Karate Union Of Great Britain

General information

Formation of the KUGB

In 1965, the JKA sent four of its most famous and talented Instructors, Taiji Kase, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Keinosuke Enoeda and Hiroshi Shirai to tour Europe and give demonstrations of Shotokan Karate. The British part of the tour was coordinated by the British Karate Federation, a group of 10-15 clubs which had existed since 1959.

In 1966, Sensei Kanazawa was invited to come to teach in Britain and the KUGB was founded from the BKA clubs as a democratic and non-profit making organisation for the development of Shotokan Karate, with Sensei Kanazawa as Chief Instructor.

In 1968, Sensei Kanazawa resigned to teach in Germany and Sensei Enoeda was appointed as KUGB Chief instructor and remained in this position until his death in 2003.

Sensei Enoeda was known throughout the world as the Shotokan Tiger and such was his renown, he appeared regularly in films becoming a friend and teacher to movie stars and members of royalty. He was a senior instructor in the JKA and the KUGB remained a member of this body until shortly after Sensei Enoeda's death.

The number of KUGB clubs has now grown to over 300, making it Britain's largest, longest-established and most successful single-style Karate Association and its current Chief Instructor, Andy Sherry, is acknowledged as Britain's most senior Karate practitioner.