This week in history (21 Sep – 27 Sep)

21 September

On 21 September 1980 Ronnie Christopher was promoted to 1st Dan by Keinosuke Enoeda.

One of the best competitors of his generation, Christopher won numerous titles nationally and internationally. He was part of the British team that won the 1990 Shoto Cup in Sunderland, England, defeating the previously undefeated Japan in the team kumite final.

22 September

On 22 September 1972, James Field opened his own dojo, the International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF) Santa Monica Dojo.

Field had given up competing to concentrate fully on teaching. For the next couple of years, he concentrated on teaching his students. Known as a technician he brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to his teaching. He was a strict but compassionate teacher, only wanting the best from his students.

24 September

On 24 September 2004 noted martial artist Teruo Hayashi died from lung cancer in Osaka, Japan.

Described as one of the last great Japanese Budo masters,  Hayashi is the founder of the Hayashi-Ha branch of Shito-ryu Karate. He trained under some of the greats of Japanese and Okinawan Karate, including Seiko Higa, Kenko Nakaima, and Kosei Kuniba.

On 24 September 2011, Christophe Pinna was awarded his 6th Dan. The honorary grade was presented to him by Nice Deputy Mayor, Christian Estrosi.

27 September

On 27 September 1946 Yoshimi Inoue, a student of Teruo Hayashi, was born in the small coastal village of Tottori, Japan.

For many, Inoue’s name will be associated with the many great kata champions he coached, that included Mie Nakayama, Atsuko Wakai, Ryoke Abe, Rika Usami and Antonio Diaz.

However, Inoue was more than a great coach. He was a martial artist first and foremost. What made him a unique and successful coach was that he saw competition as being just one part of Karate. He still stressed the martial aspects of Karate in his day to day training.

On 27 September 1986, the 29th JKA All-Japan Championships took place in Tokyo, Japan.

The two-day tournament was marked by 46-year-old Masahiko Tanaka coming out of retirement to compete in the Men’s Kumite event. A senior instructor at the JKA Hombu, he made it to the quarter-finals.

The event was won by Yasunori Ogura. Minoru Kawada, an assistant instructor at Masatoshi Nakayama‘s Hoitsugan dojo, won the kata title with the kata Sochin. Second place went to Takenori Imura, with Yoshinobu Ohta, who at the time was the assistant instructor to Keinosuke Enoeda in the UK, finishing third.

Yoko Nakamura won her third Women’s Kata title. She is the winner of nine kata titles.

On 27 September 1985 the 28th JKA All-Japan Championships took place at the Budokan in Tokyo.

Masao Kagawa became Grand Champion, winning both the individual kata and individual kumite events. He won the kumite title, defeating, Yasunori Ogura in the final. In the kata event, he defeated Tomoyuki Aihara. The previous year he had been runner-up in both events. 

Yoko Nakamura won the second of her nine kata titles. Yuko Hasama won the kumite title.