This week in history (19 October – 25 October)

20 October

On 20 October 1972, Kyokushin legend, Howard Collins competed in the 4th All Japan Open Karate Tournament. He made it to the final where he lost to Miyuki Miura.

On 20 October 1982, martial arts historian, Donald Frederick “Donn” Draeger died from cancer at the Veteran’s Hospital located in Milwaukee. He was buried five days later at the Wood National Cemetery, in Milwaukee. Unfortunately, his death attracted very little attention. Many people did not even know he had returned to the United States.

On 20 October 1996, Seido Karate celebrated its 20th Anniversary at an event held at the Avery Fisher Hall, at the Lincoln Centre, New York.

Tadashi Nakamura received many congratulatory letters from people like Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Nelson Mandela, and Boutros Boutros-Ghali, in admiration and respect of what he had achieved with Seido Karate. At the event the 1st World Tournament also took place.

21 October

On 21 October 1941 Edward Arthur Whitcher was born in Dagenham, Essex.

Whitcher started training at the dawn of Shotokan Karate in the United Kingdom. He was the first British subject to be promoted to 3rd Dan from the Japanese Karate Association (JKA), at their Tokyo headquarters in 1971.

22 October

On 22 October 2011, Australian, Judd Reid, completed the 100-Man Kumite Challenge. In 1991, while in Japan as an uchi-deshi, he had fought Akira Masuda twice during his challenge.

Reid was a member of the World Karate Organisation (WKO) led by Kenji Midori. A documentary film, Journey to the 100 Man Fight – The Judd Reid Story, detailed Reid’s attempt of the challenge.

24 October

On 24 October 1996, the High Court of Tokyo upheld a previous ruling that had found in favour of Mas Oyama’s family. They had disputed the veracity of his verbal will.

On 31 March 1995 Judge Atsushi Watanabe of the Tokyo Court of Family Affairs ruled that Oyama’s verbal will was invalid as it had not been signed by him, only by the witnesses.

25 October

On 25 October 1984, Bobby Lowe was promoted to 8th Dan by Mas Oyama.

Lowe was one of Oyama’s oldest and most senior students. He was Oyama’s first uchi-deshi (live-in student).

On 25 October 2013 David Coulter took part in the annual 100 Kata Challenge a worldwide event to commemorate Okinawa Karate Day.

Participants in the event have to perform 100 repetitions of a Karate kata of their choice.