Keigo Abe
Encyclopedia
is a prominent Japanese master
of Shotokan
karate
who founded the Japan Shotokan Karate Association in 1999 and is its Chief Instructor. He holds the rank of 9th dan
in karate, is a direct student of Masatoshi Nakayama (1913–1987), and was a senior instructor in the Japan Karate Association
.
, Ehime Prefecture
(on the island of Shikoku
), Japan. Abe's ancestors included samurai
; he has told of an incident from the past where two thieves had entered his family home, saying, "My family killed them; the two graves are still standing near my house." In 1953, aged 15 years, he began training in the martial arts of karate and judo
. He initially began studying the Shito-ryu style of karate.
In 1956, Abe entered the Nihon University
in Tokyo, studying engineering, and graduated four years later. He began training at the honbu dojo
(headquarters training hall) of the Japan Karate Association
(JKA) in 1958 under Masatoshi Nakayama. In an interview in 2000, he said, "Nakayama Sensei was very serious. He trained us very hard and always encouraged us to not only train hard, but to intellectually study what we were training. He stressed understanding ourselves and being good human beings."
, losing by decision after six extensions. He graduated from the JKA instructors' training program in 1965, and was a long-serving member of the instructing team at JKA's honbu dojo. Like other kenshusei (junior instructors) of the day, Abe would practice his techniques on the streets against local gangsters to improve his fighting skills. Through Nakayama, Abe worked on the James Bond
film You Only Live Twice
(1967). Nakayama had been invited to appear in the movie, but was unable to do so due to prior commitments, and so recommended Abe instead.
Nakayama wrote that Abe's strengths were his backfist technique and his use of distancing, strengths also noted by others years later. He had an accomplished record as a karate tournament competitor, taking first place in the inaugural JKA National Championship, first place in the team competition at the 1973 JKA International Friendship Tournament, and first place in the second and third Japan Karatedo Federation National Championships (representing Tokyo).
Abe had a close working relationship with Nakayama, benefiting from his technical knowledge and assisting him with teaching. He was one of several instructors who demonstrated techniques in Nakayama's books on karate. In 1985, two years before Nakayama's death, Abe was appointed as Director of Qualifications in the JKA. After the division of the JKA in 1990, he became the Technical Director of the JKA (Matsuno faction). He was responsible for formulating the ippon shobu
tournament rules, which are used by most Shotokan karate competitors today.
Regarding training in multiple martial arts, Abe has said, "In the old days the Bushi (warriors) would train in maybe 18 different arts out of battlefield necessity ... yes I would recommend cross-training." Apart from karate, he has also practiced iaido for more than 30 years, and also teaches this martial art. In his 60s, he was still training four or five mornings each week, involving karate practice and weight training, as well as teaching karate in Tokyo. Abe visited Australia in January 2008 and Cyprus in May 2009.
In 2010, Abe is due to teach in several European countries, most notably at the 5th JSKA World Karate Championship in Portugal, as well as visiting Estonia, Iran, Israel, Mexico, and the United States of America.
Grandmaster (martial arts)
Grandmaster and Master are titles used to describe or address some senior or experienced martial artists. Such titles may be, to some extent, aligned to the elderly martial arts master stock character in fiction...
of Shotokan
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
who founded the Japan Shotokan Karate Association in 1999 and is its Chief Instructor. He holds the rank of 9th dan
Dan (rank)
The ranking system is a Japanese mark of level, which is used in modern fine arts and martial arts. Originally invented in a Go school in the Edo period, this system was applied to martial arts by Kanō Jigorō, the founder of judo and later introduced to other East Asia countries.In the modern...
in karate, is a direct student of Masatoshi Nakayama (1913–1987), and was a senior instructor in the Japan Karate Association
Japan Karate Association
Japan Karate Association is one of the most influential Shotokan karate organizations in the world...
.
Early life
Abe was born on October 28, 1938, in the town of IyoshiIyo, Ehime
is a city located in Ehime, Japan.On April 1, 2005, Iyo merged with the towns of Nakayama and Futami from the surrounding Iyo District to form the new city of Iyo, raising its population to over 40,000 and nearly quadrupling its area.-Geography:...
