Karate Champions

JKA Female Karate-Ka And Competition Success


Although the JKA Championships began in 1957, women did not compete in them until 1974 in the case of kata and 1985 for kumite. Similarly, The World Championships (which started in 1970 see separate note), only allowed women to compete in kata in 1980 and kumite in 1982.

It is very rare to see women compete in both kata and kumite competitions and there have been no Grand Champion female competitors in the JKA-run All Japan Championships.

All Japan JKA Kata Champions

In the 45+ year history of these competitions, only 15 names appear as winners. The most successful are shown below.

Sensei Kobayashi won the first kata competition in 1974; Saito (Toshiko) won in 1975.

Sensei Kawashima won this kata competition 7 times from 1976 to 1982, and the 2nd & 3rd IAKF in 1977 and 1980.

Sensei Nakamura (Yoko) is by far the most successful JKA competitor, having won this 9 times – 1984-1987 & 1992-1996; plus the Shoto Cup four times (1985, 1992, 1994 & 1996).

Sensei Mimura won from 1988-1991 (plus the 3rd Shoto Cup in 1990) AND the World Championships four times 1988, 1990, 1992 & 1996. She was coached by Nakayama Mei (of Shito-ryu, see World Championship Females).

Sensei Nakata dominated every year from 2000 to 2004, and won the 8th and 9th Shoto Cup.

Sensei Oshima won 2007, 2008 2010 and 2011, and the 12th Funakoshi Cup in 2011.

Sensei Nakamachi won in 2012, 2013 and 2014, as well as the 13th Funakoshi Cup in 2014.

Sensei Nakamura (Ayano) won the past 4 years (2016-2019 & 14th Funakoshi Cup in 2017).

All Japan JKA Kumite Champions

The 34+ year history of kumite is dominated by a limited number (19) of names, for example:

Sensei Hasama (Yuko) won the first kumite competition in 1985 (and the 3rd Shoto Cup in 1990), and the 9th & 10th WKF Championships.

Sensei Saito (Rika) won the JKA kumite championship in 1986.

Sensei Kono won four times in 1987, 1988 & 1992, 1993.

Sensei Yoneda won 3 times 1989-1991 (plus the 4th Shoto Cup in 1992).

Sensei Hasama (Hiromi) won five times: 1994 & 1997-2000 (as well as the 5th, 6th and 8th Shoto Cups in 1994, 1996 and 2000) plus the 14th & 15th WKF Championships (1998 & 2000).

Sensei Okuie won the kumite 4 times : 2005 & 2007-2009 (as well as the 9th Shoto Cup in 2004). She is a JKA 5th Dan.

Sensei Shiina won 3 times: 2011,2015,2016(+14th Funakoshi Cup in 2017). A JKA 4th Dan.

The most recent winner (2019) was Sensei Sugimoto, who also won in 2017.

JKA National Kata Champions - YouTube

Sensei Kawashima Hiromi

Sensei Nakamura (Yoko)

Sensei Mimura Yuki

Sensei Oshima Nozomi

Sensei Nakamachi Miki

Sensei Nakamura (Ayano)

JKA National Kumite Champions - YouTube

Sensei Hasama (Yuko)

Sensei Yoneda Yukiko

Sensei Hasama (Hiromi)

Sensei Okuie Satomi

Sensei Shiina Mai

Sensei Sugimoto Risa

 
Female JKA Kumite And Kata Competition Winners 1974-2019

JKA Female Kumite And Kata Competition Winners 1974-2019

Sources:
Wikipedia
JKA website http://www.jka.or.jp

Female Karate-Ka: World Championships (WKF)

World Championships are run by the World Karate Federation (WKF). They started in 1970 but only allowed women to compete in kata in 1980 and kumite in 1982. There are many other competitions, e.g. JKF All Japan Championships, but these are not covered here.

It is very rare to see women compete in both kata and kumite competitions and therefore there are no Grand Champion female competitors. And by its nature, a large proportion of WKF successful competitors has been non-Japanese.

Kata Champions

Sensei Okamura(-Hamazaki) Suzuka (Goju-ryu)

Okamura holds a special place in tournament karate history. She was the first Women’s World Champion in kata in 1980 and ushered in a dominance of the kata event by Japanese women that lasted from 1980 to 2004. She began Goju-ryu at age 6 under her father, who was a direct student of Gogen Yamaguchi.

