Akira Masuda

Our new mission is to affect “human communication” through the Way of Karate, by means of which we want to “understand” the differences embodied in the various disparate cultures, and, through that “understanding,” to grasp its universality. In addition, we want to make the Way of Karate useful in fermenting an ideology and a sense …

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Howard Collins

There are many of us who use exotic titles before our names, such as Shihan or Hanshi etc.  Are we eligible to these titles or is it that some people just give themselves the title. First, what do they mean, perhaps not an easy question because after all, they are foreign words that we assume we understand. For …

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Kenji Midori

There are a few things that I tell my students. First is to prepare more than others. Second, do not ever give up. Third, do not be average. Kenji Midori Standing at around 5’4″ (1.6 m) in height, Kenji Midori is known as the “Little Giant“. He became the first lightweight competitor to win Kyokushin …

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Frank Smith

Karate should first be a martial art. Then, sport is used to test your levels and skill. Frank Smith The legendary Bill “Superfoot” Wallace named him in his list of “Top 10 Karate Fighters of All Time”, and he has also been described as “America’s greatest JKA Fighter“. Frank Smith was one of the big …

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Shigeru Takashina

If I make will, I can kill you, but it is not my character…. My main goal now is to educate people in more than just show Karate but in the cultural Karate, the real cultural benefits [of Karate]. Shigeru Takashina Shigeru Takashina was a true stalwart of the Japan Karate Association (JKA). A graduate …

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Bob Rhodes

Spirit is essential to martial practise. In Karate the development of the technique of kiai is so important; is is more than just to shout. Without correct practise, you are losing the spiritual essence of effective martial arts. Harmonisation of body, spirit and mind is surely the only way you can be fully committed to …

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Hirokazu Kanazawa

The most important points of my teaching are breathing, movement and timing. But breathing is first…. the first thing we do in this world is to breathe and, you know, even today, 90% of people do not know how to breathe correctly. If the breathing is wrong, your body will go wrong – your mind …

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Kenneth Funakoshi

Politics is the worst thing that can happen to Karate at the upper level. The students don’t care about what’s happening in the political way. They just like to train hard and compete, but because the ‘higher-ups’ have their political views or differences they tend to put a lot of restrictions on what the students …

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Atsuko Wakai

Women first competed in the World Championships in 1980 at the tournament held in Madrid, Spain. Suzuko Okamura became the first individual kata world champion. Her victory was the start of total dominance of the kata events by the Japanese women. From 1980 to 2004 they remained undefeated in the event. Arguably the greatest of …

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Doug James

I see kata as something for developing the individual and that if that person performs the moves in a certain way and is happy, providing it is within the overall guidelines of the kata I see nothing wrong with some deviation. Doug James Considered one of the cornerstones of British Karate, Doug James has been …

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