1960 - 2021
JOE BRACONE
5th Dan Tenshinkan Karate,
3rd Dan Tenshinkan RyuKyu Kobujutsu
07949713629 UK
BLACKRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL
Main Street
Bathgate
West Lothian
EH483RJ
Wednesdays 1800-1900 hrs
All groups
COMBAT ZONE
Bo'ness Recreation Centre
Gauze Road,
Bo'ness
West Lothian
EH51 9QB
Every last Saturday, 1000-1200 hrs
Advanced classes, check to confirm.
BEGINNERS AND VISITORS WELCOME
SEISHIN DOJO
JOE BRACONE
BIOGRAPHY
Started studