held in Ostend, Belgium. Both Brian Fitkin and Dominique Valera won a bronze medal in the -80 kg Kumite event. The event was won by Fitkin’s teammate Eugene Codrington. Roger Paschy, Billy Higgins, and Patrice Belrhiti were the other gold medalists. The championships were completed on 4 May.
1976, June18Multiple Kata World Champion, Luca Valdesi, was born in Palermo, Sicily to Andrea Valdesi. Both Luca’s father and uncle were black belts in Shotokan Karate.
1977, May 14The film, ‘Karate for Life‘, was released. It was the final film in a trilogy of films based on the life of Kyokushin Karate founder, Mas Oyama. The trilogy’s first film, ‘Karate Bullfighter,’ was released on 9 August 1975, in Japan. Later that year, on 27 December, the second film, ‘Karate Bearfighter‘ was released in Japan.
1978, May 15Del Saito was promoted to 4th Dan by Chuzo Kotaka.
1978, May 30Yoshizo Machida and his wife, Ana Claudia’s third son, Lyoto, was born. Like his father, Lyoto Machida is known for his Shotokan Karate. He is also know for his mixed martial arts career.

1980s

1980, June 12Antonio Diaz, a multiple World Champion, was born in Caracas Venezuela.
1981, January 8Shigeru Egami died from a brain tumour. He was 68 years old. An early student of Gichin and Yoshitaka Funakoshi, it is a pity that many karatekas in the West know very little about this elite martial artist.
1981, February 1American Shotokan legend, Osamu Ozawa, opened his new dojo in Las Vegas. Earlier that year he had organised the 1st Traditional Karate Tournament to publicise the opening of the new dojo. The event held at the Maxim Hotel and Casino would go on to become one of the biggest and most prestigious traditional martial arts tournaments in the world.
1981, May 1Eiichi Miyazato was promoted to a Judo 7th Dan by the Nippon Kodokan. Known for his strong personality, he was considered one of Chojun Miyagi’s, most devoted and best students. He has trained many notable students, including Morio Higaonna , Teruo Chinen, and Ryoichi Onaga.
1981, May 15Chuzo Kotaka was promoted Del Saito to 5th Dan.
1981, May 29Elisa Au was born in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. She holds a number of firsts in her competitive career. She was the first American woman to win an Individual Kumite world title.
1982, January 29Hironori Ōhtsuka, the founder of Wado-Ryu Karate, died aged 89 years. He began learning Jiujutsu at the age of 5, first under his uncle and later under his father.
1984, January 15The Japan Martial Arts Council (Nippon Budo Kyougi Kai) presented Kenei Mabuni with the ‘Distinguished Service Medal‘ for his contributions to martial arts.
1984, January 20The 3rd World Open Tournament began in Tokyo, Japan. The three-day event (20-22 January) was organised by Mas Oyama’s International Karate Organisation (IKO).
192 competitors from 60 countries took part in the tournament. Japan claimed the top three positions. Makoto Nakamura defeated Keiji Sanpei in the final. Akiyoshi (Shokei) Matsui finished in third place.
1986, January 17Yasuaki Nagatomo arrived in the United States, wanting to learn English. He settled in Albuquerque. Known for his ability to teach children, he has had the opportunity to train and be influenced by some of the JKA’s best instructors, including Yutaka Yaguchi, Masahiko Tanaka, Yoshiharu Osaka, Shojiro Koyama, Shigeru Takashina, and Masaaki Ueki.
1986, February 20Kata World Champion Rika Usami was born in Tokyo, Japan. A student of Karate master Yoshimi Inoue, She won the 2012 WKF World Championship Kata final held in Paris, France. She is known for her grace, strength and speed that mesmerize in equal measures.
1986, April 18Akiyoshi (Shokei) Matsui became the ninth man to complete the 100-Man Kumite Challenge.
1986, May 14Miki Rebecca Nakamachi was born Miki Rebecca Waterhouse (Nakamachi is her married name), in Kobe Japan. She is older than her identical twin sister, Vanessa Aya. Known as the ‘JKA’s Queen of Hearts‘, she wears many hats. She is an instructor, a competitor, and a mother. She has won numerous kata titles nationally and internationally.
1986, June 1The English Karate Board (EKB) held its 2nd National Championships at the Crystal Palace, London. The EKB consisted of members from all the major styles of Karate in England. Shotokan’s Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB) won the majority of trophies on offer. The KUGB’s ‘A’ Team, consisting of Frank Brennan, Gary Harford, Ronnie Christopher, Randy Williams, Ian Roberts, and George Best defeated the AKA ‘A’ team in the final of the team kumite event.
1987, January 24Tetsuji Murakami, an early pioneer of Karate in Europe, died from an incurable disease after a long illness, in his adopted city of Paris. He was only 59 years old.
1987, April 15JKA Chief Instructor, Masatoshi Nakayama died. He was a direct student of Gichin Funakoshi and also taught many of the current Shotokan masters.
1988, January 11Nicholas Pettas watched his first Karate class and knew he had found what he wanted to do. As he was under the age of 18, he had to get his mother’s and stepfather’s approval. Once the necessary papers had been signed, he joined the Kyokushin Karate dojo of Humberto Budtz.
1989, January 6Fumio Demura suffered a heart attack while filming a fight scene on the TV show O’Hara. He had been pushing himself fairly hard. He was running his successful dojo, while at the same time building a successful career as an actor/stuntman.
1989, May 20Karate legend, Gogen (Jitsumi) Yamaguchi died in Tokyo, Japan. He was 80 years old. With Gosei Yamaguchi heading his own association in the United States, Gosen Yamaguchi became the head of the International Karatedo Gojukai Association (IKGA) and the All Japan Karate-Do Gojukai Association.

