Jan 12 2024
Nicknamed the ‘Happy Giant’ because of his easy-going demeanour, Yukichi Tabata stood over 6 ft, which was tall for a Japanese man. A member of the Japanese National Team for many years, he had a reputation for being a very tough fighter. Yukichi Tabata was born in Japan in 1943. After graduating from university in …
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Oct 07 2023
Whoever stops loses. Ken Wittstock Part of the first generation of Karate practitioners in South Africa, Ken Wittstock is considered one of the founding fathers of South African Karate. Kenneth Lawrence Wittstock was born on 21 August 1941, in Johannesburg, South Africa, to parents Alfred and Eliza Wittstock. He was the youngest of six children, …
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Aug 02 2023
In Sosai’s time, the best fighters were always Japanese. But in recent years, we have seen how other countries have been bringing out very good fighters. Kazuyuki Hasegawa Known as the “Little Giant“, Katsuyuki Hasegawa was an exceptionally powerful fighter. Standing 5 ft 6 in, he was known for his footsweeps, body kicks, and follow-up …
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Apr 05 2023
Karate is for your whole life, so your Karate must evolve to match who you are today. Minoru Kawawada Although he may not be as well known as some other JKA masters, Minoru Kawawada was a longtime instructor at the JKA Hombu. For many years he went about his task of teaching excellent Karate to …
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Jul 20 2022
There is no such thing as retirement in martial arts. If you decide to pursue martial arts, you wear your gi until you die! Shunsuke Takahashi A graduate of the JKA instructors course, Shunsuke Takahashi, has had a big influence on Shotokan Karate in Australia and New Zealand. A tough instructor, he dedicated many years …
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May 18 2021
Seek perfection of character. Everything else follows on from that. Yasunori Ogura A stalwart of the JKA, Yasunori Ogura is known for his attention to detail. He is a former kumite and kata champion, who is a senior instructor at the JKA Hombu. Yasunori Ogura was born on 21 January 1958, in Hokkaido, Japan. Growing …
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Feb 13 2021
I don’t train so that I can go to a tournament and do a show. I do it because I want to train my body so I will be prepared for any confrontation. That’s the philosophy of my style. You can hit me anywhere you want and it will probably hurt you more than it …
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Feb 11 2021
Each era must accept tradition to grow, but not remain as it was 30 or 40 years ago. As I said “traditional” means “to continue” but accepting changes and improvements. Over time, everything undergoes an evolution, we always try to improve, to keep the positive and remove the negative: then it is a question of …
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Feb 09 2021
Everything, in my opinion, is in the training, so there are no tips to give, only quantity of training, in order to automate the techniques, so as not to think, when it will be time for the fight. Takeshi Oishi One of the longest was serving instructors at the JKA, Takeshi Oishi was a formidable …
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Feb 06 2021
Masatoshi Nakayama, the former Chief Instructor of the JKA, once said of Norihiko Iida: Iida’s changing techniques are admirable. They bring to mind the mysterious technique of twirling one’s fingers as if to hypnotise a dragonfly. One never thinks he will fall for the trick, but in the end, he succumbs A powerfully built man, …
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