bui l d ing bridges

Our Karate community builds bridges with Karate instructors and organizations around the world. This gives our students the opportunity to learn different approaches to Karate and create bonds with Karateka across the globe. We connect with highlevel instructors who view Karate not just as a physical activity, but also as a way of developing humble character, confidence, leadership skills in Karate ‘diplomats’ who make the world a better place in their local, regional, and global communities. Throughout the magazine, we feature a few of the instructors who represent this approach to Karate and with whom we have developed a bond.

Sensei Takayuki Mikami, a native of Japan, is a graduate from the first class of the Instructor Training Program of the Japan Karate Association (JKA),thelargestandmost influential karate organization in the world He became the first certified instructor sent overseas by the JKA when he moved to New Orleans in 1965 to promote Shotokan karate training in theUnitedStates.

Sensei Mikami was a formidable competitor, winningtheAll-JapanChampionshipsmultiple times in both kumite (free sparring) kata (forms) After this success, he focused his efforts on instruction and training his students tobethebest

SenseiMikamidevelopedkaratetraininginthe Southern region by creating the All South Karate Association in 1965 and hosting the annual All South Tournament in New Orleans, now the longest running traditional karate tournament in the United States. In 2008, he formed the Japan Karate Association/American Federation (JKA/AF) to better serve his members and to connect directlywiththeJKAWorldFederationinJapan.

He was promoted to 9th degree black belt in 2011 and is the highest ranked JKA master in the United States. He serves as the Senior Technical Advisor to the JKA Headquarters in Tokyo, the second highest technical position aftertheJKAWorldFederationChiefInstructor.

DuringtheMayOxfordKaratetrip,wehadthe pleasure of having our dear friend, Hiro Komine(InternationalRelations,JUKF),joinus. Heflew15hoursfromTokyotoLondontobea part of this unique trip. Actually, Komine san was part of the original October 2019 trip where we first connected in person with the Oxford Karate club. Years have passed, yet the goal has remained the same: to offer opportunities to the young generation through the power of Karate diplomacy. Komine san’s goal was to invite the Oxford KaratekatoonedayjoinVazrikandCassiano on their yearly trip to Japan. Vazrik and Cassiano explained to the Oxford Karate club what the Japan University Karatedo Federation (JUKF) is, and how it is comprised of various karate styles (i.e. Shotokan ryu, Shito ryu, Goju Ryu, Wado Ryu, etc.) and is a networkofover200universitiesinJapanthat have Karate clubs. We showed the Oxford Karate students the photo albums from the JapanesevisittoBostoninSeptember,aswell as the Boston Karateka visit to Japan in November to showcase some of the bonds and opportunities built through our interactions.

One of our Karate students, a graduate student doing a Masters degree in EducationatHarvard,hadbeensimultaneouslytrainingKaratewiththeHarvard Karate Club but also studying it as part of her coursework In the fall semester, she wrote down her perspective of the Karate teaching methodology she was exposedtothatVazrikSenseiutilizes BelowisanarticlethatAllisonwroteabout the class that was reduced in length for this magazine , which we felt did a wonderful job describing how the Karate teaching is not all that different from learningsomethinginauniversityclassroom