Articles · 285 articles
Reports and announcements from the published archive.
Kanryo Higaonna, also known as Higaonna Kanryō, is an iconic figure in the history of Okinawan karate. Born on March 10, 1853 in Nishimura, Okinawa, he is recognized as the founder of Naha-te karate, one of the Okinawan karate styles that greatly influenced the development of modern karate. Higaonna...
Kanryō Higashionna, born March 10, 1853 and died October 23, 1915, was a prolific martial arts master from Okinawa, Japan. He is best known as the founder of Naha-te karate, which later became the basis of the Goju-ryu style. Higashionna was born into a poor family in Naha, the capital of Okinawa. F...
Kenei Mabuni and Kenzo Mabuni are the sons of Kenwa Mabuni, the founder of Shitō-ryū, one of Japan’s four great karate styles. Each has played an important role in perpetuating their father’s legacy and promoting Shitō-ryū around the world. Kenei Mabuni was born in 1918 in Shuri, on the island of Ok...
Kenwa Mabuni, born on November 14, 1889 and died on May 23, 1952, was an Okinawan karate master and founder of the Shito-Ryu style. His contribution to karate, both in terms of teaching and the development of new techniques, was crucial to the spread and evolution of this martial art in the 20th cen...
Masatoshi Nakayama, born on April 13, 1913 and died on April 15, 1987, was a Japanese karate master recognized for his major contribution to the evolution and worldwide dissemination of Shotokan karate. As chief instructor of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) for almost 40 years, he played a key ro...
Masutatsu Oyama, often referred to simply as “Mas Oyama”, was a Korean-born karate master renowned for his extraordinary strength and stamina. He is the founder of Kyokushin karate, a style known for its intense physical rigour and full contact. Born as Choi Yeong-eui in Korea in 1923, Oyama moved t...
Morio Higaonna is an emblematic figure in the world of karate, famous for his mastery of the Goju-ryu style. Born on December 25, 1938 in Naha, Okinawa, he is one of the most respected and influential karate masters of his generation. Higaonna began his karate training at the age of 14 under his fir...
Rika Usami, born February 20, 1986 in Tokyo, is a famous karate practitioner. Internationally renowned for her kata expertise, she has won several world titles and left an indelible mark on the world of karate. As a child, Usami was drawn to martial arts through the influence of her father, a huge f...
Shigeru Egami is a key figure in the history of Shotokan karate. Born on December 7, 1912 in Ōmuta, Japan, and died on January 8, 1981, Egami was a close student of Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate. He is recognized for his important contributions to the philosophy and practice of ka...
Shokei Matsui, whose full name is Yoshikazu Matsui, is an emblematic figure of Kyokushin karate. Born on January 15, 1963 in Tokyo, Japan, he is currently Director of the Kyokushinkai International Karate Organization. Matsui began his Kyokushin karate training at the age of 13. His skills and dedic...
Teruo Hayashi is an emblematic figure in the history of karate. Born on September 12, 1924 in Tokyo, Japan, he devoted his life to the study and propagation of karate. Hayashi began practicing martial arts at a young age. Growing up in Showa-era Japan, he was exposed to various martial arts, includi...
Tetsuhiko Asai, born on June 7 1935 and died on August 15 2006, was a Japanese karate master renowned for his contribution to the development of Shotokan karate. Asai devoted his life to the study, teaching and dissemination of karate throughout the world, and left an indelible mark on the history o...
Yasutsune Azato, often known as “Ankō” Azato, is one of the most respected historical figures in Okinawan karate. Although much less well known than his pupil, Gichin Funakoshi, Azato played a decisive role in shaping the martial art we know today. Azato was born in 1827 in Okinawa, in what is now J...
Yasutsune Itosu, also known as “Ankō” Itosu, is one of the greatest masters in the history of karate. He is recognized for his significant contributions to the dissemination of karate and for having trained some of the greatest karate masters of the 20th century. Born in 1830 in Shuri, Okinawa, Itos...
Following the communication made on May 18, 2022, the WKF Executive Committee approved on October 22, 2021, the mandatory use of “WKF Approved” Karategis with embroidered marks on the shoulders, in RED and BLUE, in all the official events of the WKF (World Championships and Karate 1 – Premier League...
