MASTER MASAO KAWASOE JKA
UKTKF CHIEF INSTRUCTOR
Sensei
Masao Kawasoe was born in 1945, his father was a Japanese businessman
and he has two brothers. His mother lives in Kyushu in the south of
Japan. Sensei Kawasoe now resides in London and has done since 1974. He
began his martial arts training in judo and at the age of 15 saw a
karate demonstration. This so impressed him he started looking to find a
dojo to train. One of his first instructors was the world famous
Sensei Tsuyama, who's home was in the same town, Saga City. Training
through his high school and then going to the famous Karate University
of Takushoku, he continued to train with Sensei Tsuyama. This training
took the form of 6 days per week, 3 hours per day for 4 years.
During this time he was spotted by the Japan Karate Association and
invited to take full time JKA instructors course under Sensei Nakayama.
He successfully completed this over the next 3 years. Upon graduating as
an international JKA instructor, Sensei Nakayama said of him:
"Through his mastery of karate basics he has come to reach a
level few achieve, his technique inspires all who see it to strive for
the ideals of Shotokan Karate."
High honour indeed from the head of the JKA.
He then taught in Taiwan and Madagascar before coming to Britain in
1974. His dedication to tradition, quality and manners is universally
acknowledged, with few able to perform the physical demands he makes of
himself.
He has a world-wide following of senior students who have been with
him and followed tradition by developing and teaching excellent Shotokan
Karate.
Long may this continue and, in his own words:
"I am lucky to have good karate, but even more I am lucky to
have good students to carry it forward. My wish is to leave something
worthwhile behind for everyone. My life is then complete."
SENSEI AYDIN TANSELI
ACADEMY CHIEF INSTRUCTOR (2nd DAN) JKA, UKTKF
Aydin was born in 1966 in Istanbul. He started to karate at the dojo in Istanbul in 1976 and trained Traditional Shotokan Karate by
the Turkish sensei Atilla Celikturk 7.th DAN. During this time
he had the opportunity to be trained by Master Taiji Kase 9th. DAN and
many Shotokan masters. After obtaining black belt in 1979 continued
training until immigrating to United Kingdom 1991. After several years
of break, he started to be trained under Sensei Masao Kawasoe and reclaimed his black belt from him under the
International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF). After the academy decided
to seperate from Master Kawasoe and form their own association, Aydin
decided to leave the academy and follow his master Kawasoe to be trained
with him. Following invitation he has formed the Hayabusado Traditional
Shotokan Karate Academy in 2011 and affiliated with the UKTKF (United
Kingdom Traditional Karate Fedration). He is now teaching the highest
Traditional Shotokan Karate to his students by Kawasoe way.
