Japan Karate Association

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 most influential Shotokan karate organizations in the world. It is also one of the oldest karate organizations continuously in operation until the present.

Origins

Gichin Funakoshi played a major role in introducing karate from Okinawa to Japan, adjusted to reduce injury and merged with approaches for athletic training. On May 27, 1949, some of his senior students, such as Isao Obata, Masatoshi Nakayama, and Hidetaka Nishiyama, formed a karate organization dedicated to research, promotion, events management, and education: the Japan Karate Association. Funakoshi, then around 80 years old, held a position equivalent to emeritus chief instructor. Nakayama designated as the chief instructor.

The JKA emerged from karate clubs at Japanese universities located in the Tokyo region. Most of these universities, however, distanced themselves from the JKA during the 1950s. Takushoku University always kept strong ties with the JKA, being the alma mater of many of the senior JKA instructors, such as Nakayama, Nishiyama, Okazaki, Asai, Kanazawa, and Enoeda, who were responsible for the JKA's consolidation during the 1960s and 1970s.

Keisuke Nemoto

Keisuke Nemoto (Nemoto Keisuke, 31 May 1979) is a Japanese instructor of Shotokan karate. He has won the JKA All-Japan championships for kumite. He is currently an instructor of the Japan Karate Association.

Biography

Keisuke Nemoto was born in Chiba Prefecture, Japan on 31 May 1979. He studied at Chiba Industrial University. His karate training began at age 5.

Competition

Keisuke Nemoto has won the JKA All Japan Karate Championship multiple times and reached 3rd place at the Funakoshi Gichin Cup World Karate-do Championship Tournament twice.

Major tournaments

References

JKA England

JKA England (JKAE) is the official Japan Karate Association (JKA) organisation for Shotokan karate in England and Wales. Every year JKAE holds Spring and Autumn courses inviting instructors from the JKA honbu dojo to teach.

History

JKAE was officially formed in 2003 by several clubs from KUGB. Following the death of Enoeda, formerly chief representative of JKA in the UK and head of KUGB, there was a disagreement between the JKA, the KUGB, Andy Sherry (the next highest ranked instructor) and Yoshinobu Ohta (Enoeda's assistant). The result was that JKAE was formed with Ohta as chief instructor and the KUGB withdrew from the JKA with Andy Sherry as their chief instructor. Some KUGB clubs transferred to JKAE to form the new association, they possibly wanted to remain affiliated to the JKA or perhaps had a stronger sense of loyalty to Ohta. The division had a strong geographic correlation: most northern clubs chose KUGB and most southern clubs chose JKAE.

Instructors

Chief instructor is Yoshinobu Ohta, ranked at 7th Dan. He is a graduate of Takushoku University and attended the JKA instructor's classes at the JKA honbu dojo in Tokyo. Ohta was the assistant of Keinosuke Enoeda for 20 years, from 1982.