Tag: Yoshitaka Funakoshi

This week in history (4 Feb – 10 Feb)

4 February On 4 February 1949, Michael Nursey, a founding member of the English Shotokan Karate Association (ESKA) was born. Nursey started training in Karate when he was eighteen, under Keinosuke Enoeda and John Van Weenen. After achieving his 4th Kyu Nursey continued his training with Hirokazu Kanazawa, Shiro Asano and Michael Randall.  Nursey gained is 1st Dan in …

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This week in history (7 Jan – 13 Jan)

8 January On 8 January 1945 Pauline Bindra (nee Laville), who holds the distinction of being the first woman in Britain to earn a JKA (Japan Karate Association) black belt in Karate, was born in Middlesbrough, England.   Pauline Bindra has had a great influence on British Karate. Apart from the personal accolades of being the first female black belt in Britain and one of the highest ranked …

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This week in history (31 December – 6 Jan)

1 January On 1 January 1913 Motonobu Hironishi, an early student of Gichin Funakoshi, was born in Kyoto, Japan.  Hironishi began his Karate training in 1931 at Waseda University under both Gichin and Yoshitaka Funakoshi’s direction. He was a contemporary and good friend of Shigeru Egami at Waseda. Both men would go on to teach at the original Shotokan dojo located in Zoshigaya, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. Following Gichin …

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This week in history (3 December – 9 December)

3 December On 3 December 1941 Shoshin Nagamine gave a public Karate demonstration to members of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Force and an assortment of dignitaries, including the Police Chief Cabinet secretary and his deputy, plus members of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (Martial Arts section).  Born 15 July 1907 in Naha, Okinawa, Nagamine is the founder …

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This week in history (19 November – 25 November)

19 November On 19 November 1963 Shotokai master, Mitsusuke Harada arrived in England from Belgium following an invitation from Judo great, Kenshiro Abbe. Harada had started his Karate training in 1943 nder Gichin Funakoshi and Shigeru Egami.  Kenishiro Abbe’s organisation, the British Budo Council, had invited Harada to give a Karate demonstration at the Royal Albert Hall during the National Judo Championships, on 23 November 1963. Although billed as …

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This week in history (12 November – 18 November)

12 November On 12 November 1964 Julie Nicholson was born in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear.  Nicholson started Shotokan Karate under the guidance of John Holdsworth and Jeff Barwick, at the age of nine. She eventually came under the instruction of Keinosuke Enoeda.  She began her competitive career in 1976 eventually becoming a member of the KUGB (Karate Union of …

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This week in history (5 November – 11 November)

5 November On 5 November 1961 a Karate exhibition was held at the Honolulu Civic Auditorium, sponsored by the Hawaii Karate Congress. Several top Japanese martial artists, including  Goju-Ryu’s Kanki Izumikawa and Shotokan’s Hidetaka Nishiyama and Hirokazu Kanazawa, displayed their skills to an attentive crowd. ******************************************** On 5 November 1963 Masters Masatoshi Nakayama, Hiroshi Shoji, Keinosuke Enoeda, Toru Iwaizumi and Katsuya Kisaka arrived to teach Shotokan Karate in Indonesia. …

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This week in history (1 October – 7 October)

4 October On 4 October 1924 Motokuni Sugiura, a former Chief Instructor of the JKA, was born in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Sugiura earned his 1st Dan aged only 20. At university he had been taught by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Yoshitaka. After he graduated in 1944 he joined the Tsuchiura Navy Flying Corps, serving …

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Cover Star: Taiji Kase

Considered one of the best ever Shotokan practitioners, Taiji Kase trained under some of the greatest Shotokan master. This included Gichin Funakoshi, Yoshitaka Funakoshi, Shigeru Egami, Genshin Hironishi and Masatoshi Nakayama. It was Kase that led the JKA delegation, including Hirokazu Kanazawa, Keinosuke Enoeda and Hiroshi Shirai, that gave a series of demonstrations introducing the …

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This Week in history (1 January – 7 January)

On 1 January 1913 Motonobu Hironishi, an early student of Gichin Funakoshi, was born in Kyoto, Japan. Hironishi began his Karate training in 1931 at Waseda University under both Gichin and Yoshitaka Funakoshi. He was a contemporary and good friend of Shigeru Egami at Waseda. Both men would go on to teach at the original Shotokan dojo …

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