Karate Resources

To help friends and customers of Ichiban I will update this page on a regular basis with useful information and links about karate (I've also included a very short history of karate in the UK). Please let me know if you come across anything which you think visitors to this website would be interested. Enjoy your karate and contact me any time if you need some advice.
Elena Floris, Founder, Ichiban International

Karate was first taught in the UK in the 1950s by Vernon Bell, a Judo and ju-jutsu instructor. Bell trained with Henri Plee in Paris (France was the first European country to have karate). Henri Plee brought a number of Japanese instructors to France, including Tetsuji Murakami, Hiro Mochizuki, Taiji Kase, and Yoshinau Nanbu.

Through Plee, Bell brought Tetsuji Murakami to the UK to teach the first generation of British students as referenced in Shotokan Dawn books. Bell founded the British Karate Federation, and later Bell invited Hirokazu Kanazawa to the UK to teach, so introducing the JKA brand of Shotokan to the UK.

Wado Ryu was introduced to the UK when Tatsuo Suzuki came to live in Britain at the beginning of 1965. At about the same time a number of British and South African Kyokushinkai practitioners, led by Steve Arneil, arrived in the UK and that style became established.

Contact Elena


Useful website links:

1.   The S.K.M. (Shotokan Karate Magazine) by John Cheetham

2.   A precise History of Shotokan Karate by Harry Cook

3.   Mona books UK (Useful Karate books,DVDs and CDs)

4.   The JKA diaries sold by Dave Hooper in Japan
      Useful dates and events of the JKA (Japan Karate Association)

Note:

Please e-mail Ichiban if there is anything else that you would like to find on this page which you think will help your karate development.Thank you from Ichiban.