1990s

1990, March 17The 7th World Championships (3rd Shoto Cup) began at the Crowtree Leisure Centre, Sunderland, England. The two-day tournament saw competitors from thirty countries taking part in seven events, i.e. four individual events and three team events.
1990, June 1The World is Karate-Do Federation (WSKF) was formed by several black belts leaving SKIF. Takeaki Kamiyangi, a former Director of SKIF and a student of Gichin Funakoshi, was named Chairman. Hitoshi Kasuya, a student of Masatoshi Nakayama was named Chief Instructor. They firmly believed in following Funakoshi’s teachings and his Twenty Guiding Precepts.
1991, May 19Akira Masuda became the 12th man to complete the 100-Man Kumite Challenge. He was the last man to complete the challenge while Kyokushin Karate founder, Mas Oyama was alive.
1991, May 25Gerard Gordeau was crowned the World Heavyweight Savate champion in Paris, France. As a martial artist, he has competed in Kickboxing, Savate, Seidokan, Mixed Martial Arts, and Professional Wrestling.
1993, January 1Cameron Quinn‘s book, “Instructors Handbook” was published. The book guides instructors on improving their teaching skills and getting the best out of every class they teach.
1993, May 15Ray Dalke announced that the 20th Riverside National Karate Championships would be his last event. He had decided to take early retirement. The championships continue to be one of the Premier tournaments in the United States.
1993, May 31The former Chief Instructor for the JKA in Belgium, Satoshi Miyazaki died.
1994, January 1The Sho Rei Shobu Kan changed its name to the Sho Rei Shobu Kan Budo organization. The organization aimed to expand it to include other martial arts with a similar philosophy.
1994 April 26Kyokushin Karate founder, Mas Oyama, died of cancer, in Tokyo, Japan. He was succeeded as the head of the International Karate Organisation (IKO), by Shokei Matsui.
1994, May 2Between 2 – 4 May 1994, the 29th European Karate Championships were held in Birmingham, England. Englishmen Wayne Otto and Tim Stephens won gold and silver, in their respective Kumite events. Teammates Patricia Duggin and Julliet Toney won bronze medals in their respective kumite events. Sari Laine of Finland, who owns the Guinness World record for winning the most medals, won another Kumite title. Shotokan practitioners Michael Milon and Luis-Maria Sanz faced each other in the Men’s Individual Kata final. Milon won the title.
1994, May 22Around one hundred Caltech alumni gathered in the university’s gymnasium, to honor Tsutomu Ohshima on the occasion of his retirement. He had been a Caltech staff member for 37 years.
1994, June 22Shito-Ryu master, Ryusho Sakagami was posthumously awarded the rank of 9th Dan by the Japan Karate Federation (JKF). He died from heart failure on 28 December 1993.
1995, February 21Steve Cattle died following an epileptic fit. He was only 47 years old. Until his untimely death, Cattle was one of the longest-practising Shotokan practitioners in Britain. He was also a keen historian of Karate.
1995, March 18Kenji Yamaki, who would become World Champion later that year, completed the 100-Man Kumite Challenge in 3 hours 27 minutes. He won 83 fights (22 by Ippon, 61 by decision); drew 12 flights; and lost five fights.
1995, March 22Brazilian, Francisco Filho, a future World Champion, attempted the 100-Man Kumite Challenge. He had previously completed the challenge in Brazil. He completed the challenge in 3 hours 8 minutes. He won 76 flights (26 by Ippon, 50 by decision); drew 24 fights; and lost 0 fights. To date, Filho is the only man (apart from Oyama) to complete the challenge twice.
