Michael G. Foster

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Michael G. Foster is the founder and head of the Yoshukai International organization, an offshoot of Yoshukai karate. In the late 1950's Mike Foster was stationed at Ituzuke Air Force Base near Fukuoka, Japan, where he studied karate with Watanabe Sensei, a Goju karate instructor who taught at the Itazuke Administration Annex base gym. Watanabe Sensei felt that Mike Foster was a very promising student and recommended that he study with Master Mamoru Yamamoto who is the founder of Yoshukai Karate, derived from Dr. Tsuyoshi Chitose's Chito-Ryu. Mike Foster lived and studied in Yamamoto Sensei's dojo for approximately nineteen months, returning to USA in 1966 as a 4th dan (4th degree black belt). He returned to Japan on other occasions to study for a total of ten years under Yamamoto Sensei. [1]

Mike Foster was highly successful in starting dojos in the United States, and was eventually named the U.S. officer of Yoshukai Karate. In 1975 Mike Foster split from Yamamoto Sensei's organization and established the Yoshukai International Karate Association [2]. At the same time Hiroyuki Koda established the United States Yoshukai Karate Association (USYKA). In 1989, Mike Foster was awarded the right to use the name "Yoshukai International Karate Association" (Mike Foster, et al. v. United States Yoshukai Karate Association, CA no. 89-D-741-N).

[edit] Early Career

Mike Foster was noted as a karate champion in the early days of his career, and he is considered the premiere karate official in America. Some of his resume is as as follows:

All-Service Karate Champion (Japan)

Southern All-Japan Champion

USKA Grand National Champion 1966-1968

Florida State Champion 1967-1975

Sponsored by West German Government to teach karate in West Germany

Euro-Cup European Karate Champion

Founding member of Canadian National Karate Association

Commissioner of the southeast Professional Karate Commission

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, CA.