Tuesday, 31 May 2016

Meet Sensei Tomiko, the Japanese instructor for 3rd Saleh Karate Open

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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