This week in history (28 December – 3 January)

29 December

On 29th December 2016 Frank Cope died aged 82 following a bout of illness.

In many ways, Cope was ahead of his time practising things that would not gain major popularity for many years. He was also considered a great teacher, being able to identify a student’s weakness and provide a way for them to fix it.

30 December

On 30 December 1960, former SKIF European and World Champion, Aidan Trimble was born in Nottingham, England. He was a long time member of Hirokazu Kanazawa‘s Shotokan Karate International Federation (SKIF), eventually leaving to form is own association, The Federation of Shotokan Karate.

Until injury curtailed his competitive career in 1983, Trimble was a top competitor. He won the SKI (GB) kumite title three times (1980, 1982, 1984) and won the 1st SKIF World Championships kumite title (1983).

Apart from heading his own association, Aidan Trimble is an author with over eight books to his name. He also travels the world conducting courses and seminars.

31 December

On 31 December 1971, Keinosuke Enoeda’s son, Daisuke, was born. This was the culmination of a big year for him.

Enoeda appeared at the beginning of the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. He also replaced Hirokazu Kanazawa as the JKA Chief Instructor to Europe.

1 January

On 1 January 1913 Hironishi Motonobu, 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 Funakoshi’s death in 1957 there was a split within Shotokan between the JKA and the Shotokai. Egami and Hironishi led the Shotokai faction. Following the death of Shigeru Egami in 1981 Motonobu Hironishi became the Chief Instructor of Shotokai. He was also the President of the Japan Shotokai Karate-Do until his death in 1999.