Japan Karate Association Explained

Japan Karate Association
Abbreviation:JKA
Size:105px
Type:Sports federation
Formation:May 27, 1949
Headquarters:2-23-15 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo JAPAN 112-0004
Membership:Japan Karate Federation, World Karate Federation[1]
Leader Title:Shuseki Shihan (Chief Instructor)
Leader Name:Masaaki Ueki, 10th Dan (Deceased July 14 2024)
Language:Japanese, English
Website:www.jka.or.jp

The Japan Karate Association (日本 空手 協会; Nihon Karate Kyokai; JKA; sometimes referred to simply as Kyokai 協会 in Japan) is one of the oldest global Shotokan karate organizations in the world.[2]

Origins

Gichin Funakoshi played a major role in introducing karate from Okinawa to Japan, adjusted to reduce injury and merged with approaches for athletic training. On May 27, 1949, some of his senior students including Isao Obata, Masatoshi Nakayama, and Hidetaka Nishiyama, formed a karate organization dedicated to research, promotion, events management, and education: the Japan Karate Association.[3] Funakoshi, then around 80 years old, held a position equivalent to chief instructor emeritus, with Nakayama as the chief instructor.

The JKA emerged from karate clubs at Japanese universities located in the Tokyo region. Most of these universities, however, distanced themselves from the JKA during the 1950s. Takushoku University always kept strong ties with the JKA, being the alma mater of many of the senior JKA instructors, such as Nakayama, Nishiyama, Okazaki, Asai, Kanazawa, and Enoeda, who were responsible for the JKA's consolidation during the 1960s and 1970s.[3] [4]

General uneasiness on how karate was taught by the JKA instructors and disagreements on Funakoshi's funeral arrangements in 1957 motivated some of the senior karateka connected with Funakoshi, but not associated with the JKA, such as Shigeru Egami, Genshin Hironishi, and Tsutomu Ohshima, to form their own organizations, such as Shotokai and Shotokan Karate of America).[5] They claimed to practice a version of Shotokan karate closer to what Funakoshi taught, as compared to the JKA style. The JKA Shotokan approach is also based on Funakoshi's karate, but with significant adaptations introduced mostly by Nakayama, who was JKA chief instructor until his death in 1987.[3] [6] [7] Under Nakayama's leadership, a generation of respected instructors spread karate worldwide, guided from the JKA headquarters in Tokyo.[3]

Nakayama's books, which include Dynamic Karate and the Best Karate series,[8] [9] are fundamental reference materials on Shotokan karate as practiced under the JKA. Clive Nicol, in his classic book Moving Zen, describes the karate practice at the JKA's honbu dojo (headquarters training hall) in Tokyo during the early 1960s, from his unique perspective as a western karate student going from white to black belt in a few years.[10]

Splinter groups

The JKA experienced several divisions from the 1970s onwards. Notable splinter groups formed as follows:

Due to these divisions, there is today the notion of a separate JKA karate style—that is, Shotokan karate that follows the JKA tradition to a large extent, but is taught by instructors who are not officially affiliated with JKA (though most of them are former JKA instructors and graduates).

Kenshusei (instructor intern) training program

In 1956, the JKA started its kenshusei instructor intern training program at the JKA honbu dojo, in Yotsuya, Tokyo, which had been built in 1955. This program was instituted by Nakayama Masatoshi. The training program has promoted the consistency and quality control of JKA training practices over the years, graduating some of the world's most well known karateka (practitioners of karate), as listed below.[16]

Graduates

The following table lists JKA kenshusei training program graduates in order of year of graduation. The reported rank of graduates no longer with the JKA is that from their current organization. Such rank is not necessarily recognized by the JKA.

