Yoshukai Karate
Encyclopedia
karate is a branch discipline of the Japan
ese/Okinawan martial art, Karate
-dō
, or "Way of the Empty Hand."
The three kanji
(Japanese symbols) that make up the word Yoshukai literally translated mean “Training Hall of Continued Improvement.” However, the standardized English translation is "Striving for Excellence." Yoshukai Karate has been featured in Black Belt Magazine
.
, Okinawa and finally to Japan
in the early 1900s. Gichin Funakoshi (Funakoshi Gichin), founder of Shotokan
karate, is considered to be most responsible for the systemization and introduction of karate to Japan. Afterward, many other masters emerged, including Tsuyoshi Chitose, who developed Chito-ryu
karate from a combination of Shorin-ryu
and Shorei-ryu
karate styles. After moving from Okinawa to Japan in 1922, Dr. Chitose began teaching karate in Kumamoto, Japan. He refined the Okinawan techniques based on his medical knowledge and officially founded his own style of karate in 1946, in 1952 naming it Chito-ryu, meaning “1,000 year-old style.”
In the late fifties, Dr. Chitose’s top ranking student and protégé was Mamoru Yamamoto (Yamamoto Mamoru). After establishing his own training dojo, Yamamoto adapted new fighting techniques and traditional weapons from Okinawa into Chito-Ryu. After leaving the Chito-Kai Federation in 1971, Yamamoto became noted for founding the style of karate known as Yoshukai.
In 1957 American serviceman Michael G. Foster
was stationed in Japan with the U.S. Air Force and began the study of judo and karate. After training in Chito-ryu karate with Yamamoto, he returned to America where he established Yoshukai style in the United States, later extended further by Dr. Chitose’s student Hiroyuki Koda, and others. Through the efforts of Foster and other of Chitose and Yamamoto’s students, Yoshukai Karate was successfully established as a world-wide martial arts style.
, but began training in the Chito-ryu
style of karate under Dr. Chitose at the age of fifteen In 1959, Yamamoto and his wife Sumiko opened their first dojo in Kitakyushu, Japan in the Fujitani Judo Club. In the early 1960s, Chitose gave Yamamoto permission to start his own branch of Chito-Ryu karate under the name of Yoshukan, and in 1963 Chitose changed the third kanji of their branch's name from kan - meaning to stand alone - to kai - meaning association,
indicating a potential for growth within the organization.
During this early period, Yamamoto worked with Mas Oyama of Kyokushin
kai Karate to develop the rules for Japanese full contact sparring to replace the sun dome tournament rule of the time. This rule meant that competitors must spar at full speed but could not make contact with one another, which made judging of fighting very subjective. One competitor might move faster but the other could be more powerful, and it was up to the judge to determine which might win in the exchange of techniques. This development of new rules led to the modernization of tournament fighting in both Japan and the U.S.
Yamamoto was considered a tough fighter and top competitor in Japan and held the title of All-Japan Karate Open Tournament Champion from 1958 to 1960. In the early days of his dojo, he established his school through a practice called dojo yabe in which a martial artist visited neighboring schools and fought with its top practitioners. The winner established their school as stronger, and if a school was badly defeated, they often closed their doors and stopped teaching.
Yamamoto represented Japanese Karate at the Canadian International Exposition in 1967, and also demonstrated Yoshukai Karate at the World's Fair
in Japan in 1970. Yamamoto and some of his students, including Mike Foster
, accompanied Chitose on a promotional visit to Canada
in 1967, where they conducted demonstrations, a clinic, and presided over the Canadian National Karate Association
tournament. This trip was organized by Mas Tsuruoka, widely recognized as the father of Canadian Karate and, later, the founder of Tsuruoka Ryu.
In 1971 Mamoru Yamamoto withdrew from the Japanese Chito-kai Karate Federation. and became noted as the founder of his own Yoshukai style of karate. In his departure, Yamamoto took with him the dojos established by his students in the United States.
(b. 19 April 1940) was an American serviceman stationed in 1957 at Ituzuke Air Force Base, Japan. Foster first studied judo
, 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 who was 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 became recognized as one of the top fighters in the U.S.A. He was named the Director of the U.S.A. Yoshukai Karate Association by Yamamoto, and in this capacity established and headed karate schools in the United States which became part of the U.S. Chito-ryu Karate Federation. He returned to Japan on other occasions to study for a total of ten years under Yamamoto, during which time Yamamoto separated from the Chito-ryu Federation. Foster remained in the U.S. director position until 1980 when he stepped down and founded his own Yoshukai International Karate Association. 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
, and shortly afterward established the first of several Yoshukai Karate schools associated with colleges and universities at St. Leo College
, Florida. 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.
, Japan. Koda was an instructor of the Yoshukan branch of the Chito-Kai under Tsuoshi Chitose, and expected to assist with the establishment of Yoshukan schools in the U.S. He located in Florida to work within dojos established by Mike Foster, and in 1971 Koda and his American wife Gwen Lisk Koda opened their first dojo in Lincoln, Illinois.
