This week in history (28 December – 3 January)

29 December On 29th December 2016 Frank Cope died aged 82 following a bout of illness. In many ways, Cope was ahead of his time practising things that would not gain major popularity for many years. He was also considered a great teacher, being able to identify a student’s weakness and provide a way for …

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Katsunori Tsuyama

At the end, there is only one thing that is kihon. Many complain about the monotonous basic training. The body may, however, be aware only by a uniform constant repetition of movements. One should look for the connection of conscious art and physical strength. The technique must be so trained that it settles in the …

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Jacques Legree

Follow through with your choices. Jacques Legree Jacques Legree is a pioneer of Kyokushin Karate in France. An uchi-deshi of Kyokushin founder, Mas Oyama, he has done a lot to promote the art in the country. Legree was born on 11 February 1944 in Rennes, France. He grew up in a single parent family. His …

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This week in history (21 December – 27 December)

21 December On 21 December 1957 Trevor Guilfoyle and Gerald Tucker become the first karateka in  Britain to be graded to 3rd kyu, under the British Karate Federation (BKF). The grading was conducted by Vernon Bell at 12 Maybush Road, Hornchurch, London. Guilfoyle and Tucker were two of Bell’s earliest students, taking part in the …

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This week in history (14 December – 20 December)

14 December On 14 December 1963, the First European Karate competition was held at the Pierre Coubertin Stadium, Paris, France. France, Belgium, and Britain were the only countries that participated in the triangular team tournament. The British team were representatives of Vernon Bell’s British Karate Federation (BKF). The team consisted of Brian Hammond, Andy Sherry, …

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Rafael Aghayev

For me, Karate is my life. It is in Karate that I started to take my first steps, and I will stay in the sport until I die. Rafael Aghayev Known as the ‘Panther of the East‘, Rafael Aghayev is one of the most successful competitors. He is a 5-time World Champion and an 11-time …

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This week in history (7 December – 13 December)

7 December On 7 December 1912 Shigeru Egami, an early student of Gichin Funakoshi, was born in Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. He is considered the one student who followed Funakoshi’s teachings most closely.  Egami began his Karate training in the 1932 as a student at Waseda University. He was instructed by Funakoshi and his son Yoshitaka. He helped found the university’s Karate …

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This week in history (30 November – 6 December)

30 November On 30 November 1990, the World Shotokan Karate Association WSKA was formed.  As a non-political association made up of various organisations it aims to promote traditional Shotokan competition. In 2001 Malcolm Dorfman was appointed the Africa Continent Director for the WSKA. In 2005 he was appointed to the WSKA Referee Qualifications panel for the …

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This week in history (23 November – 29 November)

23 November On 23 November 1963, Shotokai master, Mitsusuke Harada gave a Karate demonstration at the Royal Albert Hall, during the National Judo Championships. Judo great, Kenishiro Abbe’s organisation, the British Budo Council, had invited Harada. On 23 November 1986, the third day of the 8th WUKO World Karate Championships took place in Sydney, Australia. …

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This week in history (16 November – 22 November)

16 November On 16 November 1928 Mitsusuke Harada was born in Dalian, China, then a part of the Japanese Empire. Harada began his training in 1945, under Genshin Hironishi (a senior student of Gichin Funakoshi), at the original Shotokan dojo in Zoshigaya, Tokyo. He also had the opportunity to be taught by Yoshitaka Funakoshi. In …

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