NameYear of GraduationRankPosition
Mikami Takayuki19579th danUSA JKA/AF Southern
Takaura Eiji 1957
Kanazawa Hirokazu195710th danFounder SKIF, deceased Dec 9, 2019
Tsushima Toshio 1958
1958 9th danUSA ISKF Mountain States
Ouchi Kyo 1959
Sato Masaki 1959
  • Saito Shigeru
1959
Inaba Mitsue 1960
Kano Masahiko1960
Watanabe Gunji 1960
  • Ogata Kyoji
1960
Kisaka Katsuharu 1961 8th danUSA - JKA New Jersey since 1967 (current)
Nakaya Ken 1961
Ogawa Eiko 1961
Ueki Masaaki 19619th dan (2011) HQ Shihan Chief Instructor Worldwide (Deceased July 14 2024)
1961 9th danDeceased March 29, 2003
  • Miyazaki Satoshi
19618th dan Deceased May 31, 1993
  • Mori Osamu
1961
  • Takahashi Yoshimasa
1961
  • Majima Kenshiro
1962
Sakai Ryusuke 1962 8th dan
Masaaki UekiUnknown10th Dan gradeHQ Full-Time Instructor (Deceased july 14 2024)
Jitsuhara Shoji 1963
Ochi Hideo19639th dan DJKB ("JKA Germany")
Takahashi Yasuoki 1963
Itaya Michihisa 1963 6th danSouth America JKA - "Deceased 1972"
19659th dan Japan JSKA
Oishi Takeshi 1965
  • Tabata Yukichi
1965
Takashina Shigeru 1966 8th danUSA JKA/WFA Deceased September 3, 2013
Kawazoe Masao19678th Dan (Also Chief Instructor ITKF)
Higashi Kunio 1967
Iida Norihiko 1967
Okamoto Hideki19678th dan Egypt - "Deceased 2009".
Takahashi Shunsuke 1967 8th danChief Instructor TSKF Australia
Yano Kenji 1967
Okuda Taketo 1967 10th danButoku-kan (Brazil)
Baba Isamu 1970
Horie Teruo 1971
Nishino Shuhei 1971
  • Hayakawa Norimasa
1971
Kanegae Kenji 1972
Osaka Yoshiharu 1972 8th danHQ Full-Time Instructor
Sato Teruo 1974
Mori Toshihiro 1975
Imura Takenori 19777th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
Kurasako Kenro 19777th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
19787th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
Komaki Masaki 1978
Omura Fujikiyo 19787th dan JKA Thailand
Fukami Akira 1979
Kaneko Taneaki 1979
Sakata Masashi 1979
Abe Miwako 1980
Tsuchii Takayuki 1980
Yamamoto Hideo 1980
Ohta Yoshinobu Attendee7th DanHead JKA England
Ogura Yasunori 19827th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
Imamura Tomio 19837th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
Kashiwagi Nobuyuki 1984
Koike Tsuyoshi 1984
Yokomichi Masaaki 1984
Izumiya Seizo 19866th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
Shiina Katsutoshi 19866th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
Hanzaki Yasuo 19876th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
Nakamura Yoko 1987
1989 7th dan (2012)HQ Full-Time Instructor
Noda Kenichi 1990
19907th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
  • Imai Hiromitsu
1991
Takahashi Satoshi 19925th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
Kobayashi Kunio 19935th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
Ogata Koji 19945th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
Walter Crockford 19965th dan JKA Canada
Ikenaga Atsushi 1996
Hirayama Yuko 19986th dan (as of 2012) HQ Secretariat
Okuma Koichiro 19986th dan HQ Full-Time Instructor
Iwasawa Mayumi 19983rd dan HQ Secretariat
Enda O'Toole19983rd dan
Aragaki Misako 20033rd dan HQ Secretariat
Ubukata Koji 2003
Yamada Satomi 2004
Nemoto Keisuke 2004
Okuie Satomi 2004
Kurihara Kazuaki 2004
Shimizu Ryosuke 2004
Kumeta Riki 2008

Note

This list is incomplete. For instance, it does not include some members who were expelled or resigned from the JKA see below:

The list at the JKA's website, which includes most members who left or were expelled, may also be incomplete. The JKA has not included some former members who have completed the course and are not currently affiliated with JKA. In addition, during the troubled period between 1990 and 1999 each JKA faction held its own instructors' course. Currently, the JKA does not recognize graduates from the instructors' courses led by the JKS (Japan Karate Shoto Federation, which also held the name JKA between 1990 and 1999).

Karateka such as Dave Hazard (UK),[17] Ennio Vezzuli (Brazil), Nigel Jackson (South Africa), Peté Pacheco (Portugal), Malcolm Fisher (Canada), Leon Montoya (Colombia), Richard Amos (UK, US), Pascal Lesage (France) and others, are mentioned in karate forums as having completed the JKA instructors' course (or having had substantial participation in it) but do not appear on the list of graduates as published in 2008 on the JKA's website.[18]

In addition, the list does not include graduate instructors from the instructor programmes of splinter groups such as JKS and KWF, examples being Otsuka Masamichi (KWF - Japan),Langley Scott (JKS, now HDKI Ireland),Koike Yutaka (JKS - Japan), Inada Yasuhisa (JKS - Japan), Kyle Kamal Helou (JKS - Lebanon), Matsue Takeo (JKS- Japan),Makita Takuya (JKS - Japan),Nagaki Shinji (JKS - Japan).

Competition

Although Gichin Funakoshi wrote that there are no contests in Karate, Nakayama Masatoshi's teachings led to a more competitive approach to the training and in 1957 the first All Japan Karate Championship was held, and has been held annually since.

