Karate do Shotokai

Our senior instructor, Sensei (master) Mitsusuke Harada, was born in Manchuria in 1928. He started his karate training with Master Funakoshi's group in Tokyo. 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 continued to receive instruction from Master Funakoshi, who, by this time, was very old.

In 1951 Harada Sensei gained the Batchelors' 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 in Brazil, and at this time, at the age of 28, he received his 5th Dan black belt directly from 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 Harada Sensei 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 Albert Hall, and became the first resident Japanese instructor in Britain.