"If you leave the main stream, your river of knowledge will dry up"
Denis Casey, S.S.U. (UK) Chief Instructor

History

The History of Karate

For a brief history of the Japanese martial art system of karate-do, of the traditional karate style of Shito-ryu, of the Shukokai and of the Shito-ryu Shukokai Union (S.S.U.) please visit www.shukokai-uk.com/history.html

Hull Shukokai Karate Club History

Shukokai karate came to England in 1969 and Hull Shukokai Karate was formed around that time. Our current instructor, Tony Grainger, began his karate career in August 1972 at our Hessle club, which at that point was being run by Keith Edwards 1st Dan. Tony Grainger trained under Keith Edwards, and also Trevor Grewar 2nd Dan, until both ceased training around 1978.

Though they were only brown belts at the time, Tony Grainger, along with Mike McLocklan, took up the posts of join chief instructors of Hull Shukokai Karate. While continuing to teach their students, they travelled the country to gain the experience and knowledge required to develop their own karate as well as that of the club.

The club grew larger, and with the expansion came competition success. Many Hull Shukokai Karate students brought home several SKU national titles throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

In 1998 Hull Shukokai Karate became a founding member of the Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union UK (SSKU), under chief instructor Denis Casey, with the intention of expanding the depth of knowledge and international presence of UK Shukokai. In August 1999, senseis Grainger and Casey, along with the other senior instructors of the SSKU, travelled to Japan for the first time. After training for two weeks the SSKU was honoured to be invited to become a member organisation of the Shito-ryu Shukokai World Union, headed by Yamada Haruyoshi 9th Dan Hanshi.

As a club, Hull Shukokai Karate students now have the opportunity to train and compete all over the world, with past events in France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Greece and Japan. In March 2016 club members are travelling to Japan once more to train and compete.

The name of our style is Yamada-ha Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate-do.

We are the Shukokai.