On this day….(February 21)

On 21 February 1956, the 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. On 21 February 1995, Steve Cattle died following an epileptic fit. He was only 47 years old. Until his untimely death, Cattle was one …

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On this day….(February 20)

On 20 February 1986 Kata World Champion Rika Usami was born in Tokyo, Japan. A student of Karate master Yoshimi Inoue, Usami 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.

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Mary Stevens

A good martial artist is a good learner in all different environments. Mary Stevens 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. Mary Stevens was born on 1 November 1971 …

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On this day….(February 17)

On 17 February 1947, Nicholas Adamou was born. He began his Karate training, alongside his older brother Chris, in 1964 British Karate Federation’s London dojo. When Hirokazu Kanazawa began teaching JKA Shotokan for the BKF in 1965, Adamou and his brother become devoted students of his. Following the split from the BKF, the Adamou brothers …

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Hiromi Hishiki

When training became challenging in my youth, I devoted myself to tough training. I did each Kata and technique 100 times in order to clear my mind without any precise motivation. Karate taught me the limit of my physical and mental endurance. Hiromi Hishiki A pioneer of women’s Karate, Hiromi Hishiki began practising Karate at …

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On this day….(February 14)

On 14 February 2015, South 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.

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Emma Markwell

A shy lady, Emma Markwell is one of Europe’s most successful Kyokushin competitors. Emma Markwell was born in Crawley, England on 18 July 1989. Around the age of 9, she started attending Kyokushin classes with her stepdad, Les Spall. He was already a student of Steve Arneil, training at his IFK (International Federation Karate) Wimbledon …

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Nguyen Hoang Ngan

Nicknamed the “Kata Queen of Southeast Asia“, Nguyen Hoang Ngan is Vietnam’s most successful Karate competitor. A former World Champion, she was the face of Vietnamese Karate for many years. A winner of multiple titles, she is a 7-time winner of the South Eastern Games (SEA Games). Nguyen Hoang Ngan was born on 21 October …

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On this day….(February 10)

On 10 February 1966, Andy 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. On 10 February 1999 …

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On this day….(February 9)

On 9 February 1929 Shotokan master Taiji Kase, was born in Chiba, Japan. Kase had studied Judo before beginning Karate. He earned a 2nd Dan in Judo by the age of 15. He started his Karate training in 1944 under the guidance of Yoshitaka Funakoshi and Shigeru Egami. He was awarded his 3rd Dan in …

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