ESKA Open Day Results Part of the English Shotokan Karate Association 
2006 Calendar
|
|
On Saturday 11th March 2006 Watford Kodokai of the Shotokan Karate do International Federation (SKIF) played Host to its annual International Open Course with students attending from all over the UK and the world. As usual the day was led by Kancho Hirokazu Kanazawa 10th Dan assisted this year by Sensei Manabu Murakami 6th Dan and Sensei Shinji Akita 5th Dan.
A group of twelve karate-ka from ESKA attended and had a great time on the day which included separate training sessions with each of the three senseis, an opportunity to have our photographs taken with them and finally Sensei Kanazawa made himself available to sign copies of his many books, some of which can be found on our book review pages. For anyone that hasn't seen one of Sensei's signings we have scanned the inner cover of a signing on the black flyleaf of his book The Complete Kumite: Karate Fighting Techniques. Sensei Kanazawa bases all his signings on the motif of Mt. Fuji but each one is different and for this book he brings gold and silver markers to produce this work of art.
Kancho Hirokazu Kanazawa 10th Dan, Head of SKIFSensei Kanazawa was born in 1931in Japan. A student and vice-captain of the infamous Takushoku University dojo for four years, he was taught by the founder of Shotokan, Gichin Funakoshi, and by masters Nakayama, Nishiyama, Okazaki. His history is very extensive but as Terry O Neil once wrote "Kanazawa is often cited by experts as the man who has come closest to achieving perfect technique and from an aesthetic viewpoint, the karate of Kanazawa has no equal." Not God given but single minded determination that has not waned for fifty years. His karate history includes
 Sensei Kanazawa and sensei Murakami demonstrating kumite. Sensei Manabu Murakami 6th DanBorn on 1st October 1966 in Kyushu, an island off the south of Japan, He started practicing Karate at the age of 9 years with JKA instructor Sensei Maruo. When Sensei Kanazawa formed SKI he immediately joined his organization in the 70's. At 18 Sensei Murakami studied at Takusoku university in Tokyo where previously Sensei's Kanazawa, Miura, Asano, Nagai and Kawasoe had all studied. When graduating he took the two year SKIF Instructors course at the central SKIF Dojo and has remained there to this day.Sensei Manabu Murakami currently holds the rank of 6th Dan and runs all SKIF international affairs. Sensei has twice won the SKIF world Championships.
Sensei Murakami, Andrew Hoare of The Hitchin Karate Club, Sensei Kanazawa and Sensei Akita Sensei Shinji Akita 5th Dan.Akita Sensei is the Chief Instructor of the Shotokan Karate Association based in England and has five clubs in the West London area with over one hundred and fifty students. Akita Sensei was born in Gifu, Japan, in 1965. He started his martial arts training in primary school, where he studied Sumo, Kendo and Judo. At the age of twelve, he began training karate under Matsuda Sensei and Aragane Sensei. At the age of eighteen, he joined the famous Takudai Karate Club at the Takushoku University, and trained under Tsuyana Sensei until the age of twenty two. During this period he entered many JKA and JKF competitions and during his last year at Takudai was selected to be a member of the JKA team. He moved to England in 1988 and was Kawasoe Sensei’s student and assistant. Presently Akita Sensei teaches throughout the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.
Sensei Murakami, Declan Hoare of The Hitchin Karate Club, Sensei Kanazawa and Sensei Akita |
Free Site Submit by | ||||||||||||||||||
