Tag: Hirokazu Kanazawa

This week in history (26 March – 1 April)

On March 26 1915 Ankō Itosu died. Itosu, who was a direct student of Sokon Matsumura, was responsible for the introduction of Tode as a form of physical education into the elementary school system of Okinawa in 1901. Itosu had a number of notable students including Gichin Funakoshi, Kenwa Mabuni, Chosin Chibana and Kentsu Yabu. …

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Cover Star: Taiji Kase

Considered one of the best ever Shotokan practitioners, Taiji Kase trained under some of the greatest Shotokan master. This included Gichin Funakoshi, Yoshitaka Funakoshi, Shigeru Egami, Genshin Hironishi and Masatoshi Nakayama. It was Kase that led the JKA delegation, including Hirokazu Kanazawa, Keinosuke Enoeda and Hiroshi Shirai, that gave a series of demonstrations introducing the …

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This week in history (12 March – 18 March)

On 13 March 1957 Vernon Bell was awarded his black belt in Yoseikan Karate from the Fédération Française de Karaté, under Hiroo Mochizuki and Henri Plee. Bell had started training with Plee towards the end of 1955. He had made frequent visits to Plee’s Paris dojo. After around eighteen monthes he graded for his 1st Dan. Bell …

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This week in history (5 March – 11 March)

On 6 March 1921 Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate, led a Karate demonstration in front of Crown Prince Hirohito. The demonstration was performed at the Great Hall of Shuri Castle, in Okinawa. Crown Prince Hirohito had visited Okinawa while en-route to a visit to Europe. The ship’s captain Norikazu Kanna, was an Okinawan by …

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This week in history (26 February – 4 March)

On 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 JKA, he earned …

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This week in history (19 February – 25 February)

On 20 February 1986 Kata World Champion Rika Usami was born in Tokyo, Japan. A student of Karate master Yoshimi Inoue, Usami won the 2012 WKF World Championship Kata final held in Paris, France. She is known for her grace, strength and speed that mesmerize fans in equal measures. On 21 February 1956 the earliest known letter was written …

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This week in history (12 February – 18 February)

On 17 February 1947 Nicholas Adamou was born. Adamou began his Karate training, alongside his older brother Chris, in 1964  at the British Karate Federation’s (BKF) London dojo. When the JKA’s Hirokazu Kanazawa began teaching Shotokan for the BKF in 1965. Adamou and his brother become devoted students of Kanazawa alongside Eddie Whitcher, Michael Randall, Mike Peachey, Will …

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This week in history (5 February – 11 February)

On 5 February 1964 Vernon Bell received his 1st Dan from the Japan Karate Association’s (JKA), following the British Karate Federation (BKF) formally agreeing to become the JKA’s agents in Britain. This was an honorary grade, as Bell never took a grading examination. On 9 February 1929 Shotokan master Taiji Kase was born in Chiba, Japan. Kase …

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This week in history (29 January – 4 February)

On  29 January 1962 one of the founders of the French Karate movement Jim Alcheik was assassinated, aged only 31. Alchiek widely regarded as one of the greatest martial artists to come out of Europe. He held a 4th Dan in Aikido, a 2nd Dan in Karate, a 2nd Dan in Kendo and a 3rd Dan …

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This week in history (22 January – 28 January)

On 22 January 1964 the British Karate Federation (BKF) formally accepted the Japan Karate Association’s (JKA) invitation to become their agents in Great Britain, in response to a letter dated 19 December 1963. In the letter, written by Vernon Bell to Masatomo Takagi, the BKF agreed to the following terms with the JKA: The payment of …

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