Michael G. Foster
Encyclopedia
Michael G. Foster is a U.S. karate pioneer, and the founder and head of Yoshukai International, a world-wide organization of Yoshukai Karate
schools. Yoshukai is a Japanese karate style adapted from Chito-ryu
by Yoshukai founder Mamoru Yamamoto.
, New York
, an industrial and farming community in Western New York state in 1940. Foster developed into an athlete in high school and played football, among other sports. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1956, seeking opportunities for advancement and travel. He completed basic training at Blackman, Texas
, and in 1957 was stationed at Ituzuke Air Force Base near Fukuoka
, Japan
.
, and later karate
with Watanabe Sensei, a Goju Ryu
instructor who taught at the Itazuke Administration Annex base gym. Watanabe felt that Foster was a promising student and suggested that he study with Mamoru Yamamoto
, later noted as founder of Yoshukai Karate but then still affiliated with Tsuyoshi Chitose's Chito-ryu
. In 1964 Foster returned to Japan to test for second degree black belt and spent three weeks training at Yamamoto's dojo. He then returned to Japan in September 1964 to live and train in Yamamoto's dojo for approximately nineteen months.
Foster returned to the U.S. in 1966 as 4th degree black belt, and was named the Chief Representative of the U.S.A. Yoshukai Karate Association by Yamamoto. In this capacity, Foster established karate schools and headed schools in the USA which were part of the U.S. Chito-ryu Karate style. In 1970 following Yamamoto's split from the Japanese Chito-kai Karate Federation, Foster left the U.S. Chito-kai taking many schools under his direction with him, creating the Yoshukai Karate organization in 1971
Foster remained in the U.S. director position until 1980 when he left and founded his own Yoshukai International Karate Association.
At this time Hiroyuki Koda
assumed directorship of the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association (USYKA), remaining under the umbrella of Mamoru Yamamoto. In 1989 after a lawsuit, Foster was awarded the right to use the name "Yoshukai International Karate Association."
Foster opened his first dojo in the U.S. in the mid-sixties at Tampa, Florida
. Beginning in 1967, he established accredited Yoshukai Karate programs in Florida colleges and universities at St. Leo College
, Florida State University
, University of Southern Florida, University of Tampa
and Florida Atlantic University
. From Tampa he moved to Orlando, Florida
, where he kept a dojo during the early seventies. During the late seventies and eighties Foster maintained a dojo in Daytona, Florida. In the early nineties he relocated to Titusville, Florida
, where he shared a hombu dojo (headquarters) for seven years with Aikido
Sensei Tom Walker. Foster continued to instruct senior grades at his hombu dojo in Titusville until 2008, when he retired from active teaching due to health reasons.
would succeed in Japan, as well, enabling him win the Southern All Japan title. Although specific wins are unclear, Chito-ryu and Black Belt Magazine sources list him as a United States kumite champion from 1966 through 1970. In 1973 Mike Foster was the subject of a feature article in Black Belt Magazine
.
During the course of his career, Mike Foster was:
In addition, Foster was a founding member of Canadian National Karate Association
, Commissioner of the Southeast Professional Karate Commission, a member of the Official Certification Committee of the AAU
, Coach of the Amateur U.S. Team for World Championships in Europe
and again in Long Beach, California
. He was invited by the German Karate Union (HDU) and sponsored by West German Government to teach karate in West Germany
.
Mike Foster holds an Instructor Degree from the Ministry of Education in Japan. As far back as the sixties, Foster's adaptation of the traditional Chito-ryu style for U.S. full-contact tournament fighting made the Yoshuaki style very advanced for its time. Due to Foster's success as a practitioner and instructor, Yoshukai International has established and maintains dojos all over the world, including the U.S.
, Canada
, Puerto Rico
, Germany
, Latvia
, Australia
, New Zealand
, and South Africa
.
Yoshukai Karate
karate is a branch discipline of the Japanese/Okinawan martial art, Karate-dō, or "Way of the Empty Hand."The three kanji that make up the word Yoshukai literally translated mean “Training Hall of Continued Improvement.” However, the standardized English translation is "Striving for Excellence."...
schools. Yoshukai is a Japanese karate style adapted from Chito-ryu
Chito-ryu
is a style of karate founded by , . The name of the style translates as: chi - 1,000; tō - China; ryū , "1,000 year old Chinese style." The character tō refers to the Tang Dynasty of China...
by Yoshukai founder Mamoru Yamamoto.
Early days
Mike Foster was born in JamestownJamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, an industrial and farming community in Western New York state in 1940. Foster developed into an athlete in high school and played football, among other sports. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1956, seeking opportunities for advancement and travel. He completed basic training at Blackman, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and in 1957 was stationed at Ituzuke Air Force Base near Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Yoshukai history
At Ituzuke Air Force Base, Foster first studied judoJudo
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...
, and later 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,...
with Watanabe Sensei, a Goju Ryu
Goju Ryu
, is one of the main traditional Okinawan styles of karate, featuring a combination of hard and soft techniques. Both principles, hard and soft, come from the famous martial arts book Bubishi , used by Okinawan masters during the 19th and 20th centuries...
instructor who taught at the Itazuke Administration Annex base gym. Watanabe felt that Foster was a promising student and suggested that he study with Mamoru Yamamoto
Yoshukai Karate
karate is a branch discipline of the Japanese/Okinawan martial art, Karate-dō, or "Way of the Empty Hand."The three kanji that make up the word Yoshukai literally translated mean “Training Hall of Continued Improvement.” However, the standardized English translation is "Striving for Excellence."...
