Karate Union of Great Britain
Encyclopedia
The Karate Union of Great Britain, or KUGB is an association of Shotokan
Karate
clubs and Karateka operating across Great Britain
, with some oversea affiliations. The 1960s saw a growth in the popularity of Karate, and the KUGB was founded in 1966 to be a democratic, not-for-profit organisation, and was the first single style organisation within the UK. Many other British Shotokan Karate organisations have since formed after splitting from the KUGB. The KUGB is currently affiliated to the European Shotokan Karate Association (ESKA) and the World Shotokan Karate Association (WSKA)
The KUGB operated as the British arm of the JKA until the death of chief instructor Keinosuke Enoeda
Sensei in 2003. Subsequently, a disagreement regarding his successor resulted in the KUGB withdrawing from the JKA, with Sensei Andy Sherry
being appointed Chief Instructor.
The KUGB was amongst the karate organisations which joined Karate England, the national governing body set up by the British Sports Council to regulate competitive (WKF
) karate (the style recognised by the International Olympic Committee
as a candidate for Olympic status).
It is the largest single-style karate association in the UK. The KUGB is organised on a regional basis, within England there are 3 regions, Southern, Central, and Northern, along with Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Each region has its own committee and chairman, and organises its own annual regional championships, which attract many entries from all ages.
Each year the KUGB organise a number of regional and national competitions and regularly send squads to represent them at international events, recently winning the senior male team kumite event at the 2007 World Shotokan Karate Association Championships and European Shotokan Karate Association Championships. The senior team retained their ESKA title in 2008 and the junior male team added to the success winning the 2008 ESKA Championships in Crawley Despite the competition successes, the teaching remains traditional as originally intended by Gichin Funakoshi
.
Shotokan
is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
Karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
clubs and Karateka operating across Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, with some oversea affiliations. The 1960s saw a growth in the popularity of Karate, and the KUGB was founded in 1966 to be a democratic, not-for-profit organisation, and was the first single style organisation within the UK. Many other British Shotokan Karate organisations have since formed after splitting from the KUGB. The KUGB is currently affiliated to the European Shotokan Karate Association (ESKA) and the World Shotokan Karate Association (WSKA)
The KUGB operated as the British arm of the JKA until the death of chief instructor Keinosuke Enoeda
Keinosuke Enoeda
was a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He was a former Chief Instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain. Enoeda was ranked 8th dan in Shotokan karate, and was widely renowned as a formidable karateka . Following his death, Enoeda was posthumously awarded the rank of 9th dan.-Early...
Sensei in 2003. Subsequently, a disagreement regarding his successor resulted in the KUGB withdrawing from the JKA, with Sensei Andy Sherry
Andy Sherry
Andy Sherry is one of the most senior British practitioners of karate and the chief instructor of the KUGB.-Biography:Born in Liverpool, Andy Sherry showed an interest in the martial arts as a young man. Initially training in judo and jujutsu, he soon took an interest in karate, starting his study...
being appointed Chief Instructor.
The KUGB was amongst the karate organisations which joined Karate England, the national governing body set up by the British Sports Council to regulate competitive (WKF
World Karate Federation
The World Karate Federation, or WKF, was formed in 1990 from former WUKO members and is the largest international governing body of sport karate with over 130 member countries. It is the only karate organization recognised by the International Olympic Committee and has more than ten million members...
) karate (the style recognised by the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
as a candidate for Olympic status).
It is the largest single-style karate association in the UK. The KUGB is organised on a regional basis, within England there are 3 regions, Southern, Central, and Northern, along with Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Each region has its own committee and chairman, and organises its own annual regional championships, which attract many entries from all ages.
Each year the KUGB organise a number of regional and national competitions and regularly send squads to represent them at international events, recently winning the senior male team kumite event at the 2007 World Shotokan Karate Association Championships and European Shotokan Karate Association Championships. The senior team retained their ESKA title in 2008 and the junior male team added to the success winning the 2008 ESKA Championships in Crawley Despite the competition successes, the teaching remains traditional as originally intended by Gichin Funakoshi
Gichin Funakoshi
was the creator of Shotokan karate, perhaps the most widely known style of karate, and is attributed as being the 'father of modern karate.' Following the teachings of Anko Itosu, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1921...
.
See also
- KarateKarateis a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
- ShotokanShotokanis a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi and his son Gigo Funakoshi . Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including...
- Keinosuke EnoedaKeinosuke Enoedawas a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He was a former Chief Instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain. Enoeda was ranked 8th dan in Shotokan karate, and was widely renowned as a formidable karateka . Following his death, Enoeda was posthumously awarded the rank of 9th dan.-Early...
- Andy SherryAndy SherryAndy Sherry is one of the most senior British practitioners of karate and the chief instructor of the KUGB.-Biography:Born in Liverpool, Andy Sherry showed an interest in the martial arts as a young man. Initially training in judo and jujutsu, he soon took an interest in karate, starting his study...
- Bob Poynton
- Terry O'Neill
- Frank BrennanFrank Brennan (karateka)Frank Brennan, is a Shotokan karateka born on the 6th of May 1960 in the City of Liverpool. He was a British karate champion in the 1970s and '80s, winning a wide variety of titles both as an individual and as part of the KUGB team. He remains a well-known and well-respected KUGB instructor and...