The Yoshukai branch of Chito-Kai officially became Yoshukai karate in 1973. Koda affiliated with the new U.S.A. Yoshukai style, and continued to assist with establishing and developing schools in the United States. With the assistance of Yoshukan black belt Rayburn Nichols, he moved his family to Birmingham, Alabama
, and named his organization Mid-South Yoshukai. In 1975 Hiroyuki Koda assumed the U.S.A. director position vacated by Mike Foster and renamed the Mid-South Yoshukai the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association (USYKA). In 1982, the Koda family moved to Texas
, and in 1987 to Montgomery, Alabama
, where Koda set up a honbu dojo (headquarters).
In 1997, Koda died from pancreatic and liver cancer, and the directorship of the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association passed on to his eldest son, David Yuki Koda.
or sparring style is classified as full contact. Both Mamoru Yamamoto and Mike Foster adapted the traditional Chito-ryu technique to meet the changing requirements of tournament competition, and in the sixties and seventies, this adaptation made the Yoshuaki style very successful and advanced for its time.
Yoshukai uses mainly forward, side and natural stances and technique that emphasizes lack of regression in movement. Ki
is approximately 60 percent hard-focused, and 40 percent soft, meaning that the kumite
or fighting style incorporates techniques similar to Aikido
technique which turn an attack or use it to the advantage of the defender. Outside of Japan, techniques and stances are adapted from Japanese karate to fit taller Westerners with longer legs and higher hara or center of gravity. Although Yoshukai is considered a full-contact style, students are also trained to participate in light- to medium-contact sparring within the dojo to develop strategy and control of technique.
or forms from Chito-ryu (and occasionally other styles) are adapated to meet the philosophy and style of Yoshuaki Karate within the various organizations of the system. This list of kata includes traditional kanji script as best available:
, Bō
, Sai
, Kama
, Tonfa
, and sometimes the Katana
or Samurai sword.
organization founded by Michael G. Foster
in 1977 and derived from Yoshukai karate. Yoshuaki International is adapted for the different body type of U.S. and Europe
an practitioners. In Mike Foster's Yoshukai International, stances and techniques were modified to incorporate Foster’s ideas about weapon alignment and elimination of regression.
Foster studied with Yamamoto in Japan for a period of ten years and in 1966 brought the system to the United States. In 1977 Mike Foster left Yamamoto Sensei's organization and established the Yoshukai International Karate Association. At the same time Hiroyuki Koda established the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association (USYKA).
Foster was noted as a karate champion in the early days of his career, and after retirement from active competition, remained a premiere karate official and teacher in America. Other noted champions and officials associated with the style include Larry Pate (retired), Calvin Thomas and Mike Smith. Yoshukai International has dojos all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Latvia, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Depending on the source, the outline of the crest patch represents a cherry blossom or possibly Yata no Kagami
(八咫鏡), the sacred mirror of Japan which stands for wisdom and honesty. The three kanji
symbols that make up the word "Yoshukai" across the top of the crest (養秀会), literally translated, mean: Training Hall of Continued Improvement. The flag in the center of the crest is the Nisshōki (日章旗 "sun flag") or Hinomaru (日の丸 "sun disc") and the kanji symbol superimposed on it (忍) is “Nin” which stands for patience.
Dojo Kun or rules are:
Most dojos within Yoshukai International use four belt colors without stripes to recognize the standard kyu (below black belt) and dan (above black belt) ranks, although some dojo use belts with stripes to indicate the specific ranks.
Due to Mike Foster's success as a practitioner and instructor, Yoshukai International has established and maintains schools all over the world, including throughout the U.S.
, Canada
, Puerto Rico
, Germany
, Latvia
, Australia
, New Zealand
, and South Africa
.
, and Tennessee
) with the headquarters located in Montgomery, Alabama.
In 1973, the Yoshukan branch of Chito-kai became Yoshukai Karate, an independent karate style. The Yoshukai Karate organization grew quickly as students reached black belt status and began opening schools throughout Alabama and surrounding states. Its growth was further accelerated when several instructors from other styles transferred their entire schools to the organization. In 1975 Koda assumed directorship of United States Yoshukai schools under Mamoru Yamamoto and renamed his organization U.S. Yoshukai Karate.
In 1997, after Soke Koda died of pancreatic and liver cancer, the directorship of the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association passed to his eldest son, David Yuki Koda, though managerial duties remained with Gwen Koda until 2000 when she passed these duties to David Koda's wife, Adrienne Koda.
U.S. Yoshukai Karate is represented by dojos in Montgomery
, Opp
, Albertville
, Hoover
, Bessemer
, Birmingham
, Tuscaloosa
, and Enterprise
, Alabama
; Joelton
and Spring Hill
, Tennessee
; Tallahassee
, Florida
; Harrodsburg
and Bowling Green
, Kentucky
; Bloomington
, Illinois
; and Los Angeles
, California
.
