Feb 01 2023
A great thinker on the essence of Karate and how it should be taught, Motokuni Sugiura dedicated his life to Karate. As an instructor, he focused on developing strong basics. As the second Chief Instructor of the JKA he oversaw a turbulent period in their history. Motokuni Sugiura was born in Aichi, Japan, on 4 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/motokuni-sugiura/
Jan 30 2023
31 January On 31 January 1999 Keigo Abe resigned from the Matsuno faction of the JKA. Masatoshi Nakayama, the Chief Instructor of the JKA, died in 1987. Tokyo businessman, Nobuyuki Nakahara became the Chairman of the JKA. A number of instructors, led by Tetsuhiko Asai, disagreed with the decision. This led to a split in …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-30-january-5-february/
Jan 27 2023
Alongside Stan Schmidt, Len Barnes, and Hugh Thomas, James Rousseau, was a pioneer of Karate in South Africa. He is largely responsible for establishing Okinawan Goju-Ryu in Europe. A very good teacher, he has been described as making simple things interesting and difficult things seem easy. James McGill Rousseau was born on 4 July 1944 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/james-rousseau/
Jan 04 2023
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/tomio-imamura/
Jan 02 2023
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-2-january-8-january/
Dec 26 2022
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-26-december-1-january/
Dec 12 2022
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 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-12-december-18-december/
Nov 30 2022
You can’t have good Karate without good character. No matter what it looks like on the inside, the flaws will show. Bakkies Laubscher With over six decades in martial arts, Bakkies Laubscher is one of Morio Higaonna’s most senior students. A firm believer in the constant drilling of basic techniques, he has become a renowned …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/bakkies-laubscher/
Nov 28 2022
28 November On 28 November 1934 Frank Cope, a pioneer of British Shotokan Karate, was born in Liverpool. A long-time member of the KUGB (Karate Union of Great Britain) he would become one of the first Karate black belts in Britain. On 28 November 2009, the 9th Open Weight Kyokushin Championships were held in Paris. There were 166 …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-28-november-4-december/
Nov 07 2022
8 November On 8 November 1965, Hirokazu Kanazawa held his second official grading at the Lyndhurst Hall dojo in London. Keinosuke Enoeda was also present at the grading. Ray Fuller was successful, receiving the temporary grade of 3rd Kyu. Between 8-11 November 1990, the 10th World Championships were held in Mexico City, Mexico. Tomoyuki Aihara …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-7-november-13-november/
Recent Comments