, later noted as founder of Yoshukai Karate but then still affiliated with Tsuyoshi Chitose's Chito-ryu
Chito-ryu
is a style of karate founded by , . The name of the style translates as: chi - 1,000; tō - China; ryū , "1,000 year old Chinese style." The character tō refers to the Tang Dynasty of China...
. In 1964 Foster returned to Japan to test for second degree black belt and spent three weeks training at Yamamoto's dojo. He then returned to Japan in September 1964 to live and train in Yamamoto's dojo for approximately nineteen months.
Foster returned to the U.S. in 1966 as 4th degree black belt, and was named the Chief Representative of the U.S.A. Yoshukai Karate Association by Yamamoto. In this capacity, Foster established karate schools and headed schools in the USA which were part of the U.S. Chito-ryu Karate style. In 1970 following Yamamoto's split from the Japanese Chito-kai Karate Federation, Foster left the U.S. Chito-kai taking many schools under his direction with him, creating the Yoshukai Karate organization in 1971
Foster remained in the U.S. director position until 1980 when he left and founded his own Yoshukai International Karate Association.
At this time Hiroyuki Koda
Yoshukai Karate
karate is a branch discipline of the Japanese/Okinawan martial art, Karate-dō, or "Way of the Empty Hand."The three kanji that make up the word Yoshukai literally translated mean “Training Hall of Continued Improvement.” However, the standardized English translation is "Striving for Excellence."...
assumed directorship of the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association (USYKA), remaining under the umbrella of Mamoru Yamamoto. In 1989 after a lawsuit, Foster was awarded the right to use the name "Yoshukai International Karate Association."
Foster opened his first dojo in the U.S. in the mid-sixties at Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. Beginning in 1967, he established accredited Yoshukai Karate programs in Florida colleges and universities at St. Leo College
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University is a private, non-profit, Roman Catholic liberal arts university established in 1889 and located in Saint Leo, Florida, 35 miles north of Tampa. The University is associated with the Holy Name Monastery, a Benedictine convent, and Saint Leo Abbey, a Benedictine monastery...
, Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, University of Southern Florida, University of Tampa
University of Tampa
The University of Tampa , is a private, co-educational university in Downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2006, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary...
and Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University, also referred to as FAU or Florida Atlantic, is a public, coeducational, research university located in , United States. The university has six satellite campuses located in the Florida cities of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, Port St. Lucie, and in Fort...
. From Tampa he moved to Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, where he kept a dojo during the early seventies. During the late seventies and eighties Foster maintained a dojo in Daytona, Florida. In the early nineties he relocated to Titusville, Florida
Titusville, Florida
Titusville is a city in Brevard County, Florida in the United States. It is the county seat of Brevard County. Nicknamed Space City, USA, Titusville is on the Indian River, west of Merritt Island and the Kennedy Space Center and south-southwest of the Canaveral National Seashore...
, where he shared a hombu dojo (headquarters) for seven years with Aikido
Aikido
is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
Sensei Tom Walker. Foster continued to instruct senior grades at his hombu dojo in Titusville until 2008, when he retired from active teaching due to health reasons.
Career
Foster's association with Yamamoto, one of Chitose's top students and a tough fighter in Southern Japan, produced one of the top fighters in the U.S.A. in the sixties. Foster's skills in kumiteKumite
Kumite means sparring, and is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. Kumite is the part of karate in which you train against an adversary, using the techniques learned from the kihon and kata....
would succeed in Japan, as well, enabling him win the Southern All Japan title. Although specific wins are unclear, Chito-ryu and Black Belt Magazine sources list him as a United States kumite champion from 1966 through 1970. In 1973 Mike Foster was the subject of a feature article in Black Belt Magazine
Black Belt Magazine
Black Belt is an American magazine covering martial arts and combat sports founded in 1961 by Mitoshi Uyehara. During the early years of the publication, Uyehara was a hands-on owner and publisher...
.
During the course of his career, Mike Foster was:
- All-Service Karate Champion in Japan
- Southern All-JapanAll-JapanThe term is a name given to championships or governing bodies that is based in Japan, it may also refer to:-Combat sport:*All Japan Pro Wrestling*All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling*All Japan Kendo Federation*All Japan Ju-Jitsu International Federation...
Champion in 1965 - Three-time USKAUnited States Karate AssociationThe United States Karate Association was the first karate organization on the mainland United States, founded by Robert Trias in 1948.The USKA became one of the largest associations of karate instructors in the nation, and through this organization Trias was also instrumental in setting up and...
Grand National Champion - U.S. International Karate black-belt division winner in 1970, withdrawing from the championship title bout
- Florida Karate State Champion, 1967 to 1975
- Duisberg Euro-Cup Karate ChampionEuropean Karate FederationThe European Karate Federation is the governing body of sport karate of more than 50 countries in Europe. The EKF was founded in 1963 and is composed of the National Karate Federations of most European Nations and is recognised by it as its only representative in Europe,member of World Karate...
in 1978.
In addition, Foster was a founding member of Canadian National Karate Association
Karate Canada
Karate Canada is the national association representing the sport of karate in Canada. Formerly the National Karate Association of Canada, the organization was founded by Masami Tsuruoka.-History:...
, Commissioner of the Southeast Professional Karate Commission, a member of the Official Certification Committee of the AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
, Coach of the Amateur U.S. Team for World Championships in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and again in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
. He was invited by the German Karate Union (HDU) and sponsored by West German Government to teach karate in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
Mike Foster holds an Instructor Degree from the Ministry of Education in Japan. As far back as the sixties, Foster's adaptation of the traditional Chito-ryu style for U.S. full-contact tournament fighting made the Yoshuaki style very advanced for its time. Due to Foster's success as a practitioner and instructor, Yoshukai International has established and maintains dojos all over the world, including the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.