, and Dothan, Alabama
. World Yoshukai is the only U.S. organization directly administered by Yoshukai Japan. The organization is led by the director and Hiroaki Toyama (vice president of Yoshukai) and Mike Culbreth (vice president of Yoshukai). World Yoshukai now has more than 1,000 members in more than 30 branches throughout the United States, including Florida, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, California, Missouri
, Nebraska
and New Mexico
.
Yoshukai British Columbia is headed by Mark Hepburn who holds a 5th dan (fifth degree) black belt and Shihan rank in Yoshukai International. Hepburn began training in martial arts in 1975. After training with Yoshukai black belt Nick Nibler, he attended a clinic conducted by Mike Foster in 1993 and affiliated with Yoshukai International. Hepburn heads three dojos in British Columbia in Surrey, the Township of Langely (Aldergrove dojo) and New Westminster (Queensborough dojo).
Hepburn was the Karate BC Tournament Director (1996–99), a Director on the Karate BC Executive Committee (2003–2005), the BC Winter Games Zone 3 Representative (Fraser Valley) for karate for over ten years, a coach for the Zone 3 Karate team for the BC Winter Games for over ten years and was a Director (secretary) on the Executive Committee for the National Karate Association of Canada (2006–2008). The BC Yoshukai International Karate School is a member of Karate BC, the provincial associate of Karate Canada
and Sport Canada
.
, and directs other schools in Altena
, Essen
, Hildesheim
, Kaiserslautern
, Karlsruhe
, and three schools in Hagen
, Germany.
German Yoshukai schools fall under the leadership of Yoshukan Dortmund. Dojos are a members of Yoshukai-International Karate Association and also of the German Karate Federation.
, and was raised in the U.S. His first experience in the martial arts was in 1958 in New York City
in the art of Jujutsu
. In 1969 he began the study of Kung Fu in lower Manhattan
, N.Y. In 1972 he moved to Daytona Beach, Florida
, where he began studying Yoshukai Karate with Mike Foster. At the end of 1975, Solano returned to Puerto Rico
and established his first dojo, where he continued to practice the Yoshukai Karate style until 1981. In 1991 full directorship of the Puerto Rico Yoshukai organization was assumed by Miguel Alejandro, with schools in Cupey
, Carolina
, Cidra
, and two in Trujillo Alto
. In 2009 Alejandro formally established Yoshukai Latin America.
in the mid seventies. He returned to New Zealand and in 1979 set up a dojo at the University of Canterbury
. In the early 1980s, Neil Frazer and Warwick Lobb traveled from New Zealand to New Jersey to complete their black belt training, and Neil Frazer took over running the Canterbury club with assistance from Warwick. In 1990 Dave Leathwick started a club in Palmerston North
known as the Tokomaru Dojo, and in 2004 Darel Hall started the third New Zealand club in Wellington
.
Neil Frazer maintains a dojo in Sydney, Australia and continues to direct Yoshukai Australasia. The dispersed nature of New Zealander karateka means that New Zealand Yoshukai practitioners maintain their training in Malaysia, Canada
, France
and England
.
The organization operates a Facebook.com group to provide news and communications.
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...
ese/Okinawan martial art, 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,...
-dō
Do (Way)
A Dō is any one of a number of spiritual, martial, or aesthetic disciplines that evolved in Japan and Korea. The term "Dō" is borrowed from the Chinese philosophical concept of Tao , a word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle'...
, or "Way of the Empty Hand."
The three kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
(Japanese symbols) that make up the word Yoshukai literally translated mean “Training Hall of Continued Improvement.” However, the standardized English translation is "Striving for Excellence." Yoshukai Karate has been featured 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...
.
Origins of Yoshukai Karate
The body of fighting and self-defense techniques which became Japanese Karate-do is thought to have originated about a thousand years ago in India and spread from there to ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Okinawa and finally to 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...
in the early 1900s. Gichin Funakoshi (Funakoshi Gichin), founder 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, is considered to be most responsible for the systemization and introduction of karate to Japan. Afterward, many other masters emerged, including Tsuyoshi Chitose, who developed 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...
karate from a combination of Shorin-ryu
Shorin-Ryu
is one of the major modern Okinawan martial arts. It was founded by Choshin Chibana in 1933. Shōrin-ryū combines elements of the traditional Okinawan fighting styles of Shuri-te.-History:Chosin Chibana was a top student of the great master of shuri-te, Anko Itosu...
and Shorei-ryu
Shorei-ryu
is a term which refers to the Naha-Te style of Okinawan karate. Shorei Ryu means "the style of inspiration". It is believed that the term Shorei is derived from the Shoreiji Temple in southern China. The teachings of this temple provided the basis for the Naha-Te style.The Shorei Ryu system was...
karate styles. After moving from Okinawa to Japan in 1922, Dr. Chitose began teaching karate in Kumamoto, Japan. He refined the Okinawan techniques based on his medical knowledge and officially founded his own style of karate in 1946, in 1952 naming it Chito-ryu, meaning “1,000 year-old style.”