1995, March 31Judge Atsushi Watanabe of the Tokyo Court of Family Affairs ruled that Mas Oyama’s verbal will was invalid as it had not been signed by him, only by witnesses.
1996, March 23South African Kyokushin practitioner, Marius Schoeman, became the thirteenth man to complete the 100-Man Kumite Challenge.
1996, May 6Kyokushin Karate great, Andy Hug, took part in the K-1 Grand Prix held in the Yokohama Arena, Yokohama, Japan. On his side of the drawer, he defeated Bart Vale of the US.; Duane Van Der Merve of South Africa; and Ernesto Hoost of The Netherlands to reach the final. He faced Mike Bernardo of South Africa who had defeated him a year earlier. Hug defeated Bernardo to become the K-1 Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion.
1996, October 24The High Court of Tokyo upheld the decision of Judge Atsushi Watanabe of the Tokyo Court of Family Affairs. Watanabe had earlier ruled that Mas Oyama’s verbal will was invalid as it had not been signed by him, only by witnesses.
1997, May 1Yoshizo Machida established JKA Brazil. He helped put Shotokan Karate on the Brazilian martial arts map. He did this mainly through conducting seminars and training courses and running classes at his dojo.
1998, January 11Chojiro Tani, the founder of Shukokai Karate, died from liver cancer. As a student, he had trained under Kenwa Mabuni at the Doshisha University club studying Goju-Ryu Karate which had been started at the club by Chojun Miyagi.
1998, April 12Osamu Ozawa hosted the 18th Annual Traditional Karate Tournament International for the last time. Since its inception in 1981, the tournament had become a showcase for traditional Karate styles. Many of the world’s top masters would give demonstrations and seminars at the event. The 18th running of the event saw demonstrations given by Jun Sugano, Stan Schmidt of the JKA and Shito-Ryu’s Kenzo Mabuni.
1998, May 5Gennaro Talarico won his first senior European gold medal at the 33rd European Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia, where he defeated teammate Salvatore Loria to win the -75 kg Men’s Individual Kumite title.
1998, May 27Mas Tsuroka was awarded the Order of Ontario. The award was for his significant contributions to martial arts in Canada. It was presented to him by Hilary Weston, the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
1999, January 13Eisuke Akamine died, aged 73. He taught Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinkokai from his Shinbikan dojo in the village of Tomigusuku. He had been a senior student of the Kobudo master, Shinkin Taira.
1999, January 31Keigo Abe resigned from the Matsuno faction of the JKA.
1999, February 10Shotokan master, Keigo Abe, founded the Japan Shotokan Karate Association (JSKA).
1999, March 13Hajime Kazumi was the next fighter to attempt the 100-Man Kumite Challenge. Kazumi is considered by many to be one of the greatest Kyokushin fighters. He completed the challenge in 3 hours 20 minutes. He won 74 fights (16 by Ippon, 58 by decision); drew 42 fights; and lost 0 fights.
1999, March 20Thomas LaPuppet died after a four-year-long battle with cancer. He was survived by his wife Mary Caroll-LaPuppet and their son Thomas Marice.
1999, May 31Shotokan Karate legend, Taiji Kase suffered a heart attack. He was admitted to the American Hospital of Paris where he recuperated for around twenty days. On leaving the hospital he resumed his teaching duties.