Okumura’s other major honours include: World Games – Individual kata – 1st place (1981) and All Japan Goju-ryu Championships – Individual kata – 1st place (1981, 1982).

Okamura’s book, “My Life with Karate-Do” was published in 2011.

Sensei Nakayama Mei (Shito-ryu, Inoue-ha)

Nakayama can be considered one of the greatest kata competitors, male or female, of all time. A three-time consecutive world champion, she is ranked in many top ten lists of the best ever Karate competitors. Her signature kata is Nipaipo. One of the Karate world’s most prominent women, she has successfully made the transition from competitor to coach. Some of her students have also gone on to become world champions. She began training at age 18 and, like Okamura and Usami (see below), was trained by Inoue Yoshimi (founder of the Inoue style).

From 1982 to 1987 Mie Nakayama was the most dominant force in women’s kata. Her major honours include:

  • World Championships – Individual kata – 1st place (1982, 1984, 1986)
  • World Championships- Individual kata – 2nd place (1980)
  • World Games – Individual kata – 1st place (1985)
  • World Games – Individual kata – 2nd place (1981)
  • World Cup – Individual kata – 1st place (1987)
  • Hayashi-Ha Shito-ryu World Champions – Individual kata – 1st place (1982 – 1987)

Sensei Mimura Yuki (Shotokan, JKA)

Following on from Okamura and Nakayama, Mimura was the next great female Japanese kata champion. Like her predecessor, Nakayama, she was the winner of three consecutive World titles, plus World Games and World Cup titles. See JKA Female Karate-ka.

Sensei Yokoyama Hisami (Shito-ryu)

1st in the1994 and 2nd place in the 1988 and 1990 WKF kata Championships

Sensei Wakai Atsuko (Goju-ryu)

One of the greatest of the Japanese champions was Atsuko Wakai, the only woman to win four consecutive world kata titles (earning her an entry in the Guinness Book of Records and making her one of the most dominant world champions, male or female at that time).

Aged only four years she was involved in a serious car accident. She was hospitalized for four months after suffering head injuries. The accident also affected her nervous system, which led to coordination problems. Her parents believed that studying karate would help strength and co-ordination. At the age of six Wakai began studying Seigokan Goju-ryu Karate under Yasufumi Ono.

Wakai’s major honours include:

  • World Championships – Individual kata – 1st place (1998, 2000, 2002, 2004)
  • World Games – Individual kata – 1st place (1997, 2001, 2005)
  • World Cup – Individual kata – 1st place (1997)
  • Asian Karate Championships – 1st place (1997, 1999, 2001, 2004)
  • Asian Games – Individual kata – 1st place (1998, 2002)
  • All Japan Karate-Do Championships – Individual kata – 1st place (1997-2004)

Sensei Usami Rika (Shito-ryu, Inoue-ha) (b. 1986)

At the age of 12 Usami took part in her first tournament as a green belt. She won her first major honour, the Junior World Championship, at the age of 17, eventually becoming a student of Sensei Inoue.

Her major honours include:

  • First place – WKF Junior World Championship (2005) Limassol, Greece
  • First place – All-Japan National Championship (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
  • Third place – WKF World Championship (2010) Belgrade, Serbia
  • First place – Paris Open (2011)
  • First place – Asian Games (2011) Quanzhou, China
  • First place – Salzburg Open (2011)
  • First place – Paris Open (2012)
  • First place – Dordrecht Open (2012)
  • First place – Jakarta Open (2012)
  • First place – Istanbul Open (2012)
  • First place – World Championship (2012)

In answer to the question “What is your message for everyone who aspires to achieve your high skill level in kata?”, she replied:
“Everyone has a goal. Whether that is to become a world champion or not doesn’t really matter. Although your goal may often look hard to achieve at first, if you continually make efforts toward your goal, then your time, energy and commitment will never have been wasted. So, keep it up as much as you can. Stay strong until you win against yourself. And at the end of the day, you will always be the winner.”

Sensei Shimizu Kiyou

She won the 2014 and 2016 WKF Championships, and came second in 2018 to Sensei Sanchez of Spain. She will represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics.

Sensei Sanchez (Sandra) (b. 1981)

Winner of the 2018 WKF, she will represent Spain at the Tokyo Olympics.

