Malcolm Phipps

Last updated

Malcolm Phipps
Malcolm Phipps.jpg
Born Torquay, England
Style Shotokan Karate
Teacher(s) Hirokazu Kanazawa, Shiro Asano
Rank9th dan karate
Website sski.org

Malcolm Phipps is an English martial artist. He is a 9th Dan Hanshi in Shotokan Karate and is the chief instructor internationally to Seishinkai Shotokan Karate International (SSKI). [1] He started training in karate in the early seventies with a local JKA club, then with Shotokan Karate International (SKI) with Hirokazu Kanazawa. He then moved on to the Amateur Shotokan Karate Association (ASKA), eventually leaving to form his own association, Seishinkai Shotokan Karate, in 1984 and finally turning international in 1995 to the group as it is today, SSKI, [2] with clubs in England, the US, [3] Kazakhstan and India. [4] He was an advisory board member of the World Traditional Karate Organisation from 2003–2013.

Contents

Early years

Born in December 1942 in Torquay, Devon, due to wartime evacuation, Phipps then moved with his mother to Wealdstone to live with his grandparents, spending his formative years there attending Belmont First School. It was during this time that Phipps started his lifelong support of Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. In 1953, the family then moved to Hemel Hempstead where Phipps attended Adeyfield Secondary Modern, finally leaving school in 1957. He started working at John Dickinsons, later joining the Royal Navy. After his initial training at HMS Ganges in Shotley, Suffolk where he learnt to be a communications rating in the Visual Signalling Department, and after several incidents of note including learning to march and learning to swim he passed his exams and went to serve on his first ship, the Battle Class Destroyer, HMS Dunkirk. Several ships followed including HMS Rhyl, HMS Aisne, HMS Warrior, HMS Decoy, HMS Delight, HMS Mercury and HMS Jufair, finally leaving the RN in 1968. In his youth Phipps was a prominent football player and played soccer for RN teams throughout the world and in 1966 was actually on the books of Tring Town FC. Once out of the RN, Phipps initially worked for a telecommunications temp agency, gaining full-time employment with a merchant bank (Bunge & Co) working in their communications department. After five years with them, Phipps moved on to work for a commodities broker, Wilson Smithett & Cope; and it was during this time he started his first karate club. [5] [6] [7]

Karate years

Phipps began his karate training in the early seventies with the JKA/SKI [6] training with Kanazawa (SKI) and John van Weenen MBE. He then trained with ASKA, before setting up his own association Seishinkai Shotokan Karate in 1984, which eventually become SSKI in 1995. Throughout his karate life, he has trained in the Shotokan karate style and also took up traditional nunchaku, forming the English Traditional Nunchaku Association (ETNA) in 2003 and is the world-wide Chief Instructor and founder of both SSKI and ETNA. Phipps is also a member of the Independent Traditional Karate Organisation (www.itko.info) and the Shotokan Alliance. He was awarded his 4th Dan in March 1986 (specially awarded by the World Union of Karate Organisations (WUKO) and the English Karate Council for services to karate nationally and internationally) and finally awarded his 8th Dan in September 2011. He has also been awarded a National Referees Certificate (1981), an NCF(MAC) Coaches award (1986), an EKGB Senior Coaching Award (1992) and is authorised as an EKGB Coaching Assessor (1993).

Phipps has coached many national and international champions. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] This has led, in turn to him being awarded 'Sports Personality of the Year' for West Herts (Dacorum) 1985, being runner-up for 'Sports Personality of the Year (Coach)' for West Herts (Dacorum) 2001 and being Highly Commended 'Service to Sport' for Dacorum District/West Herts 2002. Phipps has also had several magazine articles published, including some in Shotokan Karate Magazine [14] [15] [16] [17] and in both Traditional Karate and Combat Magazine and also several books (see details below).

Further highlights to Phipps's karate career include:

Books

Phipps is also an author and has had nine books published to date. Four of these books are on the martial arts: Uchi Deshi and the Master, The Ah So! Stories, The Little Book of Seishinkai and Nunchaku (an in-house training manual) and three novels: Wild Oats in Cornwall, The ConEquest and Wild Oats. His autobiography, Out of the Tiger's Mouth, was published in December 2009 and in 2013 he had a book of poems published, I Pondered Lonely as a Cloud, where all the proceeds were donated to the NSPCC. In 2014 a follow-up poetry book was published, I Pondered Lonely as a Cloud, once more! where all the proceeds went to, Save the Children.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shotokan</span> Karate style

Shotokan is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin Funakoshi was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing "karate do" through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs, including those at Keio, Waseda, Hitotsubashi (Shodai), Takushoku, Chuo, Gakushuin, and Hosei.