In the late fifties, Dr. Chitose’s top ranking student and protégé was Mamoru Yamamoto (Yamamoto Mamoru). After establishing his own training dojo, Yamamoto adapted new fighting techniques and traditional weapons from Okinawa into Chito-Ryu. After leaving the Chito-Kai Federation in 1971, Yamamoto became noted for founding the style of karate known as Yoshukai.
In 1957 American serviceman Michael G. Foster
Michael G. Foster
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...
was stationed in Japan with the U.S. Air Force and began the study of judo and karate. After training in Chito-ryu karate with Yamamoto, he returned to America where he established Yoshukai style in the United States, later extended further by Dr. Chitose’s student Hiroyuki Koda, and others. Through the efforts of Foster and other of Chitose and Yamamoto’s students, Yoshukai Karate was successfully established as a world-wide martial arts style.
Mamoru Yamamoto
Mamoru Yamamoto (later called Katsuo) (b. 10 July 1938) began his formal training in the martial arts in Miyakonojo, Japan. He 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...
, but began training in the 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...
style of karate under Dr. Chitose at the age of fifteen In 1959, Yamamoto and his wife Sumiko opened their first dojo in Kitakyushu, Japan in the Fujitani Judo Club. In the early 1960s, Chitose gave Yamamoto permission to start his own branch of Chito-Ryu karate under the name of Yoshukan, and in 1963 Chitose changed the third kanji of their branch's name from kan - meaning to stand alone - to kai - meaning association,
indicating a potential for growth within the organization.
During this early period, Yamamoto worked with Mas Oyama of Kyokushin
Kyokushin
is a style of stand-up, full contact karate, founded in 1964 by Korean-Japanese karate master, who was born under the name Choi Young-Eui . Kyokushinkai is Japanese for "the society of the ultimate truth". Kyokushin is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline and hard training...
kai Karate to develop the rules for Japanese full contact sparring to replace the sun dome tournament rule of the time. This rule meant that competitors must spar at full speed but could not make contact with one another, which made judging of fighting very subjective. One competitor might move faster but the other could be more powerful, and it was up to the judge to determine which might win in the exchange of techniques. This development of new rules led to the modernization of tournament fighting in both Japan and the U.S.
Yamamoto was considered a tough fighter and top competitor in Japan and held the title of All-Japan Karate Open Tournament Champion from 1958 to 1960. In the early days of his dojo, he established his school through a practice called dojo yabe in which a martial artist visited neighboring schools and fought with its top practitioners. The winner established their school as stronger, and if a school was badly defeated, they often closed their doors and stopped teaching.
Yamamoto represented Japanese Karate at the Canadian International Exposition in 1967, and also demonstrated Yoshukai Karate at the World's Fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
in Japan in 1970. Yamamoto and some of his students, including Mike Foster
Michael G. Foster
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...
, accompanied Chitose on a promotional visit to 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...
in 1967, where they conducted demonstrations, a clinic, and presided over the 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:...
tournament. This trip was organized by Mas Tsuruoka, widely recognized as the father of Canadian Karate and, later, the founder of Tsuruoka Ryu.
In 1971 Mamoru Yamamoto withdrew from the Japanese Chito-kai Karate Federation. and became noted as the founder of his own Yoshukai style of karate. In his departure, Yamamoto took with him the dojos established by his students in the United States.
Mike Foster
Mike FosterMichael G. Foster
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...
(b. 19 April 1940) was an American serviceman stationed in 1957 at Ituzuke Air Force Base, Japan. Foster first 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...
, 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 who was 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 became recognized as one of the top fighters in the U.S.A. He was named the Director of the U.S.A. Yoshukai Karate Association by Yamamoto, and in this capacity established and headed karate schools in the United States which became part of the U.S. Chito-ryu Karate Federation. He returned to Japan on other occasions to study for a total of ten years under Yamamoto, during which time Yamamoto separated from the Chito-ryu Federation. Foster remained in the U.S. director position until 1980 when he stepped down and founded his own Yoshukai International Karate Association. 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....
, and shortly afterward established the first of several Yoshukai Karate schools associated with 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. 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.
Hiroyuki Koda
Hiroyuki Koda (Koda Hiroyuki) (1944–1997) arrived in the United States in the fall of 1969 from FukuokaFukuoka
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. Koda was an instructor of the Yoshukan branch of the Chito-Kai under Tsuoshi Chitose, and expected to assist with the establishment of Yoshukan schools in the U.S. He located in Florida to work within dojos established by Mike Foster, and in 1971 Koda and his American wife Gwen Lisk Koda opened their first dojo in Lincoln, Illinois.
