Master Shigeru Takashina
Shigeru Takashina was a US-based instructor of the JKA (Japan Karate Association). He was also the Chief Instructor and founder of the South Atlantic Karate Association, an organization of the JKA. A graduate of the JKA Instructor's Course, Takashina was among the first crop of instructors that taught Shotokan Karate for the JKA outside of Japan.
Shigeru Takashina's Early Life
Born in Hiroshima, Japan, on September 28th, 1943, Takashina lived with his family on the outskirts of the city. With his family, Takashina managed to escape a lot of the damage caused by the atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima. Takashina first stumbled upon Karate in 1959, but it wasn't offered at his high school at the time. Therefore, he had to train at a dojo in the city.
In 1962, Takashina enrolled at Ryukoku University, a former private Buddhist monk institution. While studying there, Takashina joined the school’s karate club, where Sensei Kawakami trained him.
In 1966, Takashina graduated from the university with a Diploma in Business Administration. This diploma came in handy years later when he established Karate in the Caribbean and the US.
Becoming a JKA Instructor
Upon his graduation, Takashina moved to Tokyo to enroll in the JKA instructor course. This move was influenced by the Chief Instructor of the JKA, Masatoshi Nakayama. Nakayama wanted several karatekas to join JKA as members.
Takashina saw this as an opportunity to pursue his destiny, and two years later, he graduated. Since he was the only student to graduate that year, he became an instructor at the JKA Hombu dojo.
Working Abroad
In 1972, Takashina moved to the United States at the suggestion of Nakayama. He was the youngest JKA instructor in the United States, and he established his main dojo in Fort Lauderdale.
Shigeru Takashina died on September 3rd 2013.