Keigo Abe was a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the Japan Shotokan Karate Association in 1999 and is its Chief Instructor. He held the rank of 9th dan in karate, was a direct student of Masatoshi Nakayama (1913–1987), and was a senior instructor in the Japan Karate Association.

Japan Karate Association is one of the oldest global Shotokan karate organizations in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mitsusuke Harada</span> Japanese master of Shotokai karate (1928–2021)

Mitsusuke Harada, MBE was a prominent Japanese master of Shotokai karate who introduced this martial art to Brazil and was after based in the United Kingdom. He founded the Karate-do Shotokai (KDS) organisation in 1965 and was its president. Harada held the rank of 5th dan, personally awarded by Gichin Funakoshi in 1956.

Randall G. Hassell was the Chief Instructor for the American Shotokan Karate Alliance (ASKA), Senior Editor of Tamashii Press, President of the American JKA Karate Association (AJKA), and a Founding Fellow of the International Karate Society (IKS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fumio Demura</span> Japanese karateka and kobudoka (1940–2023)

Fumio Demura was a Japanese karateka and kobudoka, based in the United States since the mid-1960s. A 9th dan in Shitō-ryū karate, he was Pat Morita's martial arts stunt double in the first, third and fourth Karate Kid films, and was one of the inspirations for the character Mr. Miyagi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tsutomu Ohshima</span> Japanese karateka (born 1930)

Tsutomu Ohshima is a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the organization Shotokan Karate of America (SKA). He is the Shihan of the SKA, and to this day holds the rank of 5th dan, which was awarded to him by Gichin Funakoshi. Ohshima's branch of the Shotokan world has become known as “Shotokan Ohshima Karate-do.”

Kazumi Tabata was an 8th degree Grand Master in Shotokan karate. Born in Japan in 1943, Master Tabata started karate at age 13 and received the rank of nidan in Shorinji as a freshman in high school. Master Tabata went to Waseda University and started studying Shotokan style karate under Master Isao Obata, one of Master Gichin Funakoshi's first students and first chairman of the Japan Karate Association. He founded the North American Karate-Do Federation (NAKF) and the New England Collegiate Karate Conference (NECKC), and lived in Massachusetts in the United States where he taught regularly until his death in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dave Hazard</span> British karateka

Dave Hazard is a British 7th Dan Karateka and instructor of Shotokan karate and was one of the few students present at the very beginning of British Karate. He is a former KUGB national champion and British team member. Like many of the early karateka he first trained in judo before starting karate in 1969 at the Blackfriers club in London, where he trained under Keinosuke Enoeda, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Kato and Takahashi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gichin Funakoshi</span> Karateka

Gichin Funakoshi was the founder of Shotokan karate. He is known as a "father of modern karate". Following the teachings of Anko Itosu and Anko Asato, he was one of the Okinawan karate masters who introduced karate to the Japanese mainland in 1922, following its earlier introduction by his teacher Itosu. He taught karate at various Japanese universities and became honorary head of the Japan Karate Association upon its establishment in 1949. In addition to being a karate master, Funakoshi was an avid poet and philosopher. His son, Gigō Funakoshi, is widely credited with developing the foundation of the modern karate Shotokan style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takayuki Mikami</span> Japanese karateka

Takayuki Mikami is a Japanese master of Shotokan karate based in the United States of America. He holds the rank of 9th dan black belt in the art, awarded under the Japan Karate Association. In 1958, Mikami tied for first place in the All Japan Karate Championships. The following year, he became the All Japan champion in kumite (sparring) as well as kata (patterns). In 1961, Mikami won first place in kata again. He was also the first person to graduate from the Japan Karate Association's (JKA) instructor training program instituted by Gichin Funakoshi and Masatoshi Nakayama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenkojuku</span>

Kenkojuku is a style of Shotokan karate previous to the establishment of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) style. It was founded by Tomosaburo Okano. Kenkojuku karate is similar to the teachings of Gichin Funakoshi and modifications made by Funakoshi's son Yoshitaka Funakoshi. JKA Shotokan differs slightly in that it was Masatoshi Nakayama's version of Shotokan. Okano's/Yoshitaka's Kenkojuku karate and JKA karate are becoming more similar compared to other variants of Shotokan karate such as Shigeru Egami's Shotokai, Hirokazu Kanazawa's Shotokan Karate International or SKI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keinosuke Enoeda</span> Japanese karateka

