Tag: Henri Plee

Tommy Morris

Scotland’s first black belt, Tommy Morris is an icon of Scottish Karate. He has been rightly called the “Father of Scottish Karate“. He has had many successful students, including David Coulter and Pat McKay. Many Scottish Karate-ka can trace their Karate lineage back to him. Tommy Morris was born in the Scottish city of Glasgow on …

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Minoru Mochizuki

Minoru Mochizuki is, without doubt, one of the most respected and influential masters of his generation. He founded the influential Yoseikan school of Budo, which contains elements of Aikido, Kenjutsu, Karate, Judo and Jujitsu. He trained with two of the greats of Japanese Budo, Jigaro Kano and Morihei Ueshiba. His son Hiroo would go on …

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Jim Alcheik

It is arguable that the name Jim Alcheik is not as revered as it should be in martial arts circles. Alcheik was a true pioneer of martial arts in Europe, being one of the first Europeans to train in Japan. He was proficient in Aikido, Kendo, Karate and Judo. Vernon Bell, the father of British Karate, described …

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Henri Plee

Considered the “Father of European Karate”, Henri Plee is a true pioneer. He studied many martial arts with some of the world’s top masters. He held a 10th Dan in Karate, a 5th Dan in Judo, a 3rd Dan in Aikido and a 1st Dan in Kendo. He made it his mission to promote martial …

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Taiji Kase

Competition is only one part of Karate, the other is self-defence. Budo helps to develop the personality of people who practise Karate-Do. Budo Karate is so big that you can develop in many directions. Many people do competition, but people should keep it more traditional, otherwise, it’s like boxing or something like this. If people …

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This week in history (18 May – 24 May)

18 May On 18 May 1966, Wayne Otto, a multiple World Champion, was born in Hackney, London. Otto is one of the most successful fighters to come out of Britain. He has appeared in the Guinness Book of Records as having won the most Karate championship medals for a male competitor. Nicknamed the “Black Shark” …

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This week in history (11 May – 17 May)

11 May On 11 May 1966, Hirokazu Kanazawa departed the UK for South Africa, much to the dismay of many of his British students. Kanazawa’s contract with the British Karate Federation (BKF) came to an end and was not renewed. He had built a fierce and loyal devotion from his students, especially those from the …

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This week in history (13 Apr – 19 Apr)

13 April On 13 April 1973, Miyuki Mimura became the next man to complete the 100-Man Kumite Challenge. However, there would be a 13-year wait until the next successful challenge completion. Perhaps the most unique challenge in all of Karate is Kyokushin Karate’s Hyakunin Kumite or 100-man Kumite Challenge. Devised by Kyokushin Karate founder, Mas …

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This week in history (9 March – 15 March)

10 March On 10 March 1945, the Shotokan dojo was destroyed during the bombing raid of Tokyo by American B29 bombers, during World War II. The bombing raid had started the previous evening. An estimated 1665 tons of bombs were dropped on Tokyo. Much of Tokyo was destroyed, with an estimate 100000 people losing their …

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This week in history (2 March – 8 March)

2 March On 2 March 1955, Henri Plee was a founding member of the Federation Francais de Karate et Boxe Libre. He became the Federation’s first General Secretary. On 2 March 1960, Gichin Funakoshi’s eldest son, Yoshihide, died aged 71. Yoshihide Funakoshi is not as well known as his more talented younger brother Yoshitaka (Gigo). …

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