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Legend:
Yutaka Yaguchi Sensei

Yaguchi.jpg

Sensei Yaguchi was Vice Chief Instructor and Chairman of Technical Committee of the International Shotokan Karate Federation (ISKF) and 9th dan (9th degree black belt). Currently he is an advisor of ISKF. Also, he was Chief Instructor and Chairman, ISKF Mountain States Region. He had traveled extensively, teaching karate in many countries.

 

He was born in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1932 and began karate training in 1952. He later tested under masters Gichin Funakoshi for his 1st dan black belt and Masatoshi Nakayama for his 2nd through 8th dan black belts.

As one of the members in the 3rd class of graduates enrolled in the Japan Karate Association (JKA) Instructors' Training Program (1959); he had played an important role in the growth of JKA karate and the internationalization of Shotokan karate.

Sensei Yaguchi first arrived in the United States on June 5, 1965, and continues to reside in the US to the present day. In 1974, he founded ISKF of Colorado, the regional headquarters for the Mountain States Region.

On December 17th, 2016, after over 60 years of Karate Instruction, he retired from his teaching and organizational positions. His training continues as he remodeled his house basement into his personal training area. Sometimes, he randomly shows up in Denver Dojo for training.

Tenran Enbu, 1961

Demonstration

This picture was taken on June 13th, 1961 at 5th Annual All Japan Tournament. Demonstration with Master Nakayama in front of Japanese prince Akihito, who has later become the reigning emperor in 1989.

Dec. 17, 2016

Last Seminar

 

People came from all over the world to have the last seminar with Sensei Yaguchi, even though the seminar was only for a couple of hours.

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