Keinosuke Enoeda was a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He was a former Chief Instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain. Enoeda was ranked 8th dan in Shotokan karate, and was widely renowned as a formidable karateka. Following his death, Enoeda was posthumously awarded the rank of 9th dan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiji Kase</span> Japanese karateka

Taiji Kase was a Japanese master of Shotokan karate who was one of the earliest masters responsible for introducing this martial art into Europe. He taught his style of karate, Shotokan Ryu Kase Ha, in France from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s. In his later years, he travelled across the world teaching karate, but Paris remained his home. Kase held the rank of 9th dan in karate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoshukai Karate</span> Branch discipline of the Japanese/Okinawan martial art, Karate–dō

Yoshukai is a Japanese style of Karate–dō. Karate-do. Karate-do translates as "Way of the Empty Hand." The three kanji that make up the word Yoshukai literally translate as "Training Hall of Continued Improvement." However, the standardized English translation is "Striving for Excellence." Yoshukai Karate has been featured in Black Belt Magazine. Yoshukai karate is a separate Japanese style from Chito-ryu. Kata, kobudo, kumite, and all karate aspects are drawn from the Founder, Mamoru Yamamoto. Yoshukai is a newer derivative Japanese style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Watt</span> Scottish martial artist (born 1947)

Ronald Stewart Watt OBE is a Scottish master of Shotokan karate. He is the founder, president and chief instructor for the "National Karate Institute Scotland" a member of the World Karate Confederation (WKC).

Dave Kershaw is a Shotokan karateka from Grimsby, Lincolnshire. He was an international competitor, representing Great Britain at European and World Championships between 1982 and 1998, and was British Kata Champion for a record six consecutive years, from 1987 to 1992. He was a senior SKI (GB) Instructor and Examiner up until 2011, when he formed his own organisation: Konjaku Shin International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Viola Jr</span> American martial artist

William "Bill" Viola Jr. is an international martial arts champion, promoter and author. He is the producer and founder of the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based Kumite Classic.

Stan Schmidt was a South African master of Shotokan karate. Along with others, such as Norman Robinson, he was an early practitioner of Shotokan karate in South Africa and his establishment of the South African branch of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) in 1965 after training in Japan, along with his subsequent promotion of the art in South Africa, earned him the appellation of 'The Father of South African Karate'. In 1963, he was one of the first westerners to be invited into the JKA's famous Instructor Class in the Tokyo Honbu dojo and he was later one of four non-Japanese karateka to sit on the JKA's international Shihankai. He was also the first non-Japanese karateka to attain 7th dan from the JKA and also the first to attain 8th dan. Today, he is the highest ranking non-Japanese karate master of that organization. He is also known for his acting roles in several martial arts films of the 1970s and 1980s.

References

  1. ↑ "Seishinkai Shotokan Karate International (www.sski.org)".
  2. ↑ "Herts Direct Martial Arts Listing".
  3. ↑ "SSKI-USA".
  4. ↑ "SSKI-India".
  5. ↑
  6. 1 2 Mileham, Patrick. "Interview with Malcolm Phipps Sensei". The Shotokan Way.
  7. ↑ "Profile of Malcolm Phipps Sensei". The Shotokan Way.
  8. ↑ "Shobu Ippon Championships". Shobu-ippon.com. 20 March 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  9. ↑ "Karate Club Is Top of the Chops". Hemel Today. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  10. ↑ "Hemel Karate Aces Do England Proud at World Championships". Hemel Today. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  11. ↑ "Gould Going For Karate Kings". Hemel Today. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  12. ↑ "Instructor Floored By Karate Club's Storming Finish". Hemel Today. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  13. ↑ "WTKO UK Championships 2006". The Shotokan Way. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  14. ↑ "Shotokan Karate Magazine/Aug 1985". Shotokanmag.com. 17 September 2006. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  15. ↑ "Shotokan Karate Magazine/Aug 1986". Shotokanmag.com. 8 August 1986. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  16. ↑ "Shotokan Karate Magazine/May 1990". Shotokanmag.com. 23 May 1990. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  17. ↑ "Shotokan Karate Magazine/". Shotokanmag.com. January 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  18. ↑ "2003 inductees". USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. 2003. Archived from the original on 20 January 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  19. ↑ "WTKO Advisory Panel". Wtko.org. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  20. ↑ "Saiko Shihan". International Shotokan-Ryu Karate-Do Shihankai. Archived from the original on 10 November 2010. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  21. ↑ "Top Honour Is Awarded To Coach Phipps". Hemel Today. 2007. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.