Tag: Mie Nakayama

Yuki Mimura

Following on from greats Suzuko Okamura and Mie Nakayama, Yuki Mimura was the next great female Japanese kata champion. Like her predecessor, Nakayama she was the winner of three consecutive World titles, not to mention World Games and World Cup titles. Yuki Mimura was born on 5 April 1970 in Ashimura, a small village in the mountains near …

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Yoshimi Inoue

Karate is 99% feeling. Yoshimi Inoue For many, Yoshimi Inoue’s name will be associated with the many great kata champions he coached, that included Mie Nakayama, Atsuko Wakai and Ryoko Abe. However, Inoue was more than a great coach. He was a martial artist first and foremost. What made him a unique and successful coach …

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Suzuko Okamura-Hamasaki

I realised that I cannot live without Karate. That is my source of energy. Suzuko Okamura-Hamasaki Suzuko Okamura holds a special place in tournament Karate history. She was the first Women’s World Champion in kata. She ushered in a dominance of the kata event for over twenty years by Japanese women that lasted from 1980 …

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This week in history (30 March – 5 April)

31 March On 31 March 1921, Tetsuji Murakami was born in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Described as a Karate missionary, Murakami began teaching Karate across Europe and North Africa during the infancy of the art outside of Japan. He was one of the first Japanese instructors to settle in Europe. Growing up Murakami was not interested …

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This week in history (25 November – 1 December)

25 November On 25 November 1948 the founder of the Okinawan Karate style Uechi-ryu, Kanbun Uechi, died aged 71. Born into a family of farmers, in 1897 Uechi fled his native Okinawa to avoid conscription into the Japanese army. He travelled to Fuzhou (Fuchou) in the Fukien Province of China. Looking to learn martial arts, …

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This week in history (18 November – 24 November)

18 November On 18 November 2004 the 17th World Karate Championships were held at the Monterrey Arena, Monterrey, Mexico. Goju-ryu practitioner Atsuko Wakai from Japan, won her fourth consecutive Word individual kata title. She is one of the most successful tournament competitors, having also won titles at the World Games, Asian Games and All-Japan Karate-do …

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This week in history (23 September – 29 September)

24 September On 24 September 2004 noted martial artist Teruo Hayashi died from lung cancer in Osaka, Japan. Described as one of the last great Japanese Budo masters,  Hayashi is the founder of the Hayashi-Ha branch of Shito-ryu Karate. He trained under some of the greats of Japanese and Okinawan Karate, including Seiko Higa, Kenko …

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This week in history (1 Apr – 7 Apr)

1 April On 1 April 1922 Gichin Funakoshi gave a Karate demonstration at the Women’s Higher Normal School, in Tokyo, Japan. This was one of a number of demonstrations he gave at the time to introduce the general public to Karate. ******************************************** On 1 April 1934 Hironori ĹŚtsuka opened his own Karate school ,the Dai …

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This week in history (26 November – 2 December)

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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This week in history (19 November – 25 November)

19 November On 19 November 1963 Shotokai master, Mitsusuke Harada arrived in England from Belgium following an invitation from Judo great, Kenshiro Abbe. Harada had started his Karate training in 1943 nder Gichin Funakoshi and Shigeru Egami.  Kenishiro Abbe’s organisation, the British Budo Council, had invited Harada to give a Karate demonstration at the Royal Albert Hall during the National Judo Championships, on 23 November 1963. Although billed as …

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