2000s

2000, January 25Kyokushin Karate legend, Hiroki Kurosawa made his kickboxing debut in the K-1 Kickboxing promotion.
2002, January 31Francisco Egea was involved in a life-threatening traffic accident. His car crashed and rolled over several times. He was taken to the Getafe Hospital where he was found to have suffered severe head, eye, and chest trauma. He eventually recovered after six years of physical therapy. However, he was partially deaf in his right ear.
2002, May 7Ansei Ueshiro died in Oceanside, New York, following a stroke. He was aged 69.

A pioneer of Shorin-Ryu Karate in the United States, Ueshiro was one of the first masters to bring Okinawan Karate to the United States. Many top-ranking American Shorin-Ryu instructors can trace their roots back to him.
2003, January 23Daigo Oishi was awarded the Social and Cultural Achievement Award from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Culture A lifelong karateka, he was known for his footwork and his powerfully destructive kicks. Mas Oyama called his kick “Muramasa” after a famous Japanese blade.
2003, March 29Keinosuke Enoeda, the Tiger of Shotokan, died in Tokyo, Japan, from stomach cancer. He was survived by his wife Reiko and their two children, Daisuke and Maya.
2003, May 30Minoru Mochizuki, the founder of the Yoseikan School, died in Aix-en-Provence, France aged 96 years. In his later years, he had moved from Japan to France to live with his son Hiroo and his family.
2004, March 29Minoru Mochizuki, the founder of the Yoseikan School, died in Aix-en-Provence, France aged 96 years. In his later years, he moved from Japan to France to live with his son Hiroo and his family.
2004, February 7Shotokan master Tetsuhiko Asai was made an Honorary President of the Russian National Far East University in Vladivostok. This was in recognition of his contribution to the development of education, science and culture. He was presented with a pocket watch.
2004, February 27Vernon Bell, the Father of British Karate, died.
2004, April 7American Karate pioneer, Peter Urban died.
2004, May 7Between 7-9 May 2004, Rafael Aghayev competed in his first senior European Championships. At the 39th European Championships, held in Moscow, Russia. Aghayev faced Alexandre Biamonti of France in the -65 kg kumite final. He won his first European title. This signalled a changing of the guard in European Karate.
2005, May 13Between 13 – 15 May 2005, the 40th European Championships were held at San Cristobal de La Laguna, Spain. Rafael Aghayev changed weight classes. Fighting in the -70 kg event, he defeated Ivan Leal of Spain in the final.
2006, February 10Shotokan legend, Tetsuhiko Asai, underwent liver surgery.
2006, May 12Hamish Adam was appointed a Director at the Scottish Karate Governing Body (SKGB). A Wado-Ryu practitioner, Adam has won many Scottish, British, European, and World titles.
2006, May 13Mas Tsuroka, the Father of Canadian Karate, was awarded his 10th Dan by the National Karate Association (NKA). That same year he was one of the five original inductees into the Canadian Black Belt Hall of Fame.
2006, July 3Multi-world champion, Christophe Pinna was awarded the National Order of Merit for his services to sport. The ceremony was held at the Beau Rivage Beach in his home city of Nice.
2007, May 7Between 4 – 6 May 2007, the 42nd European Karate Championships were held in Bratislava, Slovakia. Rafael Aghayev won both the -70 kg and Open Kumite events. At the next European Karate Championships held in Tallinn, Estonia, he retained his Open title. He lost his -70 kg title to Oscar Vazquez of Spain. He also helped Azerbaijan to a third-place finish in the Team Kumite event.
2008, May 15Henri Plee was awarded the National Order of Merit by French President Jacques Chirac. The award was in recognition of his martial arts expertise. He was awarded the rank of Knight. Later that year on 12 December Jacque Delcourt presented him with the Knights Insignia of the National Order of Merit. At an event held at the offices of the European Magazine in Paris. Delcourt gave a speech detailing Plee’s life and his close links to the history of French Karate. He also read two congratulatory letters from Jacques Rogge of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Antonio Espinos of the World Karate Federation (WKF).
2008, June 9American Shotokan practitioners James Field, Robin Rielly, and Maynard Miner were promoted to 8th Dan by Teruyuki Okazaki.
2008, July 2Del Saito established the Saito-Ha Shito-Ryu. He felt it was the right time to establish his own school of Shito-Ryu Karate.
2009, March 28Jacques Legree helped organise the 23rd Martial Arts Festival at Paris Bercy. The festival, and annual event, had 18,000 spectators in attendance. The event was organised by Karate Bushido Magazine in the past. This year it was held in conjunction with a small Kyokushin tournament.
2009, March 29Armenian, Artur Hovhannisyan, was the next person to attempt and complete the 100-Man Kumite Challenge. The test was completed in front of the IKO-1 Head, Shokei Matsui.
2009, April 30Hideki Okamoto died from stomach cancer. By the time of his death, he had been promoted to 8th Dan.

