This article was written by Takahashi Sensei for the AAKF 30th Anniversary National Traditional Karate Championship held in Beverly Hills, California, November 2nd and November 3rd, 1991.

My first exposure to the art of karate-do goes back to 1955, when my brother, George Takahashi, returned from Okinawa after completing his duty in the U.S. Army, demonstrated nimaigeri (double front kick) and yokotobigeri (flying side thrust kick) with a soul piercing kiai. He studied shorin-ryu karate and not until July 1961 did I learn of the Japan Karate Association - Shotokan through Mr. Hidetaka Nishiyama.

The California Karate Association, headed by George Takahashi and the group in need for further study and upgrading of techniques, decided to invite Mr. Nishiyama from the JKA, unaware to Nishiyama that he would stay until the 1990's and beyond. He came to Los Angeles intending to stay for six months, during which time he was to strengthen the instructor's group which would spread karate firmly and in a well-founded path. (Today, of over a dozen original California Karate Association black belts in the audience, only James Yabe and Gene Takahashi remain [active]...)

Mr. Nishiyama's visit to the United States was for the second time as he was sponsored by the U.S. Strategic Air Command to demonstrate karate at various air bases in the United States in 1953, from June through September with other karateists and judoists from Kodokan.

The name Nishiyama was already familiar with us at the time, as many of us read and studied from his book "KARATE: ART OF EMPTY HAND FIGHTING" (which has sold over 150,000 copies to date). When we went to meet Mr. Nishiyama at the airport, many of us whispered, "he looks just lie he does in the book," with the same stern, rigid look as he ad in the book. In contrast to this rigid image, his first word to us was, "Hello!" with a big, warm friendly smile. Someone murmured, "he's just like us," with a feeling of relief in the air...

The Birth of the AAKF

On December 3, 1961, the Committe for Organization of Karate League, under the sponsorship of the California Karate Association took an ambitious step to host the First All American Tournament in Los Angeles at the Olympic Auditorium. The results of the tournament were: first place in kumite, James Yabe; second place, Gene Takahashi; and James Yabe capturing the grand championship in kumite and kata. The most significant outcome of this event was the establishing of the All American Karate Federation (AAKF). Since that time, the AAKF continued to sanction the annual tournaments which were hosted at various cities in a rotational cycle, making this year the 30th Anniversary.

In 1979, the AAKF was renamed "American Amateur Karate Federation," by the actions of the National Sporting Governing Body, making the AAKF a non-profit corporation, beneficial to the public. The headquarters were located in Los Angeles and had served various functions:

a) to raise the quality of the instructors' teaching level
b) assist any school/club in need
c)raise the standards of judges through repeated seminars
d) host the International Summer Camp at San Diego
e)training of the U.S. team
f) playing a key role in the leadership of the International Traditional Karate Federation and many other matters related to karate.

Internationally

An effort to hold the First International Goodwill Karate Tournament was organized in 1965 by the All American Tournament Committee comprised of the AAKF, U.S. Wado-School (Mr. Yoshiaki Ajari), U.S. Gojyu-ryu (Mr. Gosei Yamaguchi). The committee invited one of the leading organizations in Japan, the All Japan Collegiate Karate Federation to hold a U.S. - Japan Goodwill Tournament in 1965. The director of the Japanese Team was known to us in the past few years, Mr. Tomoharu Kisaki. I was given the privilege to coach the U.S. Team on many occasions (including the First World Karate-Do Tournament in 1970). Although the U.S. Team lost to the Japanese Team, the winning of the U.S. Team in the second Goodwill Tournament held in Tokyo and Osaka in 1967 stunned the Japanese. The defeat of the Japanese Team made a splashing news headline. Those participants of the U.S. Team were James Yabe, who still trains under Nishiyama, and is a good instructor and student; Ray Dalke, Takashi Aoki, Frank Smith and James Couzens.

Looking Into The Future

The AAKF now represents U.S. traditional karate as a member of the International Traditional Karate Federation consisting of 76 countries. As the ship of the AAKF sails into the international waters of the ITKF; advancing and growing rapidly, I cannot help but join in the endeavor to give back to karate what, it has given me and to teach the future generations to come.

Profile Of Mr. Hidetaka Nishiyama

Last but not least, I must introduce to you a gentleman who carried the 30th Anniversary 1991 National Traditional Karate Championship to Beverly Hills, California.

One of the top students of the late Gichin Funakoshi (founder of modern karate-do), he earned third degree black belt from Funakoshi while attending a university. He attained fifth degree in 1960. He was an instrument in organizing the Collegiate Karate Union in 1950, and was the co-founder of JKA-Shotokan in 1951. He was involved in the U.S. Air Force Strategic Air Command and visited the U.S. for a demonstration in 1953 with other martial arts masters. Said Mr. Nishiyama, "Americans in those days never heard of karate." Nishiyama became the JKA Chief of the Instruction Committee. In his second visit to the U.S. in 1961, he organized the AAKF and was a promoter of the First American Karate Championship Tournament, along with being President of the AAKF and Chairman of the ITKF.

The following photographs are from the "5th European Traditional Fukokan Karate Championship" and the "3rd Balkan Juniors & Seniors Traditional Karate Championship" held February 6 - 8, 1998 in Valjevo, Yugoslavia.
Follow the link to the Bulgarian Federation of Traditional Karate WebSite.

Nishiyama Sensei at 5th European Traditional Fukokan Karate Championship & 3rd Balkan Juniors & Seniors Traditional Karate Championship - 6 - 8 Feb. 1998

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This Page as last revised 12/14/1998