Shotokan Karate Magazine

08/08/2025

Shotokan Karate Magazine Issue 165 SEPTEMBER 2025
FEATURES:
The first interview in this edition features KWF Chief Instructor Sensei Masamichi Otsuka 6th Dan. A protégé and long time student of the legendary Mikio Yahara Shihan. Otsuka sensei comes across as a very humble, quiet individual. However, as you will read in the interview, he is quite the opposite when it comes to his karate. He is deadly serious about training with 100% effort in all techniques, kihon, kata and kumite. Although still only 42 years old, Otsuka sensei has a long pedigree in karate, starting from the age of five under the strict eyes of his father, also a Shotokan sensei.

Our second interview features Sensei Errol Mahoney 5th Dan JSKA based in Florida, USA. Errol spent several years training in Japan while stationed at the Yokota Air Force Base in Tokyo.

Other Articles include:
• Origins of Jiyu Kumite: By Graham Noble
• Has The Title–‘Sensei’ Got out of Hand? By John Cheetham
• Bunkai: To Analyse – To Breakdown: By David Stainko
• Kaeshi Ippon Kumite: By Martin J Smith
• Periodisation of Training for Non-Competitive Karateka: By Paul Dowell

Good Health, Good Training.
Editor.
https://www.shotokanmag.com/

09/05/2025

Shotokan Karate Magazine Issue 164 JUNE 2025
FEATURES JULIE NICHOLSON 7th Dan HDKI
Julie Nicholson was born in Jarrow, Tyne & Wear in the North East of England in November 1964. She began her Shotokan karate training in 1975. We featured an earlier interview with Julie in SKM Issue 66 February 2001. So, it’s interesting to now read her views and ideas after 24 more years of continuous training, plus her extensive teaching experience. Many subscribers in the UK and in Europe will know Julie Nicholson from her incredibly successful competition days where she had a fantastic career. She won 15 KUGB Kata titles and was a three-times European Kata Champion. Julie Nicholson made history in 2001 at the KUGB National Championships when she became the first woman to become Grand Champion. She won both the Individual Kata and Kumite events. Julie was an active member of the KUGB National Squad from 1983 until 2001 when she retired from International Competition. From the beginning of her career Julie was coached by her husband, John Holdsworth sensei 7th Dan, who provided the structure, guidance and encouragement to keep going in order to reach her goals. Both are now members of HDKI. I think it’s fair to say that SKM is more focused on featuring karateka who have passed the competition years of their own karate journey. From the conversations I’ve had, that goes for many subscribers/readers of the magazine. It’s a period which many karateka go through. l would like to conduct more interviews with younger karateka but the majority only want to talk about their competition career or tournament karate in general. Again, we have a good, varied choice of articles in this issue, one very interesting piece by Tim Hanlon (USA) a student of the late Hidetaka Nishiyama regarding teaching karate; namely, are instructors actually, ‘Showing or Showing Off’.
Editor.
https://www.shotokanmag.com/

09/02/2025

https://www.shotokanmag.com We have a very diverse series of articles in this edition of SKM. Starting with an interview with sensei Georges Dussart 6th Dan, a founder member of Shotokan Connect, a new group formed here in England. Plus articles by senseis Tom Kompier, Martin Fernandez, Albert Cheah, Matt Price, Graham Noble, and Dr Wolf Herbert. We’ve not had an article by Graham Noble, the renowned Karate Historian, for quite a few years. It shines a light on the progression of Shotokan in the hands of the formidable Yosh*taka Funakoshi. We had quite a response to my oizuki article in the last issue. To follow this up, we have an excellent technical article by Sensei Tom Kompier from the Netherlands, who featured in the article. Tom reflects on the oizuki technique we all practice and the many aspects involved in its ex*****on. Editor.

08/11/2024

https://www.shotokanmag.com
The latest edition of SKM Issue 162 December 2024 has two interviews with two very experienced sensei. The first features Sensei Martin J Smith, a British instructor with a quite different story to tell. Martin started his Karate journey in Shotokan Karate then studied various other Martial Arts including Traditional weapons. After 50 years of continuous training, his focus now is on both Shotokan Karate-do and Kobudo. Training with Traditional weapons, e.g. Sai, Bo etc, as Martin explains, adds another dimension to one’s Martial Arts experience.

