The Japan Karate Association (日本 空手 協会; ''Nihon Karate Kyokai''; JKA; sometimes referred to simply as ''Kyokai'' 協会 in Japan) is one of the oldest global
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" thro ...
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
organizations in the world.
Origins
Gichin Funakoshi
was the founder of Shotokan karate. He is known as a "father of modern karate". Following the teachings of Anko Itosu and Anko Asato,Funakoshi, Gichin (1981). ''Karate-Do: My Way of Life'', Kodansha International Ltd. . he was one of the Okin ...
played a major role in introducing karate from Okinawa to Japan, adjusted to reduce injury and merged with approaches for
athletic training
Athletic training is an Allied health professions, allied health care profession recognized by the American Medical Association (AMA)"What is an Athletic Trainer?". The Board of Certification Website. 2003.
Athletic training is also recogniz ...
. On May 27, 1949, some of his senior students including
Isao Obata
was a pioneering Japanese master of Shotokan karate.Blair, R. L. (1972): "Karate is dying, says Isao Obata, disciple of the venerable Gichin Funakoshi, Founder of Modern Karate." ''Black Belt'', 10(10):27–33. He was a senior student of Gichin F ...
,
Masatoshi Nakayama
was an internationally famous
Japanese master of Shotokan karate.
, and
Hidetaka Nishiyama
was a prominent Japanese Grandmaster (martial arts), master of Shotokan karate.Takushoku University
Takushoku University (拓殖 大学; ''Takushoku Daigaku'', abbreviated as 拓大 ''Takudai'') is a private university in Tokyo, Japan. It was founded in 1900 by Prince (title for a Duke at that time) Taro Katsura (1848–1913).Okazaki Okazaki may refer to:
*Okazaki (surname)
*Okazaki, Aichi, a city in Japan
*Okazaki Castle, a castle in Japan
*Okazaki fragments
Okazaki fragments are short sequences of DNA nucleotides (approximately 150 to 200 base pairs long in eukaryotes) w ...
Kanazawa
is the capital of Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 466,029 in 203,271 households, and a population density of 990 persons per km2. The total area of the city was .
Etymology
The name "Kanazaw ...
, and Enoeda, who were responsible for the JKA's consolidation during the 1960s and 1970s.
General uneasiness on how karate was taught by the JKA instructors and disagreements on Funakoshi's funeral arrangements in 1957 motivated some of the senior karateka connected with Funakoshi, but not associated with the JKA, such as
Shigeru Egami
was a pioneering Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the Shōtōkai style. He was a student of Gichin Funakoshi, who is widely recognized as the founder of modern karate.
Early life
Egami was born on December 7, 1912, in Ōmuta, F ...
, Genshin Hironishi, and
Tsutomu Ohshima
is a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the organization Shotokan Karate of America (SKA).Shotokai and Shotokan Karate of America).Evans, J. K. (1988): "The battle for Olympic Karate recognition: WUKO vs. IAKF." ''Black Belt'', 26(2):54–58. They claimed to practice a version of Shotokan karate closer to what Funakoshi taught, as compared to the JKA style. The JKA Shotokan approach is also based on Funakoshi's karate, but with significant adaptations introduced mostly by Nakayama, who was JKA chief instructor until his death in 1987. Under Nakayama's leadership, a generation of respected instructors spread karate worldwide, guided from the JKA headquarters in Tokyo.
Nakayama's books, which include ''Dynamic Karate'' and the ''Best Karate'' series, are fundamental reference materials on Shotokan karate as practiced under the JKA. Clive Nicol, in his classic book ''Moving Zen'', describes the karate practice at the JKA's ''
honbu
Headquarters (often referred to as HQ) notes the location where most or all of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. The term is used in a wide variety of situations, including private sector corporations, non-profits, mil ...
dojo
A is a hall or place for immersive learning, experiential learning, or meditation. This is traditionally in the field of martial arts. The term literally means "place of the Tao, Way" in Japanese language, Japanese.
History
The word ''d ...
'' (headquarters training hall) in Tokyo during the early 1960s, from his unique perspective as a western karate student going from white to black belt in a few years.
Splinter groups
The JKA experienced several divisions from the 1970s onwards. Notable splinter groups formed as follows:
*In 1974, one of the founders of JKA,
Hidetaka Nishiyama
was a prominent Japanese Grandmaster (martial arts), master of Shotokan karate.ITKF.
