Soke Takeshi Kitagawa

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

“To make an organization of good karateka”

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 6^th DAN which he achieved in the 2007 even though he was awarded 7^th Degree Black Belt in his own Ryuha in the year 2011.  Those times the highest DAN was the 6^th 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 8^th 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

6^th 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

7^th Degree of Black Belt awarded in SANKUKAI in the year 2011

8^th Degree of Black Belt awarded in SANKUKAI in the year 2015

Current DAN in own Ryuha (SANKUKAI)

9^th 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

2^nd 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 21^st 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

3^rd 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

2^nd 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