Tag: JKA

This week in history…(23 January – 29 January)

23 January On 23 January 1949, Henri Plee was graded to his Judo 1st Dan under Mikinosuke Kawaishi. Plee became the 16th Judoka to attain this rank in France. On 23 January 1973, Nicholas Pettas was born on the island of Mykonos, Greece. Sometimes known as the ‘Blue-eyed Samurai‘, Nicholas Pettas was one of Mas …

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Kazuhiro Sawada

A true karateka must exercise, self-control, be non-aggressive, and avoid confrontation. Kazuhiro Sawada A longtime member of the JKA (Japanese Karate Association), Kazuhiro Sawada has been at the forefront of helping to establish Shotokan Karate in Belgium. Like many of the JKA Masters of his generation, he is very technical. Kazuhiro Sawada was born on …

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Dave Kershaw

There is no short cut to reaching a high-level in Kata, and the frustrating thing is that the higher you get, the more faults you find, but this is the whole essence of Karate, the striving for perfection. It is never reached, but you must keep on trying. Dave Kershaw A longtime student of Shotokan …

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

9 January On 9 January 2015, Siam Camp 2015 took place at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. It was the 14th Shotokan Karate gasshuku held in Bangkok. Apart from Fujikiyo Omura, the other JKA instructors teaching were Koichi Sugimura and Tatsuya Naka. 11 January On 11 January 1988, Nicholas Pettas watched his first Karate class and …

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Tomio Imamura

First be taught; learning comes later; Tomio Imarura Known for his quiet demeanour, Tomio Imamura has been described as a “brilliant technician“, known for his exceptional kumite. A two-time world champion, he is one of the best fighters of his generation. Tomio Imamura was born on 7 October 1958, in Kagoshima, Japan. Imamura attended Takushoku …

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

6 January On 6 January 1967, Michael Randall gained his 1st Dan from Hirokazu Kanazawa. He was one of the first men in Britain to gain the rank of 1st Dan from the Japan Karate Association (JKA). At the time of writing Randall is one of a handful of people currently training to have trained …

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This week in history…(26 December – 1 January)

27 December On 27 December 1975, the film, ‘Karate Bearfighter‘ was released in Japan, as part of a trilogy of films based on the life of Mas Oyama. Sonny Chiba played the role of his teacher, Mas Oyama. The first film in the trilogy, ‘Karate Bullfighter‘ was released on 9 August 1975 in Japan. The …

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This week in history…(19 December – 25 December)

19 December On 19 December 1963 Vernon Bell received a letter from Masatomo Takagi, the General Manager of the JKA (Japan Karate Association), requesting that the BKF (British Karate Federation) officially act as the authorized representative of the JKA in Britain. Earlier that year Bell had received a letter from Takagi indicating that Tetsuji Murakami …

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This week in history…(12 December -18 December)

12 December On 12 December 1965 Hirokazu Kanazawa held his first grading at the BKF (British Karate Federation)’s Nottingham dojo. The BKF had arranged with the JKA (Japan Karate Association) for Kanazawa to reside in the United Kingdom for a year, teaching Shotokan Karate. On 12 December 2008, Henri Plee was honoured for his services …

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This week in history…(5 December – 11 December)

5 December On 5 December 1944, the founder of Ashihara Karate, Hideyuki Ashihara, was born in Hiroshima, Japan. He was a direct student of Kyokushin founder, Mas Oyama. Ashihara was considered a formidable fighter, and by 1966 he was an instructor of Kyokushin Karate at the organisation’s Hombu (headquarters). In 1987 Ashihara started showing the first signs of ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). His condition gradually worsened and on 24 …

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