*In 1977, JKA instructor Shiro Asano formed his own organization, and invited master
Hirokazu Kanazawa
was a Japanese master of Shotokan karate.Goodman, F. (2004): ''The practical encyclopedia of martial arts'' (p. 50). London: Lorenz Books. ()Smit, S. (2008): ''Karate'' (2nd ed.) (p. 21). London: New Holland. ()
to take his place as chief instructor. The group is now known as Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF).
*Following Nakayama's death in 1987, the JKA experienced a turbulent period, both at the Tokyo headquarters and worldwide. Taiji Kase and Hiroshi Shirai (notable student of
Hidetaka Nishiyama
was a prominent Japanese Grandmaster (martial arts), master of Shotokan karate.World Union of Karate-Do Organizations. Taketo Okuda, JKA chief instructor in Brazil, quit to focus on his own organization, Butoku-kan.
*In 1990, a legal dispute started between two groups about the control of JKA. One group was led by Tetsuhiko Asai, the other by Nobuyuki Nakahara. After several court rulings, the issue was ultimately settled by the Japanese Supreme Court on June 10, 1999, in favor of Nakahara's group, which included
Masaaki Ueki
The Japan Karate Association (日本 空手 協会; ''Nihon Karate Kyokai''; JKA; sometimes referred to simply as ''Kyokai'' 協会 in Japan) is one of the oldest global Shotokan karate organizations in the world.
Origins
Gichin Funakoshi played ...
and
Masahiko Tanaka
is a Japanese actor and voice actor. He is known for voicing Gauron from '' Full Metal Panic!'', Ryo Mashiba from '' Hajime no Ippo'', and Kyoichi Sudo from '' Initial D''.
Filmography TV animation
*'' Initial D'' (1998) (Kyoichi Sudo)
*'' The ...
. The other group, led by Tetsuhiko Asai, JKA chief instructor after Nakayama, and including
Keigo Abe
Keigo Abe (October 28 1938 – December 21 2019) was a Japanese master (martial arts), master of Shotokan karate who founded the Japan Shotokan Karate Association in 1999 and is its Chief Instructor.
and Mikio Yahara, left JKA to form other organizations:
Japan Karate Shotorenmei
was a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate of the Japan Karate Association (JKA), founder and Chief Instructor of the International Japan Martial Arts Karate Asai-ryu (IJKA), and founder of the Japan Karate Shoto Federation (JKS; formerl ...
, Japan Shotokan Karate Association, and Karatenomichi World Federation, respectively.
*In 2003, a disagreement regarding the successor to
Keinosuke Enoeda
was a Japanese master of Shotokan karate.Karate Union of Great Britain
The Karate Union of Great Britain, or KUGB, is an association of Shotokan Karate clubs and Karateka operating across Great Britain, with some oversea affiliations. The 1960s saw a growth in the popularity of Karate, and the KUGB was founded i ...
'' (KUGB) withdrawing from the JKA. The KUGB operated as the British arm of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) until the death of chief instructor Keinosuke Enoeda Sensei in 2003.
*In 2007, the '' International Shotokan Karate Federation'' (ISKF), with headquarters in the US, led by Teruyuki Okazaki, 10th ''dan'' and one of the most senior JKA instructors, became independent. However, by 2010 at least two senior Instructors returned to the JKA.
*In 2009, Takahashi Shunsuke broke away from JKA Australia to form the TSKF Australia (Traditional Shotokan Karate-Do Federation). TSKF joined Teruyuki Okazaki's ISKF in 2011.
*By 2011, it was acknowledged that Masao Kawasoe, 7th Dan JKA, had returned to the JKA.
Due to these divisions, there is today the notion of a separate JKA karate style—that is, Shotokan karate that follows the JKA tradition to a large extent, but is taught by instructors who are not officially affiliated with JKA (though most of them are former JKA instructors and graduates).
Kenshusei (instructor intern) training program
In 1956, the JKA started its ''kenshusei'' instructor intern training program at the JKA ''honbu dojo'', in
Yotsuya
is an area in Shinjuku, Tokyo, that previously was a ward (四谷区 ''Yotsuya-ku'') in the now-defunct Tokyo City. In 1947, when the 35 wards of Tokyo were reorganized into 23, it was merged with Ushigome ward of Tokyo City and Yodobashi ...
, Tokyo, which had been built in 1955. This program was instituted by Nakayama Masatoshi. The training program has promoted the consistency and quality control of JKA training practices over the years, graduating some of the world's most well known ''karateka'' (practitioners of karate), as listed below.