She first stepped on a Tatami mat at four years of age but even had to fight to get that far; she was brought to ballet classes as a little girl while her brother Paco did karate. "My brother was two years older than me and if he wanted to do something, then so did I, if he could do something then I thought, so can I!" Sandra cried so hard that the Sensei told her parents: "let her try it for a week until she stops crying and gets over the tantrum." She never did.

After a degree in sports science in Madrid, Sanchez left to work in Australia, but while she was getting away from home, there was no getting away from karate. She continued training and teaching extra karate classes in a school in Brisbane, but something kept calling her back.

She knew that to fulfil her dream she needed to focus 100% and train full-time, and moved back to the family home near Madrid with one clear goal: to convince near-mythical kata master and internationally renowned trainer Jesus del Moral to train and believe in her. Sensei Del Moral declined. Then he said no again. And again. And again. And again.

Sanchez started going to Del Moral's gym in central Madrid every single day to train and persuade Del Moral that even though she was already in her thirties and struggling with money, support and sponsorship, that she had what it takes to make it as a kata champion. And that she wouldn't quit. Ever. "You don't know me", Sanchez challenged the great teacher. Del Moral couldn't keep saying no forever. He drew up the first training schedule that included a shock - he expected her to train on January 1st. Sanchez thought it was a mistake, or a joke. He told her "Winners train on January 1st, losers stay in bed”.

This new training program and Sandra's application to it was an instant success. She became national champion at her first attempt after she began training under Sensei Del Moral.

Told time and time again that she was too old and it'd never happen for her, Sanchez refused to listen and found her path to the podium. "Of course I had my moments of doubt, I have my little heart too, particularly when people in the world of karate that I respected told me that I was good, but not good enough to win nationals or a world championship."

The fact that her success came relatively late in life means the 37-year-old is enjoying every moment. Even if she won gold at Tokyo, "I'll never stop doing karate, it's made me who I am and helps me to grow and improve as a person every day.”

Her major honours include:

  • First place – WKF (2018)
  • Bronze medal winner (2016)
  • Five times European Champion (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019)
  • European Games Champion, Minsk, 2019
  • Five times Spanish Champion (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019)

Kumite Champions

Sensei Hasama (Yuko) of the JKA won the 9th & 10th WKF Championships (1988, 1990) in the under 53kg category (see JKA Female Karate-ka).

British karate-ka Senseis Molley Samuel and Juliet Toney won the 11th and 13th WKF Championships respectively.

Sensei Hasama (Hiromi) of the JKA won the 14th & 15th WKF Championships (1998, 2000) in the under 53kg category (see JKA Female Karate-ka).

Sensei Araga Tomoko (b 1985) won the 17th & 18th WKF Championships (2004, 2006) in the under 53kg category.

Sensei Uekusa Ayumi (b 1992) won the 23rd WKF Championships (2016) in the above 68kg category.

Sensei Miyahara Miho (b 1996) is the most recent Japanese winner in kumite, winning gold in the WFK 2018 under 50kg category.

Female Karate-Ka: World Championships (WKF) - YouTube

Kata Champions

Kumite Champions

JKA Male Karate-Ka And Competition Success (1988-present)

The JKA Championships between 1957 and 1987 have already been covered. This item covers the period 1988-present.

All Japan JKA Grand Champion

In this period only one name occurs: Sensei Kurihara Kuzuaki (b 1979), who was grand champion in 2011. He also won the kata championship a further nine times (every year between 2006 and 2017 except 2008 & 2016) and the 10th,12th & 14th Shoto Cups. He is a JKA 5th Dan.

All Japan JKA Kata Champions

The most successful are show below.

Sensei Aihara Tomoyuki won three times (1989,1990,1991) and the 3rd & 4th Shoto Cups. He also won the 1990 WKF championship.

Sensei Imura Takanori (b 1952) won five times (1992-96) and the 5th & 6th Shoto Cups. JKA 8th Dan.

Sensei Taniyama Takuya (b 1965) won three times (1999/2000 & 2003) and the 8th Shoto Cup. In addition, he won the kumite championship five times (1995/6, 1998, 2001 & 2007). He is a JKA 7th Dan.

Sensei Kobayashi Kunio (b 1967) won the kata championships twice (2005 & 2008) and the kumite four times (1999 & 2002-2004). He is a JKA 7th Dan.

Sensei Kurihara Hidemoto won in 2016, 2018 & 2019 and the 13th Shoto Cup.

