Tag: rika usami

This week in history…(11 December – 17 December)

11 December On 11 December 1985, former World Champion, Douglas Santos Brose, was born in the Brazilian town of Cruz Alta. On 11 December 2011, the Leeds Shotokan Karate Club presented Bob Rhodes with an award to commemorate his fifty years in Karate. 12 December On 12 December 1965, Hirokazu Kanazawa held his first grading …

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This week in history…(4 December – 10 December)

4 December On 4 December 1965, the Japan Karate Association (JKA) moved their headquarters from Yotsuya to Koraku, in the Bunkyo-ku district of Tokyo. Yotsuya, located in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo, had been the JKA’s headquarters since 1955. The author C. W. Nicol described what it was like training at the Yotsuya Hombu in his book, Moving Zen: Karate as …

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This week in history…(20 November- 26 November)

20 November On 20 November 2004, William Oliver died in his dojo. One of the most dynamic Kyokushin Karate practitioners of his generation, Oliver was known for his lightning-fast Kicks. At 5ft 4in, he always had to fight much larger opponents, but always held his own. 21 November Between 21-25 November 1982, the 6th World …

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This week in history…(20 February – 26 February)

20 February On 20 February 1964, José Manuel Egea Caceres, the oldest of three boys, was born in the Pan Bendito neighbourhood of Madrid, Spain. He is one of the greatest European competitors, being an 8-time World Champion (junior and senior), a 13-time European Champion, a 14-time Spanish Champion, and the winner of numerous open …

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

21 November On 21 November 1982, the 6th World Championships commenced in Taipei, Taiwan, finishing on 25 November. Japan continued their dominance of World Karate by topping the medal table with six golds, two silvers and four bronzes. Mie Nakayama began her dominance of the Women’s Individual Kata event by winning the first of her …

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This week in history…(26 September – 2 October)

26 September On 26 September 1969, The 1st All Japan Open Karate Tournament took place at the Metropolitan Gymnasium in Tokyo. A full-contact competition, the tournament was open to martial artists from other styles. Both Terutomo Yamazaki and Yoshiji Soeno made it to the final, where Yamazaki won the title. 27 September On 27 September …

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This week in history (25 April – 1 May)

25 April On 25 April 1888, Chojun Miyagi, the founder of Goju-Ryu Karate, was born in Naha, Okinawa. 26 April On 26 April 1957, Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate, died in a Tokyo hospital, aged 88. His family and close student Shigeru Egami were at his bedside. On 26 April 1965, a touring …

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On this day….(February 20)

On 20 February 1986 Kata World Champion Rika Usami was born in Tokyo, Japan. A student of Karate master Yoshimi Inoue, Usami won the 2012 WKF World Championship Kata final held in Paris, France. She is known for her grace, strength and speed that mesmerize in equal measures.

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