Graduates
The following table lists JKA ''kenshusei'' training program graduates in order of year of graduation. The reported rank of graduates no longer with the JKA is that from their current organization. Such rank is not necessarily recognized by the JKA.
Note
This list is incomplete. For instance, it does not include some members who were expelled or resigned from the JKA see below:
* Kisaka Katsuharu (Katsuya) 8th dan JKA Instructor JKA of New Jersey, US (current)
* Abe Keigo, 9th ''dan'' (former JKA HQ instructor) JSKA Chief Instructor
* Aramoto Nobuyuki, 8th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor)
* Asai Tetsuhiko, 10th ''dan'' (former HQ JKA instructor) JKS/IJKA Chief instructor (passed)
* Inaba Tsuneyuki, 7th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor)
* Isaka Akito, 7th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor) KWF
* Ishimine Minoru, 7th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor)
* Kagawa Masao, 9th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor) JKS Chief Instructor)
* Kanayama Kosho, 7th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor) (Chief of Domestic Department JKS)
* Mizuno Yoshihisa, 8th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor)
* Naito Takashi, 7th ''dan'' (Has left E.T.K.F & returned to JKA)
* Tamang Pemba, 8th ''dan'' (former JKA HQ instructor) NSKF Chief Instructor
* Yahara Mikio, 10th ''dan'' (former JKA HQ instructor) KWF Chief Instructor
* Yamaguchi Takashi, 8th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor) (Chief of International Department JKS)
* Kanazawa Hirokazu, 10th ''dan'' (former JKA HQ instructor) Chief instructor SKIF
* Kase Yasuharu, 10th ''dan'' (former JKA HQ instructor) Chief Instructor SRKH (passed)
* Kasuya Hitoshi, 9th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor) Chief Instructor WSKF
* Kato Sadashige, 9th ‘’Dan’’ (former JKA instructor) (passed)
* Katsumata (Suzuki) Yutaka, 7th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor)
* Shirai Hiroshi, 10th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor) WSKA
* Tatetsu Meicho, 7th ''dan'' (former JKA instructor)
* Amos Richard, 8th ''dan'' (former JKA HQ instructor) Chief Instructor WTKO)
* Maeda Eiji, 6th ''dan'' (former JKA HQ instructor)
* Kawasaki Norio ''6th dan'' (former JKA HQ instructor)
* Koike Yutaka ''6th dan'' (former JKA HQ instructor)
* Fischer Malcolm ''6th dan'' (former JKA HQ instructor)
* Montoya Leon ''5th dan'' (former JKA HQ instructor)
The list at the JKA's website, which includes most members who left or were expelled, may also be incomplete. The JKA has not included some former members who have completed the course and are not currently affiliated with JKA. In addition, during the troubled period between 1990 and 1999 each JKA faction held its own instructors' course. Currently, the JKA does not recognize graduates from the instructors' courses led by the JKS (Japan Karate Shoto Federation, which also held the name JKA between 1990 and 1999).
''Karateka'' such as Dave Hazard (UK), Ennio Vezzuli (Brazil), Nigel Jackson (South Africa), Peté Pacheco (Portugal), Malcolm Fisher (Canada), Leon Montoya (Colombia), Richard Amos (UK, US), Pascal Lesage (France) and others, are mentioned in karate forums as having completed the JKA instructors' course (or having had substantial participation in it) but do not appear on the list of graduates as published in 2008 on the JKA's website.
In addition, the list does not include graduate instructors from the instructor programmes of splinter groups such as JKS and KWF, examples being
Otsuka Masamichi (KWF - Japan),
Langley Scott (JKS, now HDKI Ireland),
Koike Yutaka (JKS - Japan),
Inada Yasuhisa (JKS - Japan),
Kyle Kamal Helou (JKS - Lebanon),
Matsue Takeo (JKS- Japan),
Makita Takuya (JKS - Japan),
Nagaki Shinji (JKS - Japan).
Competition
Although Gichin Funakoshi wrote that there are no contests in Karate, Nakayama Masatoshi's teachings led to a more competitive approach to the training and in 1957 the first All Japan Karate Championship was held, and has been held annually since.
World championships
In addition, the JKA has organised a number of international tournaments amongst which the following have been considered to be the JKA's World Championships:
†Cancelled due to the
2008 financial crisis
The 2008 financial crisis, also known as the global financial crisis (GFC), was a major worldwide financial crisis centered in the United States. The causes of the 2008 crisis included excessive speculation on housing values by both homeowners ...
.
‡Cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
Karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...