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View Full Version : T. Watanabe (1917–2018)



Gibukai
25th July 2018, 19:15
Hello,

T. Watanabe passed away on January 5, 2018. He became 100 years old. T. Watanabe started to practise karate after Middle School, and subsequently learnt it as a member of Waseda University’s karate club. His main teachers were G. Funakoshi (1868–1957) and H. Noguchi (1910–2002), a student of G. Funakoshi. After finishing University in 1941 he received further education at the Military Nakano School. All his life he remained connected with Waseda University’s karate club and was engaged in teaching his karate. He belonged to the SAC instructors visiting the USA in the early 1950ies. Strongly he voiced the opinion that karate at Waseda is the karate of G. Funakoshi. In his notes on karate practice, which were published in 2009, he preached among other things that “kumite” (partner practise) has nothing to do with self-complacent.

The enclosed photo shows T. Watanabe during “normal practise” at Waseda University’s dōjō in 1940 or 1941.

Regards,

Henning Wittwer