The other interview in this edition features 80 year old London based Sensei, Rod Butler, a former student of the late legendary Keinosuke Enoeda sensei. Still training and teaching with SKE (Shotokan Karate England), Rod is the author of the best selling book, dedicated to the life story of Enoeda Sensei entitled: ‘Keinosuke Enoeda: Tiger of Shotokan Karate’.
Cover Photo By Paul Ives.

12/10/2024

EDITOR’S COMMENT......
Sad news for the Shotokan World; the legendary Shotokan Sensei, Hiroshi Shirai passed away peacefully at his home in Milan, Italy on October 9th, 2024, surrounded by his family, leaving behind a remarkable legacy as one of the most influential karate masters in Shotokan history. Hiroshi Shirai was born on July 31, 1937, in Nagasaki, Japan. He began practicing karate in 1956. In 1962, he won both the kata and kumite in the Japan Karate Association (JKA) Championships earning the title of “Grand Champion.” Shirai sensei was deeply influenced by Masatoshi Nakayama and especially Hidetaka Nishiyama.
In 1965, Shirai sensei moved to Milan, Italy, where he promoted and taught Shotokan karate across Europe. He developed the self-defense aspect of karate, which he called “Goshindo.” Shirai sensei was renowned for his superb technique and smooth, effortless karate. He was awarded 10th dan in 2011, by the Italian Traditional Karate Association (FIKTA), further solidifying his legacy in the Art of Karate-do. RIP Shirai Sensei. Osu!

09/08/2024

Shotokan Karate Magazine
Issue 161 September 2024
Features Brazilian karateka, Sensei Ricardo Carvalho who has spent a total of 35 years training in Japan at the JKA Honbu dojo, Takushoku University (Takudai) and Nakayama Sensei’s Hoitsugan dojo. Ricardo Carvalho Sensei has an amazing pedigree yet comes across as a humble, modest man who experienced something quite unique by absorbing the austere training and huge cultural differences in Japan of the 1970s. Even after his fifty years of training, one thing that stands out is Ricardo’s insistence on remaining at Sandan (3rd Dan), which was awarded to him by the late JKA Chief Instructor, Masatoshi Nakayama in 1976.
Also featured is a Tribute to Sensei Masaaki Ueki 10th Dan, The Chief instructor of the JKA, (Japan Karate Association), who sadly died on July 14th, 2024. He was 85 years old. We at SKM and the whole Shotokan family would like to offer our deepest condolences. Masaaki Ueki sensei was one of the last of his generation of World famous JKA instructors who have now passed away.
Rest in Peace Ueki Sensei. Osu! Editor.

17/05/2024

SKM Issue 160 features Sensei Elmo Diederiks 6th Dan WKF.
After reading his excellent in-depth Document (thesis) which we have posted on the SKM website, (Articles & Interviews) by Elmo Diederiks, a 50 year old Shotokan instructor from the Netherlands, I definitely wanted to do an interview with him. Elmo is at the age where he has been through and experienced both worlds of Karate, Traditional and also WKF Sport/Karate; the story shines a light on a modern, progressive approach to training.
From this edition of SKM (issue 160) All overseas subscriptions will only be available in digital format, which is an on-screen version with exactly the same layout as the UK Printed paper Magazine but with great on-screen navigating qualities. All back Issues no's 1-159 will be available to purchase digitally too, so you can build up the complete SKM library online - stored just a login away. Editor. https://www.shotokanmag.com

28/03/2024

09/02/2024

https://www.shotokanmag.com The latest edition of SKM Issue 159 March 2024 features Jean Pierre Lavorato.
Sensei Jean Pierre Lavorato is one of the most senior Shotokan instructors in Europe, having started training in France in the era of Dominic Valera and Henry Plée. He later came into contact with Kase sensei who arrived in France in 1967 and who became a massive influence on Jean Pierre’s future in karate. Still training and teaching at the age of 79, Lavorato sensei
has been a true inspiration for countless Shotokan students over the past 55 years.
Cover Photo By Jean Marc Lopez.

09/02/2024

https://www.shotokanmag.com You'll see SKM's new website, like karate done well, keeps it simple. You can effortlessly navigate the full archive (40 years worth) of magazines, plus extra articles and interviews. The simplified shop makes purchasing a subscription, or the available 44 hard copy back issues or back issues 1-149 available on disc, with ease.
For security reasons all SKM's previous online customers will need to register at this updated site as a New Customer. This small inconvenience will be worth it as there's added protection. The new site allows you to use Passkeys - a safer and easier alternative to passwords. We all need to be safe and have confidence when shopping online and SKM's site offers that defence.