Yuki Mimura

Following on from greats Suzuko Okamura and Mie Nakayama, Yuki Mimura was the next great female Japanese kata champion. Like her predecessor, Nakayama she was the winner of three consecutive World titles, not to mention World Games and World Cup titles. Yuki Mimura was born on 5 April 1970 in Ashimura, a small village in the mountains near …

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Elisa Au-Fonseca

I want to show my children that it is good to dream big, work hard and be kind to those who support you. Elisa Au-Fonseca Elisa Au holds a number of firsts in her competitive career. She was the first American woman to win an individual kumite world title. She was also the first person, …

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Geoff Thompson

No true champion likes losing. We’re in the job of winning. Geoff Thompson Standing at an imposing 6ft 6in, Geoff Thompson is a multiple heavyweight kumite World Champion. Alongside Vic Charles and Jerome Atkinson, he took competitive Karate to the next level with his power and athletic ability. During the 1980s he was the face of Sport …

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Vic Charles

Vic Charles has been described as “the epitome of what a Karate competitor should be”. As a competitor, he was tough, resilient and technically proficient, in equal measures. Jerome Atkinson, a former world champion, described him as “the greatest competitor he had ever seen“. A winner of multiple World Championships, he was part of a …

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Keigo Abe

Technically train to understand your strengths and weaknesses. Train to be a good honest and trustworthy human being. Train to perfect your character. This is the spirit of Karate-Do. Keigo Abe One of the most technically gifted Masters to come out of the hotbed of JKA Karate, Keigo Abe described his Karate as “Real-Fight Karate“. …

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Hideo Ochi

Kime means that the technique is performed at maximum speed and that the entire musculature in the final moment is contracted. If the technique is performed quickly but without kime in the final phase, it can lead to damage to the joint and, for lack of control, to injury to the opponent. This means: without kime, i.e. …

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Satoshi Miyazaki

An enormous discipline was required and our exercises were always based on the kihon. Satoshi Miyazaki Many people outside of the JKA may not have heard of Satoshi Miyazaki. A contemporary of JKA legends such as Keinosuke Enoeda, Hideo Ochi and Maasaki Ueki, he was known for his strong Karate, especially for his murderous kicks. As head of …

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Pat McKay

If you want to compete at the top in this sport then training has to become full-time. Pat McKay When one talks about the great fighters that have represented Britain, the name Pat McKay has to be in the mix. Fighting at light heavyweight (- 80 KG) his record is second to none. He is …

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Mervyn Etienne

….. the relentless desire to be better than you were is a key trait in the highest performers – they appear not to be happy with the status quo and are always looking for ways of improving and finding the marginal gains that will give them the milliseconds in reaction time and information processing speed that …

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Hideki Okamoto

Today sports Karate has developed, it is a mistake! Sport kills the spirit and the technique of Karate; we must return to the practice of Traditional Karate. Hideki Okamoto There are many unsung Karate instructors who have been responsible for the growth and spread of Karate around the world. Hideki Okamoto was one such instructor. …

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