This week in history (10 February – 16 February)

10 February

 On 10 February 1966, Andy Sherry and Joseph Chialton became the first students in Great Britain to be graded to 1st Dan by the Japan Karate Association (JKA).

The grading took place at the Liverpool Karate Club which was located at 157 Everton Road. The grading was conducted by Keinosuke Enoeda.

On 10 February 1999 Shotokan master, Keigo Abe, founded the Japan Shotokan Karate Association (JSKA).

Abe had resigned from the JKA’s Matsuno faction on 31 January 1999. This was following the Japanese High Court ruling in favour of the JKA’s Nakahara faction. There had been a ten-year legal battle between the Matuno and Nakahara factions over the legal use of the JKA name. Following the loss, the Matsuno faction split into several groups led by Abe, Tetsuhiko Asai, and Mikio Yahara.

On 10 February 2006 Shotokan legend, Tetsuhiko Asai, underwent liver surgery.

11 February

On 11 February 1966 Jack Green, instructor of the British Karate Federation’s Blackpool dojo was graded to 1st Dan under Keinosuke Enoeda. He was the third man in Great Britain to be awarded his 1st Dan, after Andy Sherry and Joseph Chialton had been graded the previous day in Liverpool.

14 February

On 14 February 2015 South African Shotokan Karate pioneer, Stan Schmidt, was awarded the rank of 8th Dan by the JKA. He was the first non-Japanese to be promoted to this rank by the JKA.