Jul 05 2017
On this day, 5 July 1957, the first photographs of karateka training in Britain, appear in the Romford Recorder. The photographs were part of an article, “Forbidden Sport Tuagh Here – Japanese Fights Often Ended in Death”, which was a followup to an article written on the 21 June. The two photographs were taken at 12 …
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Jun 25 2017
On this day, 25 June 1959, the first written correspondence between Vernon Bell and head of Yoseikan Karate, Minoru Mochizuki took place. Mochizuki had first come to France in the early 1950s to conduct a number of training sessions in Judo and Aikido. All correspondence between Mochizuki and Bell had previously gone through Henri Plee. It was through …
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Jun 21 2017
On this day, 21 June 1957, journalist John Greenhaigh wrote perhaps the first ever article on Karate in Britain. The article appeared in the Romford Recorder newspaper. The piece, entitled “…..is Bringing ‘Killer’ Sport to Britain”, starts with the following paragraph: A short, chubby-faced Hornchurch man is to introduce a killer sport to Britain. He is …
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Jun 03 2017
On this day, 3 June 1922, the earliest known Japanese newspaper article on Karate was published in the Tokyo Nichinichi Shinbun. The title of the article was “The Mystical Martial Art – Karate: (Chinese Fist) from Ryukyu (Okinawa Prefecture). Wonderful Technique to Defend from an Opponent with Bare Hands. Kodokan to Study“. On this day, …
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May 13 2017
On this day, 13 May 1933, Charles Naylor, a former Vice-Chairman of the Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB), was born in Hubli, South West India. Naylor left school aged 14 and for a time worked as a cabin boy. He eventually arrived in Liverpool, England in 1948, aged 15. After achieving a Higher National …
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Mar 13 2017
On this day, 13 March 1957, Vernon Bell was awarded his black belt in Yoseikan karate from the Fédération Française de Karaté, under Hiroo Mochizuki and Henri Plee. Bell had started training with Plee towards the end of 1955. He had made frequent visits to Plee’s Paris dojo. After around eighteen monthes he graded for his 1st Dan. Bell …
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Mar 07 2017
On this day, 7 March 1956, the earliest known letter was written from Henri Plee to Vernon Bell. This letter was a response to an earlier letter written by Bell to the Fédération Française de Karaté on 21st February 1956. It is thought that Bell had inquired about being graded by the Fédération Française de Karaté. In his letter Plee …
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Mar 01 2017
On this day, 1 March 1962, the British Karate Federation (BKF) issued a club affiliation certificate to the Liverpool Karate Club. The club, formed in 1959 under Fred Giles, would eventually come to be known as the Red Triangle Shotokan Karate Club. Initially club members received instruction from Vernon Bell, Terry Wingrove and Tetsuji Murakami. However, …
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Feb 21 2017
On this day, 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 this day, 21 February 1995, Stephen Cattle died following an epileptic fit. He was only forty-seven. Until his untimely death Cattle …
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Sep 25 2015
12 Maybush Road, Hornchurch, Essex, holds a very special place in British Karate history. It was at this address, in his parents garden, that in 1956 Vernon Bell held the first Karate class in the UK. Over the years, Bell’s name has been largely forgotten in favour of other notable instructors such as Hirokazu Kanazawa, …
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