Richard Kim (karate)
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| Richard Kim | |
| Born | 17 November 1917 Honolulu, Hawaii, USA |
|---|---|
| Died | 8 November 2001 |
| Martial art practiced | Okinawan Kobudo, Shōrinji-ryū karate, Tai Chi[1], Judo, Pa Kua, Daito-ryu Aiki jujitsu, Yi Quan[2] |
| Teacher(s) | Arakaki Ankichi, Chao Hsu Lie, Chen Chin Wuan, Kaneko-sensei, Toyama Kanken, Yabu Kentsu, Yoshida Kotaro, Mizuho Mutsu[3], Kenichi Sawai, Tachibana Sensei, Wang Xian Zhai |
| Rank | 10th dan |
Richard Kim (17 November 1917–8 November 2001) was an American karate teacher. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, he began studying judo as a child in the early 1920s, under Kaneko. Around the same time, he also began studying karate under Arakaki Ankichi[4]. Before World War II, his service in the merchant marines took him to east Asia. He cited many martial artists as his teachers, including Tachibana, Chen Chen Yuan, and Choa Hsu Lai.[citation needed] While in Japan, Kim claimed to have studied Daito-ryu under Kotaro Yoshida and to have lived with him for seven years.[5] Kim stated that he had in his possession the Daito-ryu scrolls and had been granted the Daito-ryu menkyo kaiden.[6] This is an unsubstantiated claim. Kim also studied and taught Japanese and Okinawan weaponry.
In 1959, Kim began teaching martial arts in San Francisco. In the following years, he also taught in Santa Cruz, and Sacramento. He traveled extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe teaching wherever he went. As well as teaching the physical aspects of the martial arts, Kim taught the philosophy, history, strategy, and spiritual aspects. He died on 8 November 2001.
Kim wrote a monthly column for Karate Illustrated magazine, and wrote a number of books including: The Weaponless Warriors, The Classical Man, and an instructional series on weaponry (Kobudo). There has been some controversy surrounding The Weaponless Warriors, published in 1974, as the bulk of the work appears taken, without acknowledgement, directly from Eizo Shimabukuro's 1963 work Old Grandmaster Stories[7] , which was translated into English for the first time in 2003. Kim was named Black Belt Magazine's "Karate Sensei of the Year", in 1967, and was later inducted into the Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame. Kim was the Director of the American Amateur Karate Federation and Vice-President for the International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF). At his memorial service, Hidetaka Nishiyama of the ITKF presented Kim with the rank of Judan (10th degree black belt) posthumously.[citation needed]
Kim's students continue his legacy primarily through two organizations: the Kokusai Butokukai and the Zen Bei Butokukai International.
[edit] References
- ^ O'Sensei Richard Kim, His Life
- ^ About Master Richard Kim
- ^ The Hawaii Karate Seinenkai Salutes: Richard Kim
- ^ The Weaponless Warriors
- ^ For a non-referenced and anecdotal biography of Richard Kim, see: Warrener, Don (2006). 20th Century Samurai (Martial Arts Masters).
- ^ For an anecdotal article on Richard Kim, see: Simon, Geraldine (1963). 20th Century Warriors: Prominent Men in the Oriental Fighting Arts.
- ^ Similar controversy and claims of exaggerated or false achievements followed Kim throughout his career. [1]
