Miyuki Miura
Encyclopedia
is a prominent Japanese master
of karate
, first practising Shotokan
, then Kyokushin, then World Ōyama, and now operating independently.
, Japan, the son of a ship's engineer. He has one younger brother and one younger sister. Miura began training in Shotokan karate at the age of 13 years, and had been promoted to the rank of 2nd dan
black belt
by his 18th birthday. He also studied judo
in his youth, achieving the rank of 1st dan in that art by the time he was 17. In 1967, aged 18, he began studying Kyokushin karate in a club at Josai International University
. His teacher was Yoshiji Soeno
at the university. Miura also studied this karate in summer vacation at the honbu dojo
(headquarters training hall) of the Kyokushin in Tokyo.
, for whom Miura has expressed much respect. Miura entered the Third All-Japan Full Contact Karate Championships (AJFCKC) tournament and placed 4th in 1971. He won 1st at the Fourth AJFCKC in 1972, defeating Howard Collins
, Toshikazu Satō, and Jōkō Ninomiya
along the way.
Soon after Miura became champion, Masutatsu Oyama (founder and director of Kyokushin karate) asked him to participate in the 100-man kumite
. The 100-man kumite
involves fighting 100 karate practitioners, with each full contact
match following immediately after the other. Miura completed the test in a little over 3 hours on April 13, 1972. In an interview, he recalled, "Mas Oyama told some of the younger students that if they beat me they would receive instant promotion. That made them very eager" (p. 48). He has also related that his entire body was swollen for several hours afterwards and that wherever on his body he placed his thumb, the swelling would rise to the second knuckle, and that for two days he required assistance when going to the toilet, as he could not bend on his own. He reached the rank of 4th dan black belt on March 18, 1973, and his physique is 1.8 metre, 75 kg (165.3 lb; 11.8 st).
In 2002, Miura parted company with S. Ōyama, and now no longer trains under the World Ōyama Karate organization. He operates independently as Miura Dojo in Oak Park, Illinois
, and works with other full contact dojo internationally through his Global Budo Karate Alliance. Miura holds the rank of 8th dan.
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 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,...
, first practising 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...
, then Kyokushin, then World Ōyama, and now operating independently.
Early life
Miura was born on October 3, 1949, in Kisarazu, ChibaKisarazu, Chiba
is a city located in Chiba, Japan. As of September 2010, Kisarazu has an estimated population of 126,906 and a density of 915 persons per km². The total area was 138.73 km²....
, Japan, the son of a ship's engineer. He has one younger brother and one younger sister. Miura began training in Shotokan karate at the age of 13 years, and had been promoted to the rank of 2nd 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...
black belt
Black belt (martial arts)
In martial arts, the black belt is a way to describe a graduate of a field where a practitioner's level is often marked by the color of the belt. The black belt is commonly the highest belt color used and denotes a degree of competence. It is often associated with a teaching grade though...
by his 18th birthday. He also studied 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...
in his youth, achieving the rank of 1st dan in that art by the time he was 17. In 1967, aged 18, he began studying Kyokushin karate in a club at Josai International University
Josai International University
is a private university in Tōgane, Chiba, Japan, established in 1992.-External links:*...
. His teacher was Yoshiji Soeno
Yoshiji Soeno
is a Japanese karateka from the Kyokushin Kaikan and a retired professional welterweight kickboxer. He is the founder of Shidōkan and a Director of Karate in Japan. His title as head of the Shidōkan organization is “Kancho” ....
at the university. Miura also studied this karate in summer vacation 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 Kyokushin in Tokyo.
Kyokushin karate
After graduating from the university, Miura became an uchi deshi (live-in student) at the honbu dojo for two years. When Miura was an uchi deshi (live-in student), he studied karate from Terutomo YamazakiTerutomo Yamazaki
is a Japanese karateka from the Kyokushin Kaikan and professional lightweight kickboxer. He is the founder of Gyakushin-Kai and a Director of Karate in Japan. He presides over the International Budo Karate Organization Gyakushin-Kai from the headquarters of the organization in Ōmiya-ku, Saitama,...
, for whom Miura has expressed much respect. Miura entered the Third All-Japan Full Contact Karate Championships (AJFCKC) tournament and placed 4th in 1971. He won 1st at the Fourth AJFCKC in 1972, defeating Howard Collins
Howard Collins
Howard Collins is a Welsh master of Kyokushin karate based in Sweden. He holds the rank of 7th dan and the title of Shihan. Collins learned directly from Masutatsu Oyama, founder of Kyokushin karate, and was a prominent competitor in world karate tournaments through the 1970s...
, Toshikazu Satō, and Jōkō Ninomiya
Joko Ninomiya
is the founder and director of Enshin Karate. He presides over the Enshin organization from the headquarters in Denver, Colorado. His title as head of the Enshin organization is "Kancho" .-Early history:...
along the way.
Soon after Miura became champion, Masutatsu Oyama (founder and director of Kyokushin karate) asked him to participate in the 100-man kumite
100-man kumite
100-man kumite is an extreme test of physical and mental endurance in Kyokushin karate. Kumite , one of the three main sections of karate training, involves simulated combat against an opponent. The 100-man kumite consists of 100 rounds of kumite, each between one-and-a-half and two minutes in...
. The 100-man kumite
Kumite
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....
involves fighting 100 karate practitioners, with each full contact
Full contact karate
Full contact karate is a wide term used to differentiate between competition formats of karate where competitors spar full-contact and allow knockout as winning criterion, and those competitions that use light contact/semi contact point sparring where a knockout is regarded as a foul.The term is...
match following immediately after the other. Miura completed the test in a little over 3 hours on April 13, 1972. In an interview, he recalled, "Mas Oyama told some of the younger students that if they beat me they would receive instant promotion. That made them very eager" (p. 48). He has also related that his entire body was swollen for several hours afterwards and that wherever on his body he placed his thumb, the swelling would rise to the second knuckle, and that for two days he required assistance when going to the toilet, as he could not bend on his own. He reached the rank of 4th dan black belt on March 18, 1973, and his physique is 1.8 metre, 75 kg (165.3 lb; 11.8 st).
United States of America
After Miura completed the 100-man kumite, Oyama sent him to New York to study under Shigeru Ōyama (a top Kyokushin instructor under M. Oyama), and from there he was sent to Chicago, Illinois, to run the Chicago Kyokushin dojo. Miura has taught in Chicago since that time. In 1984, he began teaching karate under the World Ōyama Karate organization, which had been founded by S. Ōyama. His Chicago dojo also served as the midwest headquarters for the organization.In 2002, Miura parted company with S. Ōyama, and now no longer trains under the World Ōyama Karate organization. He operates independently as Miura Dojo in Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
, and works with other full contact dojo internationally through his Global Budo Karate Alliance. Miura holds the rank of 8th dan.