Tag: JKA

This week in history…(16 October – 22 October)

18 October On 18 October 1955, Dave Kershaw was born in Grimsby, England. At the time Grimsby was a successful port town, and his father was a trawler captain. A longtime student of Shotokan masters, Hirokazu Kanazawa and Shiro Asano, Kershaw, was a very successful competitor in both kata and kumite. However, it is as …

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This week in history…(9 October – 15 October)

9 October On 9th October 1922 Vernon Bell, the Father of British Karate was born in Ilford, Essex. Initially, Bell started learning Karate from Henri Plee who was responsible for introducing Karate into Europe. Bell was responsible for bringing Tetsuji Murakami and Hiroo Mochizuki to teach for the British Karate Federation (BKF). He was also …

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Ken Wittstock

Whoever stops loses. Ken Wittstock Part of the first generation of Karate practitioners in South Africa, Ken Wittstock is considered one of the founding fathers of South African Karate. Kenneth Lawrence Wittstock was born on 21 August 1941, in Johannesburg, South Africa, to parents Alfred and Eliza Wittstock. He was the youngest of six children, …

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This week in history…(2 October – 8 October)

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 taught by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Yoshitaka. After he graduated in 1944 he joined the Tsuchiura Navy Flying Corps, serving …

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This week in history…(25 September – 1 October)

25 September On 25 September 2016, Miki Nakamachi competed at the 59th JKA All Japan Karate Championships. She normally performed the kata Gojushiho Sho in competition. However, in honour of her son, Hugo, she decided to perform the kata Unsu. Meaning ‘Cloud Hands’, she saw Unsu as representing her son’s little hands in the clouds. …

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This week in history…(4 September -10 September)

4 September On 4 September 1931 Kenneth Funakoshi, a distant relative of Shotokan Karate founder, Gichin Funakoshi, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. On 4 September 1993, Gerard Gordeau competed at the K1-Illusion, Tokyo event. A month later in October, he competed at the K1-Illusioin, Karate World Cup, held in Osaka. 6 September On 6 September …

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This week in history…(28 August – 3 September)

28 August On 28 August 1948, Kazuyuki Hasegawa was born, in Itano, Japan. Known as the “Little Giant“, he was an exceptionally powerful fighter. Standing 5 ft 6 in, he was known for his footsweeps, body kicks, and follow-up punches. 29 August On 29 August 1934 Steve Arneil, a pioneer of British Kyokushin Karate, was …

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This week in history…(21 August – 27 August)

23 August On 23 July 2011, Steve Arneil was awarded his 10th Dan. 24 August On 24 August 2000, Andy Hug died from breathing difficulties and multiple organ failure. He was only 35 years old. His death was reported on all the major news channels in Japan. He was survived by his wife Ilona and …

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This week in history…(14 August – 20 August)

14 August On 14 August 1934, the founder of American Goju-Ryu Karate, Peter George Urban, was born in Jersey City, USA. Serving in the US Navy Urban was stationed in Yokohama, Japan. In 1953 he began studying Karate as a student of Richard Kim. In 1954 he was transferred to Tokyo. There he was introduced …

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This week in history…(7 August – 13 August)

7 August On 7 August 1946, Leo Lipinski was born in Durban, South Africa. One of the highest-ranked non-Japanese JKF (Japan Karate Federation) Gojukai, Leo Lipinski was known for his exceptional kumite. He was never afraid to express his views, but he firmly believed in hard work over talent. 9 August On 9 August 1945, …

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