Karate Changed His Life

Global Martial Arts University Student Sean Robinson’s Story

Shotokan Karate and Ultimate Bo

Shotokan Karate Online Course

Sean is a shotokan and ultimate bo student in the Global Martial Arts University. He also competed in the 2019 Global Martial Arts World Championships and placed in both divisions. He teaches art, and has a craft pottery studio.

Sean lives in Jamestown, North Carolina.

You can learn Krav Maga, learn Shotokan Karate, learn Martial Arts, or learn then all and become an expert in self defense.

Shotokan Karate (JKA and ITKF)

“The ultimate goal of karate lies not in victory or defeat but in the perfection of participants characters” – Gichin funakoshi (founder of shotokan)

Karate is a martial art developed in Okinawa, under the influence of Chinese and local martial artists.
It is now predominantly a striking art using punching, kicking, knees, elbows and open hand techniques. Grappling, sweeps, throws, joint locks and vital point strikes are also taught.

1. Okinawa was annexed by Japan in 1879.
2. Karate was brought to Japan in the early 20th century.
3. In 1922 the Japanese ministry of education invited Gichin Funakoshi to Tokyo to give a karate demonstration.
4. In 1924 the first university karate club was founded in mainland japan
5. By 1932, major Japanese universities had one or more karate clubs.
6. After world war II, Okinawa became an important United States military site and karate became popular among servicemen stationed there.

Karate started to spread very quickly after WWII, and now there are over 100 Million practitioners all around the world.  By 2020, Karate will be added to the Olympics as a demonstration event in Japan.

Shotokan Karate

1. Shotokan is a style of karate developed by Gichin Funakoshi (1906-1945). Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate do through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs.  Funakoshi had many students at the university clubs and outside dojos, who continued to teach karate after his death 1957.

JKA (Japan Karate Association)

On May 27, 1949, some of his senior students (Mr Obama, Nakayama, Nishiyama) formed a karate organization (JKA) dedicated to research, promotion, events management and education.

The JKA included some famous instructors such as:

• Nakayama
• Nishiyama
• Kase
• Asai
• Kanazawa
• Shirai
• Enoeda…

These top level instructors spread shotokan karate all over the world.  The JKA experienced several divisions from the 1970s onwards. Mr. Kase and Mr. Shirai Sensei created the world karate do shotokan academy and Mr. Nishiyama Sensei created the International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF).

ITKF (International Traditional Karate Federation)

Was created by a prominent Japanese master of shotokan karate, Sensei Hidetaka Nishiyama (October 10, 1928-November 7, 2008) who was an internationally recognized instructor, author, and administrator that helped to establish the JKA. Nishiyama was one of the last surviving students of Gichin Funakoshi founder of Shotokan Karate and was based in the U.S. from 1961 until his death in 2008. He was a pioneer of karate in this country.

He was also awarded the rank of 10th Dan in karate after his death. Nishiyama always refused the rank of 10th Dan because he believed to do so and acquire the highest rank meant that his learning and his life would be over. Ironically, he would never accept the rank while he lived.