May 13 2019
15 May On 15 May 1947 Stephen John Cattle was born. Until his untimely death, aged only forty-seven, he was one of the longest practising Shotokan practitioners in Britain. He was also a keen historian of Karate. Nicknamed ‘Stumpy’ as he was only 5ft 6in, Cattle began training in Judo in 1961, eventually reaching the …
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May 06 2019
6 May On 6 May 1960 Frank Brennan was born. Brennan has arguably been described as one of the most technically gifted karate-ka of his generation. As a competitor, he was equally comfortable in kata or kumite. Totally respected by his opponents, JKA great, Masahiko Tanaka, once said that part of the Japanese team’s training …
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Mar 25 2019
On 30 March, 2003 Shotokan Karate master, Keinosuke Enoeda, died from stomach cancer Born on 4th July 1935 in Fukuoka, Japan, to a family descended from the samurai, Enoeda attended Takushoku University, where he trained under Masatoshi Nakayama. He was a graduate of the JKA’s Instructors Course and was also a former JKA All-Japan Champion …
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Feb 25 2019
27 February On 27 February 1948 Terence (Terry) O’Neill, one of the best karate-ka 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 …
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Feb 11 2019
11 February On 11 February 1966 Jack Green, instructor of the British Karate Federation’s Blackpool dojo was graded to 1st Dan under Keinosuke Enoeda. He was the third man in Great Britain to be awarded his 1st Dan, after Andy Sherry and Joseph Chialton had been graded the previous day in Liverpool. 17 February On …
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Jan 21 2019
22 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’ This was 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 a registration fee …
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Jan 14 2019
20 January On 20 January 1909 Gōju-ryu legend, Gōgen Yamaguchi, was born. Nicknamed the Cat, he was famed for his feline-like speed and prowess. Yamaguchi was a direct student of Gōju-ryu Karate founder, Chojun Miyagi. He began training with him in 1929. ******************************************** On 20 January 1938 Cyril Cummins, a pioneer of Shotokan in Central England, was born. Cummins began his Karate training in 1964 at the Kyu-Shin-Kan School of Judo Ltd, Located …
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Dec 31 2018
1 January On 1 January 1913 Motonobu Hironishi, an early student of Gichin Funakoshi, was born in Kyoto, Japan. Hironishi began his Karate training in 1931 at Waseda University under both Gichin and Yoshitaka Funakoshi’s direction. He was a contemporary and good friend of Shigeru Egami at Waseda. Both men would go on to teach at the original Shotokan dojo located in Zoshigaya, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. Following Gichin …
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Nov 26 2018
26 November On 26 November 1988 the 3rd Shotokan Karate International (SKI) World Championships began at the Utsunomiya Grand Hotel, in Japan. Hirokazu Kanazawa gave the opening speech to the Championships. In the men’s kata final K Kato defeated M Murakami. Both men performed the kata Unsu. The woman’s individual kata title was won by S Mukai of …
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Nov 12 2018
12 November On 12 November 1964 Julie Nicholson was born in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear. Nicholson started Shotokan Karate under the guidance of John Holdsworth and Jeff Barwick, at the age of nine. She eventually came under the instruction of Keinosuke Enoeda. She began her competitive career in 1976 eventually becoming a member of the KUGB (Karate Union of …
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