, Ehime Prefecture
Ehime Prefecture
is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
(on the island of Shikoku
Shikoku
is the smallest and least populous of the four main islands of Japan, located south of Honshū and east of the island of Kyūshū. Its ancient names include Iyo-no-futana-shima , Iyo-shima , and Futana-shima...
), Japan. Abe's ancestors included samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
; he has told of an incident from the past where two thieves had entered his family home, saying, "My family killed them; the two graves are still standing near my house." In 1953, aged 15 years, he began training in the martial arts of karate and judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
. He initially began studying the Shito-ryu style of karate.
In 1956, Abe entered the Nihon University
Nihon University
Nihon University is the largest university in Japan. Akiyoshi Yamada, the minister of justice, founded Nihon Law School in October 1889....
in Tokyo, studying engineering, and graduated four years later. He began training at the honbu dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
(headquarters training hall) of the Japan Karate Association
Japan Karate Association
Japan Karate Association is one of the most influential Shotokan karate organizations in the world...
(JKA) in 1958 under Masatoshi Nakayama. In an interview in 2000, he said, "Nakayama Sensei was very serious. He trained us very hard and always encouraged us to not only train hard, but to intellectually study what we were training. He stressed understanding ourselves and being good human beings."
Karate career
In 1961, Abe fought a notable tournament match against Keinosuke EnoedaKeinosuke Enoeda
was a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He was a former Chief Instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain. Enoeda was ranked 8th dan in Shotokan karate, and was widely renowned as a formidable karateka . Following his death, Enoeda was posthumously awarded the rank of 9th dan.-Early...
, losing by decision after six extensions. He graduated from the JKA instructors' training program in 1965, and was a long-serving member of the instructing team at JKA's honbu dojo. Like other kenshusei (junior instructors) of the day, Abe would practice his techniques on the streets against local gangsters to improve his fighting skills. Through Nakayama, Abe worked on the James Bond
James Bond (film series)
The James Bond film series is a British series of motion pictures based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond , who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines...
film You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice (film)
You Only Live Twice is the fifth spy film in the James Bond series, and the fifth to star Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name...
(1967). Nakayama had been invited to appear in the movie, but was unable to do so due to prior commitments, and so recommended Abe instead.
Nakayama wrote that Abe's strengths were his backfist technique and his use of distancing, strengths also noted by others years later. He had an accomplished record as a karate tournament competitor, taking first place in the inaugural JKA National Championship, first place in the team competition at the 1973 JKA International Friendship Tournament, and first place in the second and third Japan Karatedo Federation National Championships (representing Tokyo).
Abe had a close working relationship with Nakayama, benefiting from his technical knowledge and assisting him with teaching. He was one of several instructors who demonstrated techniques in Nakayama's books on karate. In 1985, two years before Nakayama's death, Abe was appointed as Director of Qualifications in the JKA. After the division of the JKA in 1990, he became the Technical Director of the JKA (Matsuno faction). He was responsible for formulating the ippon shobu
Ippon
Ippon literally "one full point", it is the highest score a fighter can achieve in a Japanese martial arts ippon-wazari contest, usually judo, karate or jujutsu.-Ippon in judo:...
tournament rules, which are used by most Shotokan karate competitors today.
Later life
Abe resigned from the JKA (Matsuno faction) on January 31, 1999. On February 10, 1999, he formed his own organization, the Japan Shotokan Karate Association (JSKA). When asked about his organization in 2000, he said, "Unlike most leaders of Karate organizations, I do not want my organization to grow very large. Very large organizations mean very large problems. I want a smaller organization where I can be an active part of everyone’s life and a high degree of quality can be maintained."Regarding training in multiple martial arts, Abe has said, "In the old days the Bushi (warriors) would train in maybe 18 different arts out of battlefield necessity ... yes I would recommend cross-training." Apart from karate, he has also practiced iaido for more than 30 years, and also teaches this martial art. In his 60s, he was still training four or five mornings each week, involving karate practice and weight training, as well as teaching karate in Tokyo. Abe visited Australia in January 2008 and Cyprus in May 2009.
In 2010, Abe is due to teach in several European countries, most notably at the 5th JSKA World Karate Championship in Portugal, as well as visiting Estonia, Iran, Israel, Mexico, and the United States of America.