ESKA (English Shotokan Karate Association) trains in the Traditional Shotokan Karate style brought to Great Britain by Sensei Hirokazu Kanazawa in the early 1960s. The origins of ESKA can be traced back through Sensei Nursey into the long history of Shotokan Karate. ESKA adheres to the same high standards and principles as set by the founder of Shotokan Karate - Sensei Gichin Funakoshi, thought of by many as the Father of modern day Karate. These guiding principles are Effort, Sincerity, Character, Courage and Truth.

ESKA is affiliated to MASA (the Martial Arts Standards Agency), the Martial Arts Industry Lead Body. The ESKA association has grown steadily since its creation in 1979 into many clubs training in different towns around Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridge and Essex. Sensei Nursey (8^th Dan) now runs the largest of these clubs in Stevenage with ESKA's other clubs run by Senior Dan Grades (up to 6^th Dan) who, in the most part, have trained all their Karate lives under Sensei Nursey.

History of Shotokan Karate

There are many types of Oriental fighting arts, and some can be traced back over 2,000 years. For various historical and geographical reasons the Japanese Island of Okinawa, halfway between Japan and Formosa, came into contact with many of these fighting arts, especially those of China. Many of the features from these arts were added to a native Okinawa fighting art. In 1609 the Japanese invaded Okinawa and banned the use and carrying of weapons, so the warrior-class secretly trained themselves in unarmed self-defence, using and improving the ancient techniques. Since they were preparing to fight armed men, they developed techniques which could dispose of the opponent with one technique, even if he was wearing samurai armour. The secrecy was imperative since punishment for even practicing a martial art could be extreme. Much of the training was done at night while the oppressors slept and therefore, the practioners trained in their sleeping garments (possibly the predecessor to the modern karate "gi").

Thus modern karate is the outcome of centuries of interchange between China, the Tyukyus and Japan. It only recently came to be openly taught to the puplic, first in Okinawa and later in Japan. During 1917 and 1922 the late Gichin Funakoshi, who was then a Professor at the Okinawa Teachers College, was invited to lecture at an exhibition of traditional martial arts sponsored by the Ministry of Education. The demonstration was so successful that he stayed on in Tokyo to teach Karate at various universities and the Kodokan, Home of Judo, until he was able to establish the Shotokan Dojo in 1936 from which the name of the style originated. The name "Shotokan" is derived from Master Funakoshi's nickname or pen name, "Shoto" combined with "kan", which is the Japanese word for school. Today the name "Shotokan" applies to the type of Karate as taught originally by Master Funakoshi. By 1935 karate clubs were established at most of the leading universities in Japan. The Japan Karate Association (JKA) was established in May 1949 with Sensei Funakoshi appointed as honorary Chief Instructor.

Sensei Gichin Funakoshi

Sensei Gichin Funakoshi was born in Shuri, Okinawa in 1868. As a young boy he was trained by two masters of that time in slightly different styles. From Master Yasutsune Azato he was instructed in "Shuri-te" and from Master Yasutsune Itosu he was instructed "Naha-te". It would be from the joining of these two styles that would one day become Shotokan Karate.

He moved to Japan to popularise the 'Way of The Empty Hand' (literal translation of "Karate") in early 1922. Established his own Dojo and began to teach Karate to many professional people in Tokyo. The J.K.A. was formed and became a centre of excellence in the Karate world. From there highly trained Instructors were sent out to different areas of the world to promote Karate.

Sensei Guichin Funakoshi passed away in 1957 at the age of 88.

Sensei Masatoshi Nakayama

Sensei Masatoshi Nakayama was born in 1913 and began training in Karate under the great master Funakoshi Gichin in 1931. After graduating from Takushoko University in 1937 he went to Peking to study Chinese, whilst there he also studied various styles of Chinese fighting. He became the 2^nd Chief Instructor of the JKA after Sensei Funakoshi passed away in November 1957. He was responsible for the global dissemination of Karate in the 1960's and 1970's, and for placing it on a firm scientific foundation after performing an in-depth study of the principles of Kinesiology, Anatomy, Phsychology & Physics involved in Karate training.

He has published a number of books including "Dynamic Karate", an in depth study of Kihon (basics) and produced vidoes providing detailed technical and practical information on Kata, Kihon and Kumite.

Sensei Masatoshi Nakayama passed away on April 15^th, 1987 at the age of 74. He held the grade of 10^thDan.

