YAMAZAKI SENSEI

by Sensei Espinoza
In the next few months I am going to be introducing some of my Senseis. This month I will be writing about Yamazaki Sensei, 8th degree black belt and head of Japan/US keishinkan.

Yamazaki Eiichi was born on August 26, 1947 (happy birthday Sensei), As a school boy he trained in Judo and Kendo, for a little while. On June 1st 1964 at the age of 17 he started training with Master Takazawa at the Keishin kan dojo in Japan. Where now fifty years later he stills trains and teaches.

Yamazaki Sensei said that Keishinkan karate is his first and only style of karate. While he never trained with Master Toyama he did learn all of our katas from Master Takazawa. I first met Yamazaki Sensei in 1990, and have seen a lot of his demos at the tournaments thru the years. I found his karate to be very strong, with sharp techniques and a true understanding of kata. This also shows by his students who are very good. I was given a tape of Yamazaki Sensei doing kata, where I would watch and check my kata with, this was given to me by Master Takazawa in 1990.

After the passing of Master Takazawa, he was picked to be the head of Japan and United States Keishinkan. At the 2010 tournament held in memorial for Master Takazawa, it was decided that Yamazaki Sensei would take this position. Master Takazawa was the one who picked him for this.

I was asked if I wanted U.S.Keishinkan to follow Yamazaki Sensei or be with Uchida Sensei of International Keishinkan, I decide to go with Japan as I am very close with them. I talked with Master Takazawa’s son Hiro and he told me that this was what Master Takazawa Sensei wanted.

As we take our karate into the 21st century I feel we are in very good and capable hands with Yamazaki Sensei; he is the link to the past and future of Keishinkan. Sensei was training at the time when Keishinkan was growing and evolving to what we have now. He is the perfect example of our karate, both class and quality.

 

See you in the dojo.