JAPANESE instructor, Sensei Tomiko Mitsuoka is already in
Nigeria for the 3rd edition of the Zainab Saleh International Female Open
Karate Championship scheduled to hold from 1st to 5th June at the Sir Molade
Okoya-Thomas Sports Hall, Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos.
The competition is the “Brain Child” of Hajiya Zainab
Saleh, a 4th Dan Shotokan Karateka, the sponsor and also the technical director
of Lagos State Karate Association, sportsbiz247.blogspot.com
reports.
Tomiko Sensei, 8th Dan World Shotokan Karate-do
Federation (WSKF) England who arrived Lagos on Sunday, is expected to conduct a preceding two-day open seminar and interactive session for children and adults of all
ages, grades and styles at the Sir Molade Okoya-Thomas Sports Hall, Teslim
Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos on June 1 and 2 before the main championship
begins on June 3 .
World Shotokan Karate-De Federation, Nigeria Chapter’s
Chief Instructor, Sensei Bob Bamgboye highlights the person called Tomiko
Mitsuoka on his Facebook page:
Tomiko Mitsuoka Sensei is one the highest Japanese women
karate instructors in the world, a “World Shotokan Karate-do Federation” WSKF
8th Dan, she was born in Japan in 1948 and stated the study of shotokan karate
in 1966 at the age of 18 years old with the initial purpose to learn self
defense after been employed in department store with long late hours.
Tomiko Sensei remembers that it was not popular for
ladies to study martial arts at that time and found it very difficult to join a
dojo until her cousin who was a karate instructor introduced her to his sensei
Hirano Sensei one of the original students of Master Funakoshi and one of the
co-founders of the JKA. Karate training during those periods was different from
now however I do try and en-cooperate some of the old ways with the new ways in
order to keep training more interesting in my dojo she says, it was 75% Kihon
and 25% Kumite and Kata. Very strict and not much explanation just following
instructions and training very hard.
Tomiko Sensei traveled to England in 1971 to study English and returned in 1973 and joined Kanazawa Sensei “Yotsuya” Dojo where
she trained three times a week under the resident instructor Seto Sensei at the
time a nidan sensei (Seto Sensei not to be confused with his senior brother who
won the JKA championship) and also Mrs. Kobayashi who was the first JKA kata
woman’s champion. Master Kamiyanagi was the chairman of the dojo.
Additionally Sensei Tomiko attended Hoitsugan Dojo once a
month where Nakayama and Kanazawa Sensei shared a apartment, The apartment had
an underground where they had small dojo, many JKA instructors who had been
abroad teaching Karate and returned to Japan also attended the dojo to train
and exchange experiences under Kanazawa Sensei instruction, I was a 1st Dan at
the time and learn’t all the shotokan kata from him Sensei Tomiko recalls.
After giving birth to her first son in 1978 already a 4th
Dan she returned to training and Kanazawa Sensei and his dojo had already left
the JKA and had formed the SKI, Kasuya Sensei was assisting with the training
at the honbu dojo and their relationship continue to grow in to a senpei and
kohai one. Due to various matters in 1990 Kasuya Sensei & Master Kamiyanagi
decided to call a meeting to air their views, Tomiko sensei and about twenty
Japanese black belts and instructors were the meeting and the outcome was for
them to form the WSKF, It is a shame that we lost Master Kamiyanagi last year
after our 25 years anniversary and he cannot see the continuous growth of WSKF
today as we have over 200 countries now, students number are growing as well as
countries all the time Tomiko Sensei says.
Tomiko Sensei in her early days was very successful in
karate competition and won many individual and team events in the JKA, SKI and
WSKF now retired she is known as one of best Judges and Referees in the WSKF
and attends all WSKF world championship where she is one of the chief referees
or head judge.
Tomiko sensei is also a member of WSKF Shihan-Kai Japan,
she has been living and teaching karate in England since 1994 and is the WSKF
England Technical Director and the chief instructor of the Renseikan WSKF dojos
in the UK. Travels to other counties to teach and collaborates with other
organizations to conduct courses
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