World championships

In addition, the JKA has organised a number of international tournaments amongst which the following have been considered to be the JKA's World Championships:

YearTournament nameLocation
19751st IAKF World Championships
19772nd IAKF World Championships
19803rd IAKF World Championships
19834th IAKF World Championships
19851st ShotoCup
19872nd ShotoCup
19903rd ShotoCup
19924th ShotoCup
19945th ShotoCup
19966th ShotoCup
19987th ShotoCup
20008th ShotoCup
20049th ShotoCup
200610th Funakoshi Gichin Cup World Karate-do Championship
200911th Funakoshi Gichin Cup World Karate-do Championship CANCELLED[19]
201112th Funakoshi Gichin Cup World Karate-do Championship
201413th Cup World Karate-do Championship
201714th Funakoshi Gichin Cup Karate World Championship Ireland

Male Kumite

YearChampionRunner-Up3rd Place
1975 Takashi Oishi Billy Higgins
1977 De Michelis Willrodt
1980Dusan Dacic Hoffman
1983 Guazzaroni Hosny Gabr
1985 Masaaki Yokomichi Takayuki Tsuchii/Masao Kagawa
1987 George Best/Marco Barone
1990 Masao Kagawa Ronnie Christopher Fillipo Allata / Jensen
1992
1994 Pavlo Protopapa Jeannot Mulolo Colin Smith / Katsutoshi Shiina
1996 Don Sharp Toshihito Kokubun
1998 Toshihito Kokubun Pierre Toudjip / Jeannot Mulolo
2000[20] Toshihito Kokubun Johan LaGrange
2004[21] Miroslav Femic Ohkuma Kouichiro / Johan LaGrange
2006[22] Chinzo Machida Nemoto Keisuke / Ohkuma Kouichiro
2011[23] Nemoto Keisuke / Andrey Mazurov
2014[24] Nemoto Keisuke / Supa Ngamphuengphit
2017 Rodrigo Rojas Okada Yasunori Ueda Daisuke/Haga Yusuke

Male Kata

YearChampionRunner-Up3rd Place
1975 Fugazza Strauff
1977 Mikio Yahara Fugazza
1980 Mikio Yahara Karamitsos
1983 Yoshiharu Osaka Mikio Yahara Saedd El Herem
1985 Masao Kagawa Akira Fukami
1987 Masao Kagawa Okazaki Hiroyoshi
1990 Tomoyuki Aihara Masao Kagawa
1992 Tomoyuki Aihara Imura Takenori Yuji Hashiguchi
1994 Imura Takenori Okazaki Hiroyoshi Tomoyuki Aihara
1996 Imura Takenori Yuji Hashiguchi Tomoyuki Aihara
1998 Yuji Hashiguchi
2000
2004 Kobayashi Kunio
2006 Kurihara Kazuaki Kobayashi Kunio Saitoh Yuki
2011 Kurihara Kazuaki Naoto Maruoka Hideki Hukuhara
2014 Kurihara Hidemoto Daisuke Ueda Kurihara Kazuaki
2017 Kurihara Kazuaki Kurihara Hidemoto Hakizume Yushi

Female Kumite

YearChampionRunner-Up3rd Place
1975NA NA NA
1977NA NA NA
1980NA NA NA
1983NA NA NA
1985NA NA NA
1987NA NA NA
1990 Yuko Hasama L. Zelissen Karen Findley / Keiko Kawano
1992 Yukiko Yoneda Yoshimi Naoko Sakurako Sasaki / Keiko Kawano
1994 Hiromi Hasama Mayumi Baba Kimiyo Nakamura / Daud Nilawati
1996 Hiromi Hasama Mayumi Baba Shoko Sakuragi / Yuko Okuda
1998 Mayumi Baba Caroline Quansum Colette Glynn / Hiromi Hasama
2000 Hiromi Hasama Yuko Okuda Christy Cauvin / Mayumi Baba
2004 Okuie Satomi Takahashi Yuko Tatjana Nikolic / Krisztina Zsigmond
2006 Yuko Takahashi Okuda Yuko Tracy Pearce / Storm Wheatley
2011 Asumi Isiduka Glusa Akdag Sergeeva Alla / Josmaira Quiroz
2014 Taguchi Satoshitama Yuki Ito / Cifkova Petra
2017 Shiina Mai Amano Minori Castaneda Jeanette / Akiyama Kyoko