2010s

2010, April 17Hidetaka Abe was a part of the United States team selection panel for the Wado Kai Karatedo World Cup. The panel included Yoshiaki Ajari and Sadaharu Kurobane. The panel selected a team to compete in Nagoya, Japan on 14-15 August 2010.
2010, May 29Masaaki Ueki was appointed the third Chief Instructor of the JKA. He had been promoted to 9th Dan earlier that year. Motokuni Sugiura had retired the previous year, aged 85.
2011, March 11The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake hit the northeast coast of Japan’s Honshu Island. It measured 9.0 on the Richter scale and triggered a tsunami that flooded over 200 square miles of land. At the time of the earthquake, Shokei Matsui was on a teaching trip to Russia. He made arrangements to return to Japan.
2011, March 14Shokei Matsui issued a message on behalf of the IKO-1, following the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. He pledged the support of the IKO-1 to help the people affected by the tragedy.
2011, May 15Ray Dalke was elected to the University of California, Riverside Athletics Hall of Fame. This was in recognition of his successful coaching career at the University. As a coach, he oversaw one of the most successful collegiate Karate programs in the United States. During his tenure, the Karate team won five National Collegiate Championships and had eight individual National Collegiate Karate Champions.
2011, June 23Steve Arneil, a student of Kyokushin Karate founder Mas Oyama, was awarded his 10th Dan.
2012, January 22Carlo Fugazza was promoted to 8th Dan by Hiroshi Shirai and FITKA. This was in recognition of his commitment, practice, and support given to FITKA.
2013, July 2Shoei Miyazato, a Kobayashi Shorin-Ryu master and early student of Katsuya Miyahira (the successor to Chosin Chibana), died aged 85 years.
2014, April 5Hirokazu Kanazawa officially passed the leadership of the SKIF (Shotokan Karate International Federation) to his son Nobuaki Kanazawa, assisted by Manabu Murakami, at a special ceremony held in Tokyo.
2014, April 26The 20th anniversary of Mas Oyama’s death occurred. Russian, Tariel Nikoleishvili attempted the 100-Man Kumite Challenge in front of IKO–1 head, Shokei Matsui, and also Francisco Filho and Artur Hovhannisyan. He completed the challenge in 3 hours 21 minutes. He won 64 fights; drew 27 flights; and lost 9 fights.
2014, May 3The 48th KUGB National Championships were held at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England. Both Bob Rhodes and his good friend Billy Higgins were promoted to 8th Dan. Andy Sherry presented them with their certificates.
2015, January 9Siam Camp 2015 took place at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. It was the 14th Shotokan Karate gasshuku held in Bangkok. Apart from Fujikiyo Omura, the other JKA instructors teaching were Koichi Sugimura and Tatsuya Naka.
2015, January 13Four inaugural inductees were inducted into the Finnish Karate Association’s Hall of Fame. The inductees were Kari Kuula, Kai Wikberg, Auvo Niiniketo, and Sari Laine. An Individual Kumite competitor, she is the winner of multiple titles at the National, European, and World levels. She appears in the Guinness Book of Records for winning the most Karate medals.
2015, February 14South African Shotokan Karate pioneer, Stan Schmidt, was awarded the rank of 8th Dan by the JKA. He was the first non-Japanese to be promoted to this rank by the JKA.
2015, February 21A special banquet was given to celebrate Fumio Demura‘s 50th anniversary of teaching in the United States. 600 people attended the event. Guests included Tsutomo Ohshima, Tak Kubota, and several Hollywood stars. Rather than being the centre of attention, Demura in characteristic fashion honoured his students. He inducted his most loyal students into the Genbu-kai Hall of Fame. At the end of the night, he expressed his gratitude to the audience.
2015, May 1Yoshimi Inoue died from cancer. For many, his name will be associated with the many great kata champions he coached, including 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 was that he saw competition as being just one part of Karate. He still stressed the martial aspects of Karate in his day-to-day training.
