Karate do Shotokai
Teaching the way of Master Mitsusuke Harada
Teaching the way of Master Mitsusuke Harada
Principal of our style, Master Mitsusuke Harada MBE, was born in Manchuria in 1928. He started his Karate training in November 1943 with Master Funakoshi's group in Tokyo, at the famous Shotokan.
Master Harada entered Waseda University in 1948, and immediately joined the University Karate club, which was at the time very strong. During this period, Harada Sensei received personal instruction from Master Funakoshi who, by this time, was very old.
In 1951 Harada Sensei gained the Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Commerce, and then proceeded to further his education by studying for another two years. In 1953, he was awarded a Master's Degree.
After leaving University, he started work in a Tokyo bank, and in 1956 was sent to Sao Paulo, Brazil by his company. Master Harada founded his own group, Karate-Do Shotokan Brazileo, which was the first Karate club not only in Brazil, but in the whole of South America.
It was at this time, at the age of 28, Master Harada received his 5th Dan black belt directly from O’Sensei (Funakoshi). 5th Dan remains the highest level of black belt in the Shotokai organisation.
In 1963, Harada Sensei was invited to Paris to teach Karate. It was during this period that he decided to devote his life to Karate. He resigned from the bank, and was invited by Kenshiro Abbe of the British Judo Council to come to London to teach Karate. In 1963, Harada Sensei gave a demonstration of Karate at the Royal Albert Hall, and became the first resident Japanese Karate instructor in Britain.
In the mid-1960s he formed the Karate-do Shotokai (KDS).
Master Harada lives in the UK and is still physically practising Karate. His role is that of overall Sensei (Instructor) of the KDS organisation, and advisor to the Technical Executive on matters relating to the practice of Karate-Do. He travels all over the world to teach and demonstrate at courses, during which he welcomes questions about Karate from his students, regardless of grade.
In the Queen's Birthday Honours List of June 2007 Harada Sensei was awarded an MBE in recognition of his services to Karate.