Female Kata

YearChampionRunner-Up3rd Place
1975NA NA NA
1977 Hiromi Kawashima Keiki Hayakawa R Senior
1980 Hiromi Kawashima Hiroko Moriya Schweiber
1983 Hiroko Moriya Yuko Sakada Yoko Nakamura
1985 Yoko Nakamura Kikue Yamamoto Yurika Yoshida
1987 Yuki Mimura Yoko Nakamura Hiroe Sekimori
1990 Yuki Mimura Lena Svensson-Pyrée Maiko Asano
1992 Yoko Nakamura Miyo Gunji Miwa Akiyama
1994 Yoko Nakamura Ompi Omita Haruna Ikutake
1996 Yoko Nakamura Miyo Gunji Nakata Terumi
1998 Miyoko Fujiwara Miyo Gunji Karin Prinsloo
2000 Nakata Terumi Miyo Gunji Chiharu Azuma
2004 Nakata Terumi Misako Aragaki Oshima Nozomi
2006 Misako Aragaki Nozomi Oshima Shirota Takaki
2011 Nozomi Oshima Miki Nakamachi Serino Fukasaku
2014 Miki Nakamachi Takagi Ayano Hikawa Nao
2017 Ayano Nakamura Yuna Sato Rio Hayakawa

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: World Karate Federation. JPG. Franceshowakan.com. 21 December 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20141214091704/http://franceshowakan.com/courWKF.jpg. 14 December 2014.
  2. Web site: Black Belt December 1986. December 1986. 21 December 2014.
  3. Book: Cook, Harry . Shotokan Karate: A Precise History . Cook . 2001 . England .
  4. Evans, Jon. The Battle for Olympic Karate Recognition Black Belt, Feb 1988 (retrieved January 10, 2008)
  5. Evans, J. K. (1988): "The battle for Olympic Karate recognition: WUKO vs. IAKF." Black Belt, 26(2):54–58.
  6. Noble, Graham. Master Funakoshi's Karate Dragon Times (retrieved on January 8th, 2008).
  7. Hironishi, Genshin. The Darkest Moments of Karate-do Karate-do Shotokai Encyclopedia (retrieved January 10, 2008)
  8. Book: Nakayama, Masatoshi . Dynamic Karate . Kodansha International . 1997 . Japan .
  9. Book: Nakayama, Masatoshi . Best Karate Vol 1 to Vol 11 . Kodansha International . 1997 . Japan .
  10. Book: Nicol . Clive . C. W. Nicol . Kanazawa . Hirokazu . Moving Zen: One Man's Journey to the Heart of Karate (Bushido - The Way of the Warrior) . Kodansha International . 2001 . Tokyo & New York . 978-4-7700-2755-9.
  11. http://www.jka.or.jp/english/about/crisis.html
  12. Web site: 菼AiJKSj . Jks.jp . 21 December 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150204124704/http://www.jks.jp/16_english_top.html . 4 February 2015 .
  13. Web site: JSKA - Japan Shotokan Karate Association. Jskjp.org. 21 December 2014.
  14. Web site: - KWF - Karatenomichi World Federation. Kwf.jp. 21 December 2014.
  15. Web site: History of the KUGB. Karate Union of Great Britain (KUGB). 30 October 2023.
  16. Web site: Funakoshi Gichin Cup 14th Karate World Championship Tournament . JKA . 22 December 2022.
  17. Web site: Terry O'Neil Interviews Dave Hazard . Fighting Arts International, Issue 49, 1988.
  18. Web site: CURSO DE INSTRUTORES DA JKA . https://archive.today/20120710005034/http://karateca.net/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,27/topic,878.15/ . dead . 10 July 2012 . Karateca.net . 21 December 2014 .
  19. http://www.jka.or.jp/english/news/2009_2_16.html
  20. Web site: JKA official website - Past International Tournaments. Jka.or.jp. 21 December 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20101219103908/http://jka.or.jp/english/news/pdf/past_intrntnl.pdf. 19 December 2010.
  21. http://www.jka.or.jp/english/news/shoto_9.html
  22. http://www.jka.or.jp/english/news/funakoshi_10.html
  23. http://www.jka.or.jp/english/news/funakoshi_12.html
  24. Web site: 船越義珍杯 第13回 世界空手道選手権大会 結果. JKA 公益社団法人日本空手協会. 21 December 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141024053317/http://www.jka.or.jp/taikai/%e8%88%b9%e8%b6%8a%e7%be%a9%e7%8f%8d%e6%9d%af-%e7%ac%ac13%e5%9b%9e-%e4%b8%96%e7%95%8c%e7%a9%ba%e6%89%8b%e9%81%93%e9%81%b8%e6%89%8b%e6%a8%a9%e5%a4%a7%e4%bc%9a-%e7%b5%90%e6%9e%9c.html. 24 October 2014. dead.