Apr 25 2022
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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Apr 18 2022
18 April On 18 April 1962, Kyokushin Karate legend, Kenji Midori was born in Amami Oshima, Japan, to a wealthy family. Standing at around 5’4″ (1.6 m) in height, Kenji Midori is known as the “Little Giant“. He became the first lightweight competitor to win Kyokushin Karate’s World Tournament, where all his opponents were considerably …
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Feb 21 2022
On 21 February 1956, the earliest known letter is written by Vernon Bell to Henri Plee. It is believed that Bell wrote to the Fédération Française de Karaté on becoming affiliated with them. On 21 February 1995, Steve Cattle died following an epileptic fit. He was only 47 years old. Until his untimely death, Cattle was one …
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Feb 09 2022
On 9 February 1929 Shotokan master Taiji Kase, was born in Chiba, Japan. Kase had studied Judo before beginning Karate. He earned a 2nd Dan in Judo by the age of 15. He started his Karate training in 1944 under the guidance of Yoshitaka Funakoshi and Shigeru Egami. He was awarded his 3rd Dan in …
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Dec 06 2021
7 December On 7 December 1912, Shigeru Egami, an early student of Gichin Funakoshi, was born in Omuta, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. He is considered the one student who followed Funakoshi’s teachings most closely. Egami began his Karate training in 1932 as a student at Waseda University. He was instructed by Funakoshi and his son Yoshitaka. He helped found the university’s Karate club. …
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Nov 29 2021
29 November On 29 November 1964, Clive William Nicol took his black belt examination and earned the rank of Shodan. Born on 17 July 1940 in Neath, C. W. Nicol is best known for his book Moving Zen – Karate As A Way To Gentleness, a must-read for all martial artists. The book provides a fascinating insight into the early …
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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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Nov 01 2021
1 November On 1 November 1947, Tsuyoshi Hiroshige was born in Kokura, now known as Kita Kyushu City, Japan. A phenomenal instructor, Tsuyoshi Hiroshige was known as a master trainer. He has trained multiple World Champions and All Japan Champions, including Kenji Midori, Kenji Yamaki, Hajime Kazumi, and Norichika Tsukamoto. Between 1-3 November 1975, 128 …
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Aug 27 2021
The road to perfection cannot be travelled in one lifetime. Dirk Heene A long-time student of Shotokan’s, Taiji Kase, Dirk Heene has done a lot to promote the teachings of Kase. Dirk Heene was born on 24 January 1948, in Aalst, East Flanders Province of Belgium. His father was a mining engineer. When he was …
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Jul 26 2021
27 July On 27 July 1923 the founder of Kyokushin Karate, Matsutatsu (Mas) Oyama was born in Japanese occupied Korea. Born Choi Yeong-eui, he spent most of his life in Japan. He was a student of Gichin Funakoshi and later Gogen Yamaguchi. On 27 July 1985, the Karate Championships were held as part of the …
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