Nov 27 2023
27 November On 27 November 1932, Toru Arakawa, a former Technical Director of the Japan Karate Federation, was born in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Wado-Ryu founder, Hironori Ohtsuka sent Tatsuo Suzuki, together with Arakawa and Hajime Takashima, on a 2-month tour to Europe and the United States, to demonstrate Wado-Ryu Karate. On 27 November 1980, the 5th World …
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Apr 03 2023
5 April On 5 April 1870 founder of Motobu Ryu, Chōki Motobu, was born in Okinawa. Motobu was the third son of a noble family. As the third son, he was not allowed to learn the family martial art of Motobu Udundi. This meant he trained under various Okinawan masters such as Anko Itosu, and Sokon Matsumura. A …
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Nov 21 2022
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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Nov 22 2021
22 November On 22 November 1984, the second day of the 1992 World Championships took place in Maastricht, Netherlands. For the first time in the championship’s history, Britain topped the medal table, winning a total of eight medals (four golds, one silver and three bronzes) ahead of Japan. Britain’s main successes came in the kumite …
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Apr 05 2021
5 April On April 5, 1870 founder of Motobu Ryu, Chōki Motobu, was born in Okinawa. Motobu was the third son of a noble family. As the third son, he was not allowed to learn the family martial art of Motobu Udundi. This meant he trained under various Okinawan masters such as Anko Itosu, and Sokon Matsumura. A …
Permanent link to this article: http://findingkarate.com/wordpress/this-week-in-history-5-april-11-april/
Nov 23 2020
23 November On 23 November 1963, Shotokai master, Mitsusuke Harada gave a Karate demonstration at the Royal Albert Hall, during the National Judo Championships. Judo great, Kenishiro Abbe’s organisation, the British Budo Council, had invited Harada. On 23 November 1986, the third day of the 8th WUKO World Karate Championships took place in Sydney, Australia. …
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Aug 15 2020
Women first competed in the World Championships in 1980 at the tournament held in Madrid, Spain. Suzuko Okamura became the first individual kata world champion. Her victory was the start of total dominance of the kata events by the Japanese women. From 1980 to 2004 they remained undefeated in the event. Arguably the greatest of …
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Aug 15 2020
Firstly, I practise katas very accurately going through the basic again and again; I do this for about one hour every day. I then go through the katas imaging the attackers and how I would compete with them. I pay a lot of attention to imagination, feeling, and expression. Mie Nakayama Mie Nakayama can arguably …
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Aug 13 2020
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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Aug 09 2020
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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