On August 27th 2004 an important exchange of friendship in the world of Shukokai karate took place in Japan between Samurai Karate International headed by Shihan Paul Mitchell of Australia and Seikukai lead by Kawata Shigemasa, 9th Dan Kaicho, based in Kobe, Japan.
After 18 months of planning these two karate organizations from east and west have come together to form a new worldwide karate group with strength and a focused desire to practice and nurture traditional Shukokai.
Shukokai Karate was formed in 1949 by the late Master Chojiro Tani who passed away in 1998. After Tani's death a void was created within the Shukokai world which has taken some time to be addressed.
This has now seen the emergence of the SWKA (Shukokai World Karate Association). The decision to form the SWKA has come from a desire for the mentioned void to be filled by attracting strong Shukokai practitioners to continue the traditions and dreams of Sensei Tani.
When Sensei Tani passed away Kawata Sensei made the decision to retire which left Seikukai's future uncertain. At this time Samurai Karate International had joined with the Shukokai World Union headed by Sensei Yamada, In 2002 Sensei Paul Mitchell asked Kawata Sensei if he would come out of retirement to teach Shukokai Karate 'Do to Samurai Karate International. Sensei Kawata gracefully accepted and so the SWKA was born.
Now in 2004 this new Shukokai organization has been made official with over 50 instructors and students from Samurai International (Australia, Britain, Germany and New Zealand) visiting Kobe, Japan to train with Kawata Kaicho and attend official ceremonies. It was an event of goodwill with a tournament included between all countries present and most importantly the ground breaking ceremony for the new SWKA Honbu dojo.
On Sunday August 29th 2004 at 10am in Kobe, Japan a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the site of the SWKA's new world Honbu dojo took place. It was attended by over 50 Shukokai practitioners including Kawata Kaicho, Shihan Paul Mitchell and Shihan Katsuhiro Doi and his family. The ceremony was performed in the Shinto tradition, by a local Shinto priest. It was an awesome cultural experience, and conducted with Great Spirit and friendship. It represents a positive and vibrant future for the inception of our new karate organization, the Shukokai World Karate Association. In the next 18 months the new dojo will be built on what can only be described as solid ground , I am proud to have been able to witness the birth of a karate organization and its new home and look forward to many training trips to the honbu dojo in future years , especially with fond memories of personally being a part of its very beginning.
A big thank you to Sensei Kawata, Sensei Paul Mitchell, Sensei Doi, Sensei Kohji Doi and all those that help make this visit to Japan so warm and friendly.
Andrew Kowanjko
Chief Instructor Samurai Karate NZ
3rd Dan Shukokai ' Jun Shidoin