The Yoshukai branch of Chito-Kai officially became Yoshukai karate in 1973. Koda affiliated with the new U.S.A. Yoshukai style, and continued to assist with establishing and developing schools in the United States. With the assistance of Yoshukan black belt Rayburn Nichols, he moved his family to Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, and named his organization Mid-South Yoshukai. In 1975 Hiroyuki Koda assumed the U.S.A. director position vacated by Mike Foster and renamed the Mid-South Yoshukai the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association (USYKA). In 1982, the Koda family moved to 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 1987 to Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, where Koda set up a honbu dojo (headquarters).
In 1997, Koda died from pancreatic and liver cancer, and the directorship of the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association passed on to his eldest son, David Yuki Koda.
Kumite
Yoshukai 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....
or sparring style is classified as full contact. Both Mamoru Yamamoto and Mike Foster adapted the traditional Chito-ryu technique to meet the changing requirements of tournament competition, and in the sixties and seventies, this adaptation made the Yoshuaki style very successful and advanced for its time.
Yoshukai uses mainly forward, side and natural stances and technique that emphasizes lack of regression in movement. Ki
Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
is approximately 60 percent hard-focused, and 40 percent soft, meaning that the 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....
or fighting style incorporates techniques similar to 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...
technique which turn an attack or use it to the advantage of the defender. Outside of Japan, techniques and stances are adapted from Japanese karate to fit taller Westerners with longer legs and higher hara or center of gravity. Although Yoshukai is considered a full-contact style, students are also trained to participate in light- to medium-contact sparring within the dojo to develop strategy and control of technique.
Kata
Traditional kataKata
is a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practised either solo or in pairs. The term form is used for the corresponding concept in non-Japanese martial arts in general....
or forms from Chito-ryu (and occasionally other styles) are adapated to meet the philosophy and style of Yoshuaki Karate within the various organizations of the system. This list of kata includes traditional kanji script as best available:
| Name | Kanji | Description |
| Nijushichi | 二十七 | 27 Movements |
| Zenshin Kotai | 前進後退 | Advancing and Retreating |
| Heian Kihon 1-4 (H-Forms) | 平安 | Peaceful Mind, 1-4 |
| Shihohai | 四方拝 | Four Quarters |
| Gekisai | 撃塞 | Attack and Destroy |
| Tai Ho Jitsu 1 - 5 | - | - |
| Seisan Seisan The karate kata Seisan literally means '13', however some people refer to the kata as '13 Hands', '13 Fists', '13 Techniques', '13 Steps' or even '13 killing positions'. However, all these names are made up and have no historical basis.Seisan is thought to be one of the oldest kata quite spread... |
正整 | Thirteen Hands |
| Niseishi | 二十四歩 | Twenty-four Hands |
| Rohai Rohai The Rōhai kata are a family of kata practiced in some styles of karate. The name translates approximately to "vision of a Crane" or "vision of a heron". The kata originated from the Tomari-te school of Okinawan martial arts. It was called Matsumora Rōhai, after Kosaku Matsumora, who was presumably... Sho |
鷺牌 小 | Vision of a Crane (minor) |
| Rohai Dai | 鷺牌 大 | Vision of a Crane (major) |
| Sochin Sochin Sōchin is a kata practiced in several styles of karate. It may have derived from Dragon style, and was taught in the Naha-te school in Okinawa by Seisho Arakaki. It was then passed down to Shitō-ryū... |
壯鎭 | Tranquil Force |
| Tenshin | 荘鎮 | Twisting Body Motion |
| Mugen | 無限 | Endless |
| Bassai | 披塞 | To Penetrate a Fortress |
| Sanchin Sanchin is a kata of Southern Chinese origin that is considered to be the core of several styles, the most well-known being the Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu styles of Karate as well as the Chinese martial arts of Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, Pangai-noon and the Tiger-Crane Combination style associated... |
三戰 | Three Battles |
| Chinto | 鎮東 | Subdue the East |
| Kusanku | 公相君 | Viewing the Sky/Night Fighting |
| Sanshiryu | 三十六歩 | Thirty-four Hands/Dragon |
| Ryusan | 龍山 | Dragon Spiraling Upward |
| Tensho | 転掌 | Rolling Palms |
| Seienchin | 征遠鎮 | Calm Within the Storm |
| Tai Ho Jitsu 1 - 10 | - | - |
| Hen Shi Ho Jitsu 1 - 50 | - | - |
| Hanten | - | - |
| Rinten | - | - |
| Kakeite | - | - |
| Nage Waza | - | Throwing Technique |
Kobudo
Kobudo translates as “the way of weapons.” Yoshukai karate uses a number of Okinawan weapons which were originally farm tools converted into defensive implements. Yoshukai study includes traditional Okinawan kobudo as an extension of karate technique, and mastering the use of martial arts weapons may be required for advancing in rank. These weapons include the NunchakuNunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
, Bō
Bo
-People:*Bo , name origin, plus people with the name*Bo , name origin, plus people with the surname**Bo , Chinese family names*Bo people , extinct minority population in Southern China famous for hanging coffins...