2015, May 25Gursharan Sahota was awarded the rank of 8th Dan. Training in Shotokan Karate for over 50 years, he leads one of the largest Shotokan groups in the United Kingdom.
2015, June 12Between 12 – 28 June 2015, Azerbaijan hosted the 1st European Games which featured participants in 30 sports. Led by Rafael Aghayev, Azerbaijan had great success in the Karate tournament held at the games. Feeling the pressure to do well in his home country, Aghayev defeated long-time rival Luigi Busa in the final of the -75 kg event. Azerbaijan topped the medal table with six medals (4 gold, 2 bronze).
2015, June 25The “First Lady” of British Karate, Molly Samuel-Leport, was awarded an MBE for Services to Karate, in the Queen’s Birthday Honor’s List. She received her award at Buckingham Palace. She is arguably Britain’s most successful female competitor, winning multiple European and World titles.
2017, March 25Gursharan Sahota was awarded the rank of 8th Dan. Training in Shotokan Karate for over 50 years, Sahota leads one of the largest Shotokan groups in the United Kingdom.
2017, April 16Branch Chiefs, Nikola Cujic and Trevor Tokar were presented with their 7th Dans at the IKO 6th World Weight Tournament, held at the Tokyo Sports Palace Gymnasium, in Tokyo, Japan. Shokei Matsui presented them with their grades in front of family members and a large contingent who had travelled from Australia to attend the ceremony.
2017, May 8The Islamic Solidarity Games were held in Baku, Azerbaijan. It finished on 12 May. Rafael Aghayev won yet another kumite title, at his home games.
2017, May 12Cyril Cummins died following a short battle with cancer. A pioneer of Shotokan Karate in the West Midlands of England, Cummins was known as the “Trainer of Champions“. For over 50 years he trained many National, European, and World Champions. Some of his successful students included Ronnie Christopher, Slater Williams, Franklyn Doras, and Ronnie Canning.
2017, May 27Between 27-28 May 2017, the 5th IFK World Championships were held in Sibiu, Romania. There were 400 competitors from 40 countries. On the last day of the championships, David Pickthall was awarded his 7th Dan by Steve Arneil and IFK Committee.
2018, January 1Leo Lipinski died in London following a long illness. One of the highest-ranked non-Japanese JKF (Japan Karate Federation) Gojukai, he was known for his exceptional kumite. Never afraid to express his views, he was a firm believer in hard work over talent.
2018, January 27A 2-day Goju-Ryu Karate Seminar was held in Leo Lipinski’s honour, following his death. The seminar was held at the Royal British Legion in Okendon, Essex. It was taught by his students, Rob Langworthy and Kinsley Johnson.
2018, March 10Spaniard Daniel Sanchez became the first person from the World Kyokushin Budokai (WKB) to take and pass the 100-Man Kumite Challenge. The challenge was taken in Lorca, Spain.
2019, February 16JKA Brazil announced that the JKA Instructor Committee had recommended that Yoshizo Machida be promoted to 8th Dan. This was mainly due to his work developing Shotokan Karate in Brazil.
2019, April 11Yoshizo Machida officially received his 8th Dan grade from Masaaki Ueki at a ceremony held in Tokyo, Japan.
2019, May 1JKAWF India Kolkata invited Fujikiyo Omura to teach at the 2019 JKA Kolkata Goodwill Karate Camp and Championships. On the first day of the event, it was his 66th birthday. He was presented with a three-tier cake, with over 500 people singing Happy Birthday to him. For the first three days of the event, he conducted the training camp. The last two days saw the Goodwill Championships take place. The event completed on 5 May
2019, May 11At the 53rd KUGB National Championships, Bob Rhodes was presented with an award for being a long-standing member of the KUGB, by Andy Sherry. By this time, he had been a member of the KUGB for fifty years and was also a member of the KUGB Technical Committee alongside Andy Sherry, Terry O’Neill, Bob Poynton, Billy Higgins, and Frank Brennan.
2019, July 3The 11th Annual Fighters Only World MMA Awards was held at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. Dolph Lundgren was the guest host of the event.

