Michael G. Foster

Michael G. Foster (born 19 April 1940) is a U.S. karate pioneer and the founder and head of Yoshukai International, a world-wide organization of Yoshukai Karate schools. Yoshukai is a Japanese karate style adapted from Chito-ryu by Yoshukai founder Mamoru Yamamoto.[1]

For other people named Michael Foster, see Michael Foster (disambiguation).

Michael G. Foster
Born(1940-04-19)19 April 1940
Jamestown, New York, United States
Other namesMike Foster
StyleYoshukai Karate
Teacher(s)Yamamoto, Mamoru
Rank10th dan karate
Websitehttp://www.theyoshukaikarate.com/

Early days

Mike Foster was born in Jamestown, New York, an industrial and farming community in Western New York state in 1940.[2] Foster developed into an athlete in high school and played football, among other sports. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1956, seeking opportunities for advancement and travel. He completed basic training at Blackman, Texas, and in 1957 was stationed at Ituzuke Air Force Base near Fukuoka, Japan.

Yoshukai history

At Ituzuke Air Force Base, Foster first studied judo, and later karate with Watanabe Sensei, a Goju Ryu instructor who taught at the Itazuke Administration Annex base gym. Watanabe felt that Foster was a promising student and suggested that he study with Mamoru Yamamoto, later noted as founder of Yoshukai Karate[3] but then still affiliated with Tsuyoshi Chitose's Chito-ryu. In 1964 Foster returned to Japan to test for second degree black belt and spent three weeks training at Yamamoto's dojo. He then returned to Japan in September 1964 to live and train in Yamamoto's dojo for approximately nineteen months.

Yoshukai insignia

Foster returned to the U.S. in 1966 as 4th degree black belt, and was named the Chief Representative of the U.S.A. Yoshukai Karate Association by Yamamoto.[2] In this capacity, Foster established karate schools [4] and headed schools in the USA which were part of the U.S. Chito-ryu Karate style.[5] According to John Corcoran, Mike Foster and John Pachivas can be credited as responsible for establishing karate in the state of Florida.[6]

In 1970 following Yamamoto's split from the Japanese Chito-kai Karate Federation, Foster left the U.S. Chito-kai, taking many schools under his direction with him[7] and creating the Yoshukai Karate organization in 1971.[8] Foster remained in the U.S. director position until 1980[2] when he left and founded his own Yoshukai International Karate Association.[2][9] At this time Hiroyuki Koda assumed directorship of the U.S. Yoshukai Karate Association (USYKA), remaining under the umbrella of Mamoru Yamamoto. In 1989 after a lawsuit, Foster was awarded the right to use the name "Yoshukai International Karate Association." [10]

Foster opened his first dojo in the U.S. in the mid-sixties at Tampa, Florida. Beginning in 1967, he established accredited Yoshukai Karate programs in Florida colleges and universities including St. Leo College, Florida State University, University of South Florida, University of Tampa and Florida Atlantic University.[4] From Tampa he moved to Orlando, Florida, where he kept a dojo during the early seventies. During the late seventies and eighties Foster maintained a dojo in Daytona, Florida. In the early nineties he relocated to Titusville, Florida, where he shared a hombu dojo (headquarters) for seven years with Aikido Sensei Tom Walker.[11] Foster continued to instruct senior grades at his hombu dojo in Titusville until 2008, when he retired from active teaching due to health reasons.

Career

Foster's association with Yamamoto, one of Chitose's top students and a tough fighter in Southern Japan, produced one of the top fighters in the USA in the sixties.[9] Foster's skills in kumite would succeed in Japan, as well, enabling him win the Southern All Japan title.[9] Although specific wins are unclear, Chito-ryu and Black Belt Magazine sources list him as a United States kumite champion from 1966 through 1970.[5][9][12] In 1973 Mike Foster was the subject of a feature article in Black Belt Magazine.[13]

During the course of his career, Mike Foster was:

In addition, Foster was a founding member of Canadian National Karate Association, Commissioner of the Southeast Professional Karate Commission, a member of the Official Certification Committee of the AAU, Coach of the Amateur U.S. Team for World Championships in Europe and again in Long Beach, California.[14] He was invited by the German Karate Union (HDU)[17] and sponsored by West German Government to teach karate in West Germany.[14]

Mike Foster holds an Instructor Degree from the Ministry of Education in Japan.[18] As far back as the sixties, Foster's adaptation of the traditional Chito-ryu style for U.S. full-contact tournament fighting made the Yoshuaki style very advanced for its time.[15] Due to Foster's success as a practitioner and instructor, Yoshukai International has established and maintains dojos all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Latvia, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.[14][19][20][21][22][23]

See also

References
  1. History of Yoshukai Karate, retrieved 1 September 2015
  2. Relations to Chito-ryu, Chitoryu.com, archived from the original on 8 October 2007, retrieved 27 July 2010
  3. Heinze, Thomas, Die Meister des Karate und Kobudo: Teil 1: Vor 1900
  4. Corcoran, John and Farkas, Emil. Martial Arts: Traditions, History, People. Gallery Books, New York (1983) p. 323.
  5. "Chito-ryu US History: 1950 - 1970". Archived from the original on 17 April 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2010.
  6. Corcoran, John (July 1977), The Untold Story of America's Karate History, Black Belt Magazine, retrieved 14 August 2015
  7. "Welcome to the United States Chito-ryu Karate Federation Website". Chito-ryu.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  8. "Chitose Tsuyoshi". Dragon-tsunami.org. 6 June 1984. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  9. Colling, Michael. "Chitose Tsuyoshi: A Bridge Through Time". Dragon Times. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  10. (Mike Foster, et al. v. United States Yoshukai Karate Association, CA no. 89-D-741-N)
  11. Jones, Todd. "Interview with Tom Walker". Aikido Journal. Archived from the original on 18 June 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  12. Cirone, George D. (May 1970). "Karate A Go-Go" (Digitized online by Google Books). Black Belt Magazine: 28. Retrieved 23 July 2010. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. Swift, Jack (February 1973). "The Giant of Southern Karate" (Digitized online by Google Books). Black Belt Magazine: 31. Retrieved 23 July 2010. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  14. "History". Yoshukai Karate of Tampa Bay. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  15. Klase, Bill (March 1988). "Rough, Tough Yoshukai Karate: Traditional Karate's Link to Full-contact Fighting" (Digitized online by Google Books). Black Belt Magazine: 56. Retrieved 23 July 2010. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. Cirone, George D. (June 1970). "Karate Kop-Out" (Digitized online by Google Books). Black Belt Magazine: 48. Retrieved 23 July 2010. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  17. Yoshukai Latvia Information
  18. "Brief history of Yoshukai Karate". Masdojo.com. 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  19. "Yoshukai International Karate Sc". Yoshukaiinternationalkarate.com. 7 July 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  20. "Yoshukai Latin America". Yoshukai Latin America. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  21. Yoshukai South Germany
  22. "skolas sporta klubs ŤNEGUSSť". Liis.lv. Archived from the original on 20 December 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  23. http://www.yoshukai.org.nz/#
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