All Japan JKA Kumite Champions

The kumite winners in this period were also dominated by a limited number of names, for example:

Sensei Imamura Tomio (b 1958) won twice, 1988 & 1990 and the 4th Shoto Cup. He is a JKA 8th Dan.

Sensei Shiina Katsutoshi (b 1961) won three times, in 1991, 1993, 1994 and was three times kata champion, in 2001,2002 & 2004, plus he won kata at the 9th Shoto Cup. He is a JKA 7th Dan.

Sensei Taniyama & Sensei Kobayashi (see above)

Sensei Ogata Koji (b 1968) won in 2005, plus the 9th /10th Shoto Cup/Funakoshi Cup.

Sensei Nemoto Keisuke (b 1979) won six times: 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 & 2018. He is a JKA 6th Dan.

Sensei Kokubun Toshito won twice: 1997 & 2000, plus the 7th & 8th Shoto Cups.

Sensei Rojas of Chile won the 14th Funakoshi Cup in 2017 against Okada.

The most recent tournament in 2019 was won by Sensei Haga Yusuke.

Male JKA Grand Champion (1988-present) - YouTube

Male JKA National (1988-present) - YouTube

Kata Champions

Kumite Champions

Male JKA Kumite & Kata Competition Winners 1988-2019

Male JKA Kumite And Kata Competition Winners 1988-2019

Sources:
Wikipedia
JKA website http://www.jka.or.jp

WKF (and Other) Male Karate-Ka and Competition Success

The WKF Male Championships started in 1970 with kumite (where weight were categories added in 1980), with kata competitions beginning in 1980.

As of 2018, on a total medal tally basis, Japan leads (90 gold, 52 silver and 56 bronze), with France in second place (55G, 45S, 67B) and Great Britain (29G ,22S, 25B) in third. The British kumite team was extremely successful in the 1970s and 1980s, with the French kumite team winning the tournament many times in the mid-1990s.

The following have been successful many times in individual events.

WKF Kata Champions

The most successful are shown below.

  • Sensei Sakamoto (Tsuguo, b 1947), a 9th Dan in the little-known style Ryuei-ryu, with a 1st Dan in kendo and 4th Dan in judo, he is the technical Director of the WKF. He won in 1984, 1986 and 1988.
  • Sensei Milon (Michael, 1972-2002) of France won three times: 1994, 1996 & 1998.
  • Sensei Valdesi (Luca, b 1976) of Italy is widely regarded as one of the greatest tournament kata competitors. He has won many competitions and the WKF title three times: 2004, 2006 & 2008.
  • Sensei Diaz (Antonio, b 1980) of Venezuela is also regarded as one of the greatest tournament kata competitors. He has 26 gold medals to his name, winning the WKF title in 2010 & 2012. He was trained by the same instructor as Usami Rika, Sensei Inoue Yoshimi.
  • Sensei Kiyuna (Riyo, b 1990) won in 2014, 2016 and 2018 and will represent Japan at the Tokyo Olympics. He was coached by Sensei Sakamoto (see above).

WKF Kumite Champions

The individual kumite winners in this period were varied, with no one country or person dominating.

In the 1980s, the key British winners were:

  • Geoff Thompson MBE (80kg+ weight category, 1982).
  • Jim Collins (70kg, 1983).
  • Vic Charles MBE (80kg+ 1986).
  • Tim Stephens (65kg, 1988).
  • Abdu Shaher (60kg, 1988).
  • Wayne Otto OBE (kumite open sanbon, 1990 & 75kg, 1996).

Other Noteworthy Champions

Apart from the JKA-run All Japan Championships (and Shoto Cup etc), and the WKF-run World Championships, there are many other competitions: KUGB National Championships, European Championships, World Games, and many Open competitions, to name a few.

There have been some exceptional French and British champions and fighters of note:

Domique Valera (b 1947) of France was awarded his 1st Dan in February 1964 by Hiroo Mochizuki (son of Minoru Mochizuki) after four years of training. He is arguably Europe’s best-known Karate competitor from the 1960s and 1970s, dominating the tournament scene of the era. Fighting as a heavyweight, he was a multiple French and European champion and held in high regard by other fighters of the era, such as Ticky Donovan. His ashi-barai (leg sweep) technique would eventually become one of his signature moves.

He was also one of the first European karate-ka to make the successful transition to full-contact Karate (in 1976).

