Enoeda Keinosuke (Shotokan karate)

[Patrick McCarthy]

Hi folks,

Just received an e-mail from John Hanratty informing me that Enoeda Keinosuke Sensei just passed away.

I am sure this Shotokan pioneer will be missed by many.

[Andy Watson]

My goodness, what a loss to the Western karate world.

Sincere condolences to his students.

Does anyone know how he died?

[Patrick McCarthy]

Hi,

I heard that he'd been battling cancer and had been to Japan before Christmas for what was thought to be a minor procedure. Unfortunately, he apparently relapsed and died Saturday. This is not official news, but only what I was told yesterday.

In any case, you're right, it's a great loss.

PM

Originally posted by Andy Watson
My goodness, what a loss to the Western karate world.

Sincere condolences to his students.

Does anyone know how he died?

[Richmond McClue]

Enoeda Sensei was one of the era's great champions, and he contributed a tremendous amount to the spread of karate in Great Britain and the world. The strength of the students and teachers he trained will be his legacy. My heart goes out to those students at the loss of their Sensei.

I had the privilige of training at his Dojo for about a month in 1974 or 75, when I was doing a college research project in London. At that time I was a skinny 5th kyu yank, and I laugh as I look back, because I did not really understand his stature back then - just that he was dynamic and had quite an aura about him. One evening in class, he was not satisfied with my movement, and not satisfied with my attempts to correct, so he told me to stay after class. I was really nervous as I waited, but when he came over he was very cheerful, and chatted with me about where I was from in the states and so forth. Then, he spent just about a full hour with me, teaching the subtleties of dynamic hip movement. When I look back on this today, I see how much that said about him as a teacher - that he would spend so much time with a beginning student who was just visiting his Dojo.

He will be missed.