2020s

2020, January 25A Karate1 Premier League event was held in Dubai. The tournament was the last international competition before the COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension of all competitions worldwide. Sandra Sanchez won her 35th consecutive medal in the league. Antonio Diaz finished in second place behind Damian Quintero. This earned him the right to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
2020, February 14the Karate1 Premier League event held in Dubai. The tournament was the last international competition before the COVID-19 pandemic led to the suspension of all competitions worldwide. Sandra Sanchez won her 35th consecutive medal in the league. Antonio Diaz finished in second place behind Damian Quintero. This earned him the right to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
2020, April 28Yoshinao Nanbu died. This was following a long illness. He was survived by his wife Sonia and daughter Sume.
2021, January 14Steve Arneil sent a letter to the IFK members stating that he would be retiring as President of the IFK and David Pickthall would become his successor with immediate effect. The IFK Executive Board had previously agreed with the decision on 3 January.
2021, July 2Steve Arneil, the founder of the BKK (British Karate Kyokushinkai) and the IFK (International Federation of Karate), died, aged 86. British and world Kyokushin lost a true legend.
2022, May 1Mary Stevens was graded to 4th Dan by Iain Abernethy.

A practical martial artist teaching self-protection, a club owner, a writer, and a charity worker, Mary Stevens wears many hats. She espouses a clear delineation between martial arts and self-protection as taught today.
2022, May 14The JKA Shinhankai promoted Kazuhiro Sawada to 8th Dan. A longtime member of the JKA (Japanese Karate Association), he has been at the forefront of helping to establish Shotokan Karate in Belgium. Like many of the JKA Masters of his generation, he is very technical.

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