Ticky Donovan OBE (b. 1947) began his training in 1965 with Sensei Suzuki (Wado-ryu) and then with Senseis Kanazawa and Enoeda, then with Sensei Arneil (Kyokushin-kai). He received his 2nd Dan from Kyokushin-kai founder Sensei Oyama and in 1973 he developed his own style Ishin-ryu (not the same as the Okinawan style of Isshin-ryu).

As a competitor he won the British Karate Championship, at the time considered one of the toughest tournaments in Europe, three years in a row (1973-1975) and at the WKF Championships in 1975 he was part of the winning All Styles Karate squad (coached by Steve Arneil).
In 1977 Donovan became the coach and manager of both the English and British teams and between 1982 and 1996 Donovan’s teams won a total of fifty-three medals, twenty-three being gold. He has coached some of the best British talent (see above): Pat McKay, Geoff Thompson, Vic Charles, Wayne Otto, Molly Samuel and Aidan Trimble (see below).

He served on the board of the EKF between 2008-2013.

Aidan Trimble (b 1960) began training in 1972 and was awarded is 1st Dan by Sensei Asano (of Kanazawa’s SKIF) in 1977. He is one of the best British kumite competitors and became the SKIF’s first World Champion in 1983. He formed his own association, the FSK, in 1986.

Dave Hazard (b 1952) began training in 1969 at the Blackfriar’s dojo, with Senseis Enoeda and Kato. He joined the KUGB and was awarded 1st Dan in 1972. In 1977 he trained in the JKA’s Instructors’ Class, training with some of the top JKA instructors (Kanazawa, Abe, Yahara, Tanaka, Asai, Osaka) and was awarded 3rd Dan by Sensei Nakayama. He is head of his own association, Academy of Shotokan Karate.

KUGB Senior Instructors

Andy Sherry (b. 1943) was a pioneer of Shotokan Karate in the United Kingdom. He joined the BKF in 1961 and trained with Vernon Bell in London. He was awarded 1st Dan in 1966 by Sensei Enoeda and graded to 2nd Dan (along with Eddie Whitcher) in 1967. From 1967 to 1970 he won the KUGB Championships kata title four times and the kumite title twice. He eventually retired from active competition in 1977.

He then became coach and manager of the KUGB National Team which, with superb karate-ka like Frank Brennan, he led to victory at the 1990 World Shotokan Karate Championships. His team defeated a JKA team that contained the likes of Masao Kagawa. The feat was repeated the following year and in 2007 under his guidance the England Squad won European and World titles.

In 1970 Sherry became the first man in Britain to be awarded a JKA 3rd Dan by Sensei Enoeda and is currently ranked 9th Dan.

Terry O’Neill (b 1948) started training in 1963 and was awarded 1st Dan in 1966 by Sensei Enoeda. Between 1967 to 1980 he won seven KUGB kata finals and four KUGB kumite finals: he was KUGB Grand Champion on three occasions. He was part of the All Styles Kumite team (along with Ticky Donavan) that won the WKF team kumite championships in 1975. He is ranked 8th Dan.

Frank Brennan (b 1960) is one of the most technically gifted karate-ka of his generation, winning many kumite and kata titles in the 1980s and 1990s. Masahiko Tanaka (JKA), once said that part of the Japanese team’s training strategy was how to beat Brennan.

His honours include:

  • JKA World Championships (2nd Shoto Cup) - Individual kumite – 2nd place (1987)
  • (1st place went to Imamura)
  • JKA World Championships (3rd Shoto Cup) - Team kumite – 1st place (1990)
  • JKA World Championships (3rd Shoto Cup) - Individual kata – 2nd place (1990)
  • (1st place went to Aihara)
  • JKA World Championships (4th Shoto Cup) - Individual kumite – 2nd place (1992)
  • (1st place went to Imamura – see Youtube section)
  • WSKA World Championships – Individual kata – 1st place (1991)
  • WSKA World Championships – Team Kumite – 1st place (1991)
  • WSKA World Championships – Individual kumite – 3rd place (1991)
  • European Kata Champion – 3 times
  • European Kumite Champion – 3 times
  • KUGB National Kata Champion – 14 times
  • KUGB National Kumite Champion – 10 times

He retired from active competition in 1993.

Other seniors include Bob Poynton (1949-2020), Billy Higgins (b 1945) and Bob Rhodes (b 1946).

WKF (and Other) Male Karate-Ka and Competition Success - YouTube

Kata Champions

Kumite Champions