HISTORY OF U.S. KOSHIKI KARATE-DO

Koshiki Karate-do is of both an old and a new form of Karate competition.  It is derived from armour used by the japanese samurai.  Many instructors discovered that in non-contact practice, one could not test their techniques against an actual opponent without injury.

Through the efforts of Dr. Kori Hisataka 10^th Dan, he emphasized the use of protective equipment in the dojo as well as in competition. Building on his father’s knowledge and experience, Masayuki Kukan Hisataka 9^th Dan, researched and developed a new approach to the 20^th century that comprised a scientific bodyguard, with bullet-proof face shield to ensure safety, along with fair competition rules.  This modern concept is known as “Koshiki Karate-Do in which martial artist from different systems are capable of competing regardless of style.

This created a large following and Masayuki Kukan Hisataka founded the World Koshiki Karatedo Federation (WKKF) to govern Koshiki Karatedo throughout the entire world.  In the early 1980’s, major

Koshiki competitions were formed. The first 3 were held in Tokyo, Japan.

GENESIS OF KOSHIKI CHAMPIONS

The first americans to compete in Koshiki Karate-do were Michael Coleman that won the 1982 All-Japan Championships in Tokyo Japan.  Two other Americans also competed in the competition Sherman Willis, and Jack Kanner of California.

In 1985, John Gaddy won the World Koshiki Karate-do Championship in Brisbane, Australia.  According to the W.K.K.F. Gaddy, is the first American to win the Gold Medal in Koshiki Karate-Do.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN IRVINE, CALIFORNIA

In 1987, Grandmaster Robert Trias hosted his annual World Karate Championships. In addition, the W.K.K.F. Championships were also conducted. It was the first major Koshiki competition held in the United States, allowing members of Trias’s U.S.K.A. to compete in the new budo called “Koshiki”.

Later during the same year Grandmaster Trias developed two teams of his U.S.K.A group, and traveled to Japan for a U.S.A. versus Japan friendship match.  This was the second time in Koshiki history that the United States and Japan faced one another in a special event.  The first was held also in 1987 in Cranford, New Jersey at Mr. Yonezuka’s Dojo (Judo Karate Center) where U.S.A. Koshiki pioneers John Gaddy, & Chun Mon Tsang faced Hisataka’s Japan Team.

U.S. FEDERATIONS FORMED

In the early 90’s there were several organizations that were propagating Koshiki in the United States; United States Koshiki Karate Federation Headed by Kyoshi Myron Lubitsch, Shihan Dayn Derose, and Shihan Bill Nusz, American Koshiki Karate Organization headed by Kiyoshi Arakaki. There were several other groups members of Trias’s U.S.K.A. and a group from Ohio under Grandmaster George Anderson.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN AMSTERDAM

In 1992, the W.KK.F. held the 1^st European Koshiki Championships in the Netherlands.  John Gaddy won the Bronze medal in kata, and Edwin “mega” Martinez won the Gold Medal in kumite. These were the only Americans representing the United States. 

             
HANSHI HISATAKA TEACHES CLINIC IN NEW YORK           

Hanshi Hisataka conducted a seminar in New York at Kyoshi Myron Lubitsch’s  Dojo in 1994.  Later in the same year Hanshi Hisataka was invited to the United States Karate Federation’s National Championships in Akron, Ohio to demonstrate Koshiki Karate-Do.  Performing the demonstrations were Shihan John Gaddy, Shihan Edwin Martinez, Shihan Chun Mon Tsang, and Shihan Dayn Derose.  The same four traveled to Japan to compete in W.K.K.F. Championships.

 In 1996, Hanshi Hisataka visited the United States to conduct seminar in New Jersey.  Later in the year several representatives competed in  the W.K.K.F. Championships in Japan they are; Shihan Edwin “mega” Martinez, New York; and a group from Maryland Shihan Bill Nusz, Emory Knode, Warren Better, and Donny Goetz.  

U.S. KOSHIKI COMPETITIONS

Prior to the Baltimore group there were several Koshiki tournaments taking place in New York and New Jersey. After Grandmaster Trias’s death there were groups that stemmed from the U.S.K.A. that formed Koshiki tournaments.  The Group from Baltimore Nihon Takaiyama hosted a clinic with Hanshi Hisataka in 1997.  In 1999, Shihan Bill Nusz hosted the U.S.A. Cup with participants from Russia, Australia, Japan and the United States.