, Sai
Sai (weapon)
The sai is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon. The basic form of the weapon is that of a pointed, dagger-shaped metal truncheon, with two curved prongs called yoku projecting from the handle...
, Kama
Kama (weapon)
The is a traditional Filipino and Japanese farming implement similar to a small scythe used for reaping crops and also employed as a weapon...
, Tonfa
Tonfa
The tonfa , also known as tong fa or tuifa, is an Okinawan weapon. It is a stick with a handle, and is about 15-20 inches long. It was traditionally made from red oak and wielded in pairs...
, and sometimes the Katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
or Samurai sword.
Yoshukai Karate organizations
In the 21st Century, the Yoshukai Karate style is represented by numerous local, regional and international organizations, some of which are listed below.Yoshukai International
Yoshukai (養秀会) International is the karateKarate
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,...
organization founded by Michael G. Foster
Michael G. Foster
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...
in 1977 and derived from Yoshukai karate. Yoshuaki International is adapted for the different body type of U.S. and 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...
an practitioners. In Mike Foster's Yoshukai International, stances and techniques were modified to incorporate Foster’s ideas about weapon alignment and elimination of regression.
Foster studied with Yamamoto in Japan for a period of ten years and in 1966 brought the system to the United States. In 1977 Mike Foster left Yamamoto Sensei's organization and established the Yoshukai International Karate Association. At the same time Hiroyuki Koda established the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association (USYKA).
Foster was noted as a karate champion in the early days of his career, and after retirement from active competition, remained a premiere karate official and teacher in America. Other noted champions and officials associated with the style include Larry Pate (retired), Calvin Thomas and Mike Smith. Yoshukai International has dojos all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Latvia, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Depending on the source, the outline of the crest patch represents a cherry blossom or possibly Yata no Kagami
Yata no kagami
is a sacred mirror that is part of the Imperial Regalia of Japan. It is said to be housed in Ise Shrine in Mie prefecture, Japan, although a lack of public access makes this difficult to verify. The Yata no Kagami represents "wisdom" or "honesty," depending on the source. Its name literally means...
(八咫鏡), the sacred mirror of Japan which stands for wisdom and honesty. The three kanji
Kanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
symbols that make up the word "Yoshukai" across the top of the crest (養秀会), literally translated, mean: Training Hall of Continued Improvement. The flag in the center of the crest is the Nisshōki (日章旗 "sun flag") or Hinomaru (日の丸 "sun disc") and the kanji symbol superimposed on it (忍) is “Nin” which stands for patience.
Dojo Kun or rules are:
- 1. To uphold the Dojo name
- 2. To seek perfection of character
- 3. To be faithful
- 4. To endeavor in all things
- 5. To respect others
- 6. To refrain from violent behavior
Most dojos within Yoshukai International use four belt colors without stripes to recognize the standard kyu (below black belt) and dan (above black belt) ranks, although some dojo use belts with stripes to indicate the specific ranks.
Due to Mike Foster's success as a practitioner and instructor, Yoshukai International has established and maintains schools all over the world, including throughout 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...
.
Yoshukai Karate International
Yoshukai Karate International was formed on June 28, 2008, due to differences in management philosophy between Mike Foster and the Yoshukai International’s separately incorporated testing board. The Board continues to function as a not-for-profit corporation doing business as Yoshukai Karate International.U.S. Yoshukai
U.S. Yoshukai Karate is one of two main branches that grew out of Yoshukai karate in the U.S. David Koda's U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association dojos are located in the southern part of the United States (Alabama, KentuckyKentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
) with the headquarters located in Montgomery, Alabama.
In 1973, the Yoshukan branch of Chito-kai became Yoshukai Karate, an independent karate style. The Yoshukai Karate organization grew quickly as students reached black belt status and began opening schools throughout Alabama and surrounding states. Its growth was further accelerated when several instructors from other styles transferred their entire schools to the organization. In 1975 Koda assumed directorship of United States Yoshukai schools under Mamoru Yamamoto and renamed his organization U.S. Yoshukai Karate.
In 1997, after Soke Koda died of pancreatic and liver cancer, the directorship of the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association passed to his eldest son, David Yuki Koda, though managerial duties remained with Gwen Koda until 2000 when she passed these duties to David Koda's wife, Adrienne Koda.
U.S. Yoshukai Karate is represented by dojos in Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
, Opp
Opp, Alabama
Opp is a city in Covington County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 6,607. -Geography:Opp is located at . According to the U.S...
, Albertville
Albertville, Alabama
Albertville is a city in Marshall County, Alabama, United States, and is included in the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 21,160.- History :...
, Hoover
Hoover, Alabama
Hoover is a city in Jefferson and Shelby Counties in north central Alabama, in the United States. The largest suburb of Birmingham, the population of the city was 62,742 as of the 2000 census and 81,619 in the 2010 census. Hoover is part of the Birmingham-Hoover, AL MSA and is also included in the...
, Bessemer
Bessemer, Alabama
Bessemer is a city outside of Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States eight miles west of Hoover. The population was 29,672 at the 2000 Census, but by the 2009 U.S...
, Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Tuscaloosa
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, and Enterprise
Enterprise, Alabama
Enterprise is a city in the southeastern part of Coffee and Dale Counties in the southeastern part of Alabama in the Southern United States. The population was estimated to be 25,909 in the year 2009....
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
; Joelton
Joelton, Tennessee
Joelton is a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee. Joelton is primarily in the northwestern portion of Davidson County along Interstate 24 and junctions with U.S. Highway 431, but parts of Joelton bordering Exit 31 of Interstate 24 lie in Cheatham County...
and Spring Hill
Spring Hill, Tennessee
Spring Hill is a city in Maury and Williamson counties in the U.S. state of Tennessee, located approximately south of Nashville. The population was 7,715 at the 2000 census...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
; Tallahassee
Tallahassee, Florida
Tallahassee is the capital of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County, and is the 128th largest city in the United States. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2010, the population recorded by...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
; Harrodsburg
Harrodsburg, Kentucky
Harrodsburg is a city in and the county seat of Mercer County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 8,014 at the 2000 census. It is the oldest city in Kentucky.-History:...
and Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
, Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
; Bloomington
Bloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
; and Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
World Yoshukai Karate Kobudo Organization
At Katsuoh Yamamoto's request, Hiroaki Toyama and Mike Culbreth established the World Yoshukai Karate Kobudō Organization (WYKKO) in 2000 as an extension of the Japanese Yoshukai organization. Yoshukai America, which was renamed World Yoshukai, is directly managed under the headquarters of Yoshukai Japan and its offices are located in Pensacola, FloridaPensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, and Dothan, Alabama
Dothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
. World Yoshukai is the only U.S. organization directly administered by Yoshukai Japan. The organization is led by the director and Hiroaki Toyama (vice president of Yoshukai) and Mike Culbreth (vice president of Yoshukai). World Yoshukai now has more than 1,000 members in more than 30 branches throughout the United States, including Florida, Alabama, Texas, Georgia, California, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
Yoshukai Canada
The Yoshukan Karate Association in Ontario is led by Kancho (System Chief Instructor and Founder) Earl Robertson, and draws from both the Yoshukai International and Chito-Ryu systems. Kancho Robertson has over 35 years of teaching experience and holds black belt rank in several karate systems. He studied in Japan under Tsuyoshi Chitose, and holds a 6th dan (Degree) black belt and Shihan (Master Instructor) rank in Yoshukai International Karate under Hanshi Mike Foster. Robertson is the author of Advanced Kumite: Karate Fighting Skills.Yoshukai British Columbia is headed by Mark Hepburn who holds a 5th dan (fifth degree) black belt and Shihan rank in Yoshukai International. Hepburn began training in martial arts in 1975. After training with Yoshukai black belt Nick Nibler, he attended a clinic conducted by Mike Foster in 1993 and affiliated with Yoshukai International. Hepburn heads three dojos in British Columbia in Surrey, the Township of Langely (Aldergrove dojo) and New Westminster (Queensborough dojo).
Hepburn was the Karate BC Tournament Director (1996–99), a Director on the Karate BC Executive Committee (2003–2005), the BC Winter Games Zone 3 Representative (Fraser Valley) for karate for over ten years, a coach for the Zone 3 Karate team for the BC Winter Games for over ten years and was a Director (secretary) on the Executive Committee for the National Karate Association of Canada (2006–2008). The BC Yoshukai International Karate School is a member of Karate BC, the provincial associate of Karate Canada
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:...
and Sport Canada
Sport Canada
Sport Canada is a branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage. Its mission is "to enhance opportunities for all Canadians to participate and excel in sport." Sport Canada develops Federal sport policy in Canada, provides funding programs in support of sport, and administers special projects...
.
Yoshukai Germany
Mike Foster was invited by German karate pioneer Peter Trapski to conduct demonstrations in Germany in the late seventies and entered and won the Duisberg Euro-Cup competition in 1978. In the same year, Otto Rumann established the first German Yoshukai school in Dortmund, Germany, and later expanded to other cities. He now maintains his hombu dojo (headquarters) in DortmundDortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
, and directs other schools in Altena
Altena
Altena is a town in the district of Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town's castle is the origin for the later Dukes of Berg. Altena is situated on the Lenne river valley, in the northern streches of the Sauerland.-History:...
, Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
, Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate forest . The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
, Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
, and three schools in Hagen
Hagen
Hagen is the 39th-largest city in Germany, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr...
, Germany.
German Yoshukai schools fall under the leadership of Yoshukan Dortmund. Dojos are a members of Yoshukai-International Karate Association and also of the German Karate Federation.
Yoshukai Latin America
William “Bill” Solano was born in 1942 in Aguadilla, Puerto RicoAguadilla, Puerto Rico
Aguadilla , founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is spread over 15 wards and Aguadilla Pueblo...
, and was raised in the U.S. His first experience in the martial arts was in 1958 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the art of Jujutsu
Jujutsu
Jujutsu , also known as jujitsu, ju-jitsu, or Japanese jiu-jitsu, is a Japanese martial art and a method of close combat for defeating an armed and armored opponent in which one uses no weapon, or only a short weapon....
. In 1969 he began the study of Kung Fu in lower Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, N.Y. In 1972 he moved to Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
, where he began studying Yoshukai Karate with Mike Foster. At the end of 1975, Solano returned to 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...
and established his first dojo, where he continued to practice the Yoshukai Karate style until 1981. In 1991 full directorship of the Puerto Rico Yoshukai organization was assumed by Miguel Alejandro, with schools in Cupey
Cupey, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Cupey is the largest barrio in the municipality of San Juan, and the third most populous with 36,659 inhabitants according to Census 2000. The territorial land area of Cupey is 7.49 square miles...
, Carolina
Carolina, Puerto Rico
Carolina is a city located in the northern part of Puerto Rico, bordering the Atlantic Ocean; it lies north of Gurabo and Juncos; east of Trujillo Alto and San Juan; and west of Canóvanas and Loíza. Carolina is spread over 12 wards plus Carolina Pueblo...
, Cidra
Cidra, Puerto Rico
Cidra is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, north of Cayey; south of Comerío and Aguas Buenas; east of Aibonito and Barranquitas; and west of Caguas. Cidra is spread over 12 wards and Cidra Pueblo...
, and two in Trujillo Alto
Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
-Barrios :*Carraízo*Las Cuevas*Dos Bocas*La Gloria*Quebrada Grande*Quebrada Negrito*Saint Just*Trujillo Alto Pueblo*Cooperativa Jardines de Trujillo Alto-Geo/Topography:*Carraízo dam...
. In 2009 Alejandro formally established Yoshukai Latin America.
Yoshukai Australazia
Tom Somerville, Neil Frazer and Warwick Lobb were instrumental in establishing Yoshukai Karate in New Zealand and later in Australia. Tom Somerville was a New Zealander who lived in the United States and trained with Mike Foster’s students Charles Scanlan and Kevin Bradford in New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in the mid seventies. He returned to New Zealand and in 1979 set up a dojo at the University of Canterbury
University of Canterbury
The University of Canterbury , New Zealand's second-oldest university, operates its main campus in the suburb of Ilam in the city of Christchurch, New Zealand...
. In the early 1980s, Neil Frazer and Warwick Lobb traveled from New Zealand to New Jersey to complete their black belt training, and Neil Frazer took over running the Canterbury club with assistance from Warwick. In 1990 Dave Leathwick started a club in Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Palmerston North is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. It is an inland city with a population of and is the country's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank...
known as the Tokomaru Dojo, and in 2004 Darel Hall started the third New Zealand club in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
.
Neil Frazer maintains a dojo in Sydney, Australia and continues to direct Yoshukai Australasia. The dispersed nature of New Zealander karateka means that New Zealand Yoshukai practitioners maintain their training in Malaysia, 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...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The organization operates a Facebook.com group to provide news and communications.
External links
- Yoshukai Japan
- Yoshukai International
- U.S. Yoshukai Karate
- World Yoshukai Karate Kobudo Organization
- IKF Yoshukai
- Yoshukai Alliance
- Yoshukai Germany
- Yoshukai South Germany
- Yoshukai British Columbia
- Yoshukan Ontario
- Yoshukai Latin America
- Yoshukai Australazia
- Yoshukai Latvia
See also
- Chito-ryuChito-ryuis 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...
- Shorin-RyuShorin-Ryuis one of the major modern Okinawan martial arts. It was founded by Choshin Chibana in 1933. Shōrin-ryū combines elements of the traditional Okinawan fighting styles of Shuri-te.-History:Chosin Chibana was a top student of the great master of shuri-te, Anko Itosu...
- Shorei-ryuShorei-ryuis a term which refers to the Naha-Te style of Okinawan karate. Shorei Ryu means "the style of inspiration". It is believed that the term Shorei is derived from the Shoreiji Temple in southern China. The teachings of this temple provided the basis for the Naha-Te style.The Shorei Ryu system was...
- ShotokanShotokanis 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...
- Okinawan kobudoOkinawan kobudoOkinawan kobudō is a Japanese term that can be translated as "old martial way of Okinawa"...
- Michael G. FosterMichael G. FosterMichael G. Foster is a U.S. karate pioneer, and the founder and head of Yoshukai International, a world-wide organization of Yoshukai Karate schools...
- Cheryl Wheeler-DixonCheryl Wheeler-DixonCheryl Wheeler-Dixon is a stunt woman, stunt double, and stunt driver in the US movie industry. She has also been credited as Cheryl Wheeler-Duncan, Cheryl Wheeler, Cheryl M. Wheeler, and Sheryl Wheeler. She has been stunt double for Rene Russo, Kathleen Turner, and Goldie Hawn. She has two...