Jan 01 2018
On 1 January 1913 Motonobu Hironishi, an early student of Gichin Funakoshi, was born in Kyoto, Japan. Hironishi began his Karate training in 1931 at Waseda University under both Gichin and Yoshitaka Funakoshi. He was a contemporary and good friend of Shigeru Egami at Waseda. Both men would go on to teach at the original Shotokan dojo …
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Dec 04 2017
4 December On 4 December 1965, The Japan Karate Association (JKA) moved their headquarters from Yotsuya, to Koraku, in the Bunkyo-ku district of Tokyo. Yotsuya, located in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, had been the JKA’s headquarters since 1955. The author C. W. Nicol described what it was like training at the Yotsuya hombu in his book, Moving …
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Nov 27 2017
27 November On 27 November 1980 the 5th World Championships began at the Palacio de Deportes, Madrid, Spain, and finished on 30 November. Japan topped the medal table, winning 11 medals (4 golds, 5 silvers and 2 bronzes) ahead of hosts Spain (3 golds, 1 silver and 7 bronzes) and France (1 gold, 1 silver and 2 …
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Nov 13 2017
13 November On 13 November 1943 David ‘Ticky’ Donovan was born, in Loughton, England. He is a highly respected former competitor, coach and founder of the Ishinryu style of karate. Originally a boxer, Donovan got started in Karate in 1965 when he and a friend attended a class run by Tatsuo Suzuki, a practitioner of Wado-Ryu. He …
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Nov 06 2017
6 November On 6 November 1964, Pathe Pictorial released a color film showing Vernon Bell’s British Karate Federation (BKF) students training at the Kentish Town dojo. The film lasting three minutes, was shown in cinemas across Britain. Eddie Whitcher can be seen in the film. At the time he was a blue belt. 7 November On 7 November 2008, …
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Oct 02 2017
4 October On 4 October 1924, Motokuni Sugiura, a former Chief Instructor of the JKA, was born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Sugiura earned his 1st Dan aged only 20.At university he had been university he had been taught be Gichin Funakoshi and his son Yoshitaka. After he graduated in 1944 he joined the Tsuchiura Navy Flying Corps, serving …
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Sep 25 2017
28 September On 28 September 1897, Shinkin Gima was born in Shuri, Okinawa. On Okinawa he studied under both Yasutsune Itosu and Kentsu Yabu before attending university in Tokyo. In 1922 he met and began training with Gichin Funakoshi. He was Funakoshi’s first black belt and would eventually reach the rank of 10th Dan.
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Aug 28 2017
30 August On 30 August 1931, Shotokan Karate master, Hiroshi Shōji, was born in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Appearing in volume 4 of Masatoshi Nakayama‘s Best Karate series, he was known for his sharp quick movements and exceptional tai-sabaki. At the first JKA All-Japan Karate Championships in 1957, Shoji became the first All-Japan Kata Champion. He was …
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Aug 01 2017
July 31 On July 31, 1937, former JKA Grand Champion, Hiroshi Shirai, was born in Nagasaki, Japan. Currently holding the rank of 9th Dan, he began his Karate training at Komazawa University in 1955. A graduate of the Kenshusei (Instructors Training Course) he became the JKA Grand Champion in 1962 winning the individual kumite title …
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Jul 12 2017
On this day, 12 July 1956, Hiroo Mochizuki, the son of Yoseikan founder, Minoru Mochizuki arrived in France to conduct a number of Karate courses. Born in 1936, Hiroo Mochizuki began his martial arts training in the eclectic Yoseikan system of his father, Minoru, who had studied under the three great Budo masters, Gichin Funakoshi, …
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