| . Soke Kiyohisa Hirano Soke (Founder) Kiyohisa Hirano was born on January 16, 1938 in the city of Yokohama, Japan. He began his martial arts career at the age of 12, in the Karate Dojo of Sensei (Teacher) Yoshio Kawaguchi, a prominent instructor of Wado-ryu, one of the four major styles of Japanese Karate. It was Kawaguchi Sensei who would introduce the young Hirano to Master Hironori Ohtsuka, the founder of Wado-ryu. From that time onward, Soke Hirano would travel around Japan with Master Ohtsuka, giving public demonstrations of Traditional Karate. In 1957, Soke Hirano made history by becoming the first person to receive a Karate scholarship to Nihon University. Credit for this was due in large measure to sponsorship by the late, Master Takaichi Mano, former Japan Karate-do Federation (JKF) Vice President, and World Karate Federation (WKF) Secretary-General, who saw great potential in the young man from Yokohama. It would be a great day in 1960 when Master Mano's faith would be justified as Soke Hirano went on to win the All-Japan Championships in Kumite (sparring), and then went on to captain the Nihon University Team in 1961. He graduating later that year with a degree in Business & Economics. On yet another demonstration trip with Master Ohtsuka, Soke Hirano arrived in Hawaii in 1962. He was so taken with the beauty of the islands and the friendliness of the people that he decided to stay and open a Dojo to promote Karate in the United States, through Japan International Karate Center, of which Hawaii Karate Association is a member school. Today, JIKC is the largest Karate association in Hawaii, with over one thousand members training among its various schools. |
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