Tag: BKF

On this day….(June 19)

On this day, 19 June 1965, Hirokazu Kanazawa took his first teaching trip to The British Karate Federation’s Blackpool dojo. He is there for a week. The Blackpool Dojo was located at the Revoe dojo and boasted a good membership. During the week Kanazawa conducted his first grading for the BKF, with Jack Green becoming the …

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On this day….(June 12)

On this day, 12 June 1965, Hirokazu Kanazawa took his first teaching trip outside of London to The British Karate Federation’s (BKF) Liverpool dojo. The trip lasted from the 12th to 19th of June. Kanazawa’s teaching schedule included teaching on the Sunday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. On the weekdays he taught from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. …

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On this day….(May 15)

On this day, 15 May 1947, Stephen John Cattle was born. Until his untimely death, aged only forty-seven, he was one of the longest practicing Shotokan practitioners in Britain. He was also a keen historian of karate. Nicknamed ‘Stumpy’ as he was only 5ft 6in, Cattle began training in judo in 1961, eventually reaching the …

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On this day….(May 13)

On this day, 13 May 1933, Charles Naylor, a former Vice-Chairman of the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB), was born in Hubli, South West India. Naylor left school aged 14 and for a time worked as a cabin boy. He eventually arrived in Liverpool, England in 1948, aged 15. After achieving a Higher National …

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On this day….(March 14)

On this day, 14th March 1946, Michael Billman, a high ranking karate administrator, was born in the East End of London. At school, Billman had been a keen rugby player having trials with the Saracens Rugby Club. On leaving school he took up amateur boxing. In 1969 he began his karate training at a club run …

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On this day….(February 27)

On this day, 27 February 1948, Terence (Terry) O’Neill, one of the best karateka ever produced in Britain, was born in Liverpool, England. O’Neill began his karate training in 1963 when as a sixteen year old he lied about his age, on his application to join the British Karate Federation (BKF). Under Keinosuke Enoeda and the …

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On this day….(February 22)

On this day, 22 February 1964, Hiroo 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.

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On this day….(February 17)

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

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Vernon Bell

12 Maybush Road, Hornchurch, Essex, holds a very special place in British Karate history. It was at this address, in his parents garden, that in 1956 Vernon Bell held the first Karate class in the UK. Over the years, Bell’s name has been largely forgotten in favour of other notable instructors such as Hirokazu Kanazawa, …

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