AIWAKAI

PERSONAL HISTORY OF KUNIAKI SAKAGAMI

FOUNDER OF AIWAKAI KARATE-DO

 

Kuniaki Sakagami was born in the city of Toyohashi, Japan in 1944. He started training in Wado Ryu Karate in May 1959 aged 14 years old, under the tuition of Tatsuo Suzuki at the Toyohashi Dojo.

 

After graduating from local high school, he entered Aichi University to study economics. His enthusiasm to become more deeply involved in Wado Ryu helped him to decide to continue training at the City Dojo as well as the University club, this was considered even by University student standards, a very austere way of training.

 

During his University period he entered many University and All Styles Contests winning the Tokai University Area Championships consecutively, (1965-1966), placing in the All Style University Championships of Japan, and finally culminating in becoming University club captain, a prestigious position that is only held by the most talented Karate-ka.

 

On graduating from Aichi University in March 1967 he worked for the Fukiki Shipping Company. At this moment in time Wado Ryu Karate was beginning to expand into Europe. Sakagami Sensei was then offered a teaching position in Nurenburg, Germany, by Tatsuo Suzuki. He taught Wado Ryu Karate in Germany until May 1970, he was then transferred to Birmingham, England, where he has been resident for over 40 years.

 

Sakagami Sensei was awarded 4th Dan in 1968, 5th Dan in 1972, 6th Dan in 1978, 7th Dan in 1989 and 8th Dan in 2010 from Wadokai Headquarters in Japan. Over the past years while being resident in England he has trained many Kumite and Kata Champions, some of them going on to win World Championship titles. The Wado Aiwakai Karate-do Federation was founded by Sakagami Sensei in 1989 and continues to flourish throughout Great Britain under his expert tuition.