Sensei Hirokazu Kanazawa

Sensei Hirokazu Kanazawa (b. 1931) trained under Sensei Nakayama and became one of the J.K.A.`s most gifted students. He was one of the first three JKA Instructors to qualify from the famous JKA Instructors Training Course in 1956 (with Mikami and Takura), and won the first JKA Kumite Championship in 1957 (with a broken hand) and the Kata in 1958 (sharing the Kumite honours with Mikami). Sensei Kanazawa was invited to teach Karate in England in 1965. In 1974, along with Sensei Asano, Sensei Kanazawa started Shotokan Karate International (S.K.I.). He became and still is one of Karate's greatest living ambassadors, his unique talents mean he is in constant demand all over the world.

Sensei Kanazawa is both Chairman and World Chief Instructor of the worlds largest Shotokan Karate organisation, the Shotokan Karate-do International Federation and is one of the few remaining karateka privileged to have studied under Master Gichin Funakoshi.

In April 2000, while attending the 7th S.K.I.F. World Championships in Bali, Shihan Kanazawa was promoted to the grade of 10^th Dan. He is currently the only living Shotokan Master to hold such a high grade.

The formation of ESKA

As Kanazawa rarely came to Britain, the senior Instructors of ESKA, having trained and graded with Kanazawa Sensei in the late 60`s and through the 70s formed the English Shotokan Karate Association in June 1979, and is one of the most senior karate associations in the country. The original founding members of ESKA read like a "Who's Who in British Karate" - they were Michael Randall, Michael Nursey, Roger Hall, John Van Weenen, Eddie Witcher, Mick Billman, Greg Durant and Harry Jones, many of which have gone on to found other successful Associations in their own right.

The lineage from Sensei Funakoshi to the current members of ESKA can be seen in the diagram below (Only 4th Dan and above shown for clarity);

Funakoshi Sensei (1868 - 1957)
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Nakayama Sensei (1913 - 1987)
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Kanazawa Sensei (b. 1931)
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Sensei Randall (8^th Dan)
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Sensei Nursey (8^th Dan)
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Nick Lower (6^th Dan)

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Gavin Paul - Paul Raymond - Rae Nursey - Lois McManus (all 5^th Dans)
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Paul Grimsey - Owen Ramsden - John Gillespie - Richard Scoot - George Fullarton - Sarah Fullarton - John Higgins - Angus Pearson - Tony Stones - Garry Hutton - Geoff Browne (all 4^th Dans)

Sensei Randall

Sensei Michael Randall was born in 1944 and began Shotokan Karate under English Karate Federation instructors Jimmy Neal and Terry Wingrove in 1964. He is one of the few men in Britain still training to have been taught by Masters Tetsuji Murakami and Hiroo Mochizuki. As an original disciple of Hirokazu Kanazawa, he was the fourth person in Britain to obtain a black belt under Sensei Kanazawa in January 1967 (another fellow ESKA founding father, Eddie Whitcher was the first, in April 1966, sadly now passed away). Sensei Randall is a staunch traditionalist and much respected for his Kata. He nevertheless has represented Great Britain in kumite against the Japanese. Living and training in North London, any spare time is taken up listening to classical music or with Masonic work. Currently, he is Chief Instructor to the Shotokan Traditional Karate Organisation and ranked 8^th Dan.

Sensei Nursey

Sensei Michael Nursey was born in 1949 and his interest in martial arts began at the age of 14, practising Judo and Ju-Jitsu under John Hawkes. He started training in Shotokan Karate in 1967 under Sensei Enoeda and John Van Weenen. After fourth Kyu, he continued under Senseis Kanazawa, Asano and Randall and became Sensei Randall's first black belt, awarded by Master Kanazawa in 1971. Throughout the 1970's he toured the UK and Europe competing against the top teams in the World in both Kata and Kumite and helping to establish English Karate on the World stage.

In 1974 he achieved 2^nd Dan under Sensei Kanazwa and went on to take his 3^rd Dan in 1978.

In 1998 along with Sensei Randall and Dr Clive Layton he produced and co wrote the excellant book "THE SHOTOKAN BOOK OF FACTS I", which was followed a year later with "THE SHOTOKAN BOOK OF FACTS II".

He is a England Referee (having been one of the first qualified National Referees with Peter Spanton) and is one of the first NVQ City & Guilds qualified Assessors in Karate. Living in Bedfordshire with his wife, Raesa, a 5^th Dan Karateka, his leisure activities include off piste skiing. He is also a qualified PADI scuba diver.

Sensei Nursey is Chief Instructor to the English Shotokan Karate Association and currently holds the rank of 8^th Dan which was awarded in December 2007 and presented by Sensei Nick Lower at that years ESKA Dinner & Dance.