SOKE TAKESHI KITAGWA
Family Name Kitagawa
Takeshi Kitagawa is the founder of Shotokan style
“SANKUKAI”. He started learning Karate
from the first student of Gichin Funakoshi, Sensei Nakayama. Later after the death of Sensei Nakayama he
continued learning Karate from Asai Sensei. He taught Traditional Shotokan to
various people in and out of Japan, his teaching is on the basis of Japan
Traditional Culture.
Early Life
Takeshi Kitagawa was born on
January 8, 1957 in Imabari, Ehime Prefecture. His father, Yoshie Shiraishi was
a well reputed School teacher. Mother, Hiroko Kitagawa brought him up with the
help of his Grandmother Natsu Kitagwa.
Most motivating story:
Takeshi was a child with disabilities, he could not stand on his legs
without a support. His Grand Mother took
up the task of treating Takeshi, she used to carry him on her back all the way
to the Doctor until he totally recovered of his disability, in an interview he
shared that he still remembers the warmth of his Grand Mother. It was Takeshi’s Grandmother who rejected the
advice of taking up a wheal chair suggested by the Doctor. He used an Iron cast to support his legs in
his school days. Gradually by his
Grandmother’s support, regular exercise which he pursued with utmost discipline
and his will power he overcame his disability.
He started learning Aikido and Kendo (Japanese Martial Arts) and started
his journey in the field of martial arts.
He started learning Karate under Masatoshi Nakayama Sensei ( Direct
Student of Funakoshi Sensei- The father of Modern Karate). He continued his journey in Shotokan Karate
under Sensei Tetsuhiko Asai after the demise of Sensei Nakayama in the year
1987.
Education:
Chikami Primary School, Chikami
Junior High School, Matsuyama Minami High School.
He
graduated in Electronics from Kyusyu Sangyo University 九州産業大学.
Profession:
After the completion of his Graduation in
Electronics he started the job in a Shipyard in various fields like Radio, VHF,
GPS and Mouse Key. The company become bankrupt he started his own company of
Baby Wears.
He become bit popular in his
village after winning some of the championship in Japan he started teaching
Shotokan Karate in some of the club.
In the year 1985 he formed
SANKUKAI Shotokan Karate Club and was managing the branch class of JKA in Ehime
Prefecture.
SANKUKAI
Meaning
& Vision: The word SANKUKAI is a combination of three words “San”, “KU” and
“Kai”
‘San’ means make, ‘Ku’ means Karate and
‘Kai’ means an organization so internal meaning is
In the year 1985 he
formed SANKUKAI Shotokan Karate Club and was managing the branch of JKA in
Ehime Prefecture. In the year
2009 Soke moved to New Jersey, Princeton, USA and started teaching by the name
of Princeton University Shotokan Karate Club. Later the
name of the club was changed in to Princeton Shotokan SANKUKAI in the year 2012
and a website www.princetonshotokan.com
was built. As an authentic Japan Shihan
the website shown only the grade of 6th DAN which he achieved in the
2007 even though he was awarded 7th Degree Black Belt in his own
Ryuha in the year 2011. Those times the
highest DAN was the 6th only, later by many of the organizations had
started publishing their founder’s higher degree as the required levels of work
throughout the world. He was awarded 8th
Degree Black Belt in SANKUKAI by the panel in the year 2015. Takeshi preferred not to publish the higher
degree in any of the records, to mark the respect of actual Japan system of Grading
(Not Awarding). Gradually in Europe and
many of the Asian countries the highest degree of DAN was widely published by
many of the leading organizations and the system was internationally
approved.
TEACHING
HISTORY
Founder and Head instructor: Princeton
Shotokan SANKUKAI, 2012-present
Instructor, Union City Karate Program
2011-present
Karate Specialist: Jewish Community Center
of Princeton Mercer-Bucks Abrams Day Camp (grades K-6), July 2013-Aug. 2013
Instructor: “Karate for Kids” at Princeton
Center for Yoga and Health, 2011-2013
Instructor: West Windsor afterschool
program and enrichment classes, 2011
Head coach: Japan Karate Shotorenmei (JKS)
division, Union City Karate, Union City, New Jersey, 2010-present
Head instructor: Princeton University
Shotokan Karate Club, 2009-2011
Founder and head instructor: SANKUKAI
Shotokan Karate Club, Japan, 1995-2009
Shuzeki Shihan, SANKUKAI World Organization
(SWO) 2020 to the present
LICENSES,
AND QUALIFICATIONS, PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
6th degree black belt, awarded
by Master Kagawa Masao, Japan, 2007
Referee license A (both kata and kumite)
Instructor license A (children and adults)
Licenses registered with the USA Karate (National
governing body of the sport of karate) and the New York Traditional Karate
League
7th Degree of Black Belt awarded
in SANKUKAI in the year 2011
8th Degree of Black Belt awarded
in SANKUKAI in the year 2015
Current DAN in own Ryuha (SANKUKAI)
9th Degree Black Belt 2018
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
AND AWARDS
Won Gold Medal in Osawa Cup, Las Vegas
USA April 2019
Award of Commendation, Union City Karate
Recreation, New Jersey State Senate, 2014 -2015
Certificate of Appreciation, awarded by the
New York Traditional Karate League, 2013
Best Referee of the Year, awarded by the
New York Traditional Karate League, 2011
Recognized by the New Jersey Senate for
service to the community, 2010
“Certificate of Merit,” Awarded by the
state government in recognition of service to the community, 2004
2nd place All-Japan Karate
Championships, 2004
Japan Representative to Germany in a Youth
Sports Workshop and Exchange, selected by the state government, 2003
Recognition
There was an inter country Cultural exchange
program in between Germany and Japan
organized by the Government of Japan in which many Karate Instructors
participated, Takeshi was selected from Ehime Prefecture for an Interview at
Tokyo, Six Instructor were selected to represent Japan one of them was Takeshi
Kitagawa. It was a program of one
month in Frankfurt, Göttingen, Amberg, Berlin and Munich where the exchange
program took placed. The meeting with Mayors and Olympic Coaches and public
School Teachers was a part of the program. There was a Public School Event
where Takeshi demonstrated his Karate skill the news was published in German
News Paper.
ONGOING
ENGAGEMENTS
Self-Defense Seminars for the Princeton
Japanese Community, 2016-present
Referee for the Ozawa Cup, 2014-present
Monthly seminars at Union City Karate,
Union City, New Jersey, 2010-present
Self Defense COGNIZANCE. Inaugurated 21st
January 2020, Hyderabad, India.
SANKUKAI
SANKUKAI Foundation 1985.
SANKUKAI Shotokan Karate Club, Japan,
1995-2009
Princeton Shotokan SANKUKAI, 2012- to present
Nihon Shotokan Karate Do SANKUKAI – 2017
SANKUKAI World Organization (SWO) -2020
ADDITIONAL
SEMINARS TAUGHT
2020
3rd
Open SANKUAKAI Invitational Seminar at Hyderabad, India
2019
Cozumel, Mexico
Chi rei Karate Work shop at Kingsbridge,
United Kingdom
2018
Creekside Karate Club Workshop
Open speech and awareness of self defense
and inauguration of Fight Back Club at Dayapuram Arts and College for Women,
Kozhikode, Kerala- INDIA
2nd Open Invitational Seminar at
Chavakkad, Thrissure, Kerala- INDIA
Seminar at Ekarool, Balussery, Kozhikode,
Kerala – INDIA
Open Invitational Seminar at Mukkam,
Kozhikode, Kerala – INDIA
Seminar at Mananthavady, Wayanad, Kerala,
INDIA
2017
Shotokan Workshops, Ehime and Hiroshima
Prefectures, January
2016
Technical seminar at ESKA Karate Club, USA
Technical Seminar and Children’s Class, San
Francisco, CA, March
Technical Seminars, Cleveland and
Youngstown, OH, November
2015
Technical Seminar, Cozumel, Mexico, June
Series of Technical Seminars and workshops,
England, Scotland, Ireland, November
2014
Shotokan Workshops, Ehime and Hiroshima
Prefectures, Japan, September
Technical Seminars, Cleveland and
Youngstown, OH, November
2013
Technical Seminar, Detroit, MI, March
Shotokan Workshop, Ehime and Hiroshima
Prefectures, Japan, September
Technical Seminars, Sri Lanka, September
Technical Seminars, Cleveland and
Youngstown, OH, November
2012
Series of Technical Seminars and guest
Examiner, Nottingham, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; Dublin, Ireland,
November-December
2011
Technical Seminar, Youngstown, Ohio,
November
Summer Shotokan Workshop, Detroit,
Michigan, June
Technical Seminar and Children’s Class,
Queens, New York, April
2010
Technical Seminar, Cleveland, Ohio,
December
Technical Seminar, Youngstown, Ohio,
December
Children’s Seminar, Detroit, Michigan,
December
Technical Seminar and Children’s Class,
Ehime, Japan, May
2009
Technical Seminar, Cleveland, Ohio,
September and November
2007
Guest instructor for regional practice,
Columbus, Ohio, February
ADDITIONAL
CONTRIBUTION IN JAPAN
Organized Annual SANKUKAI Shotokan Karate
Club competition, attended by over 300 competitors, 2001-2007
Served as main Examiner for all SANKUKAI karate
exams (color belt and black belt)
Organized one regional practice and one
regional testing per year.
Additonal Skills
Badminton
Scuba Diving
Kayking
Table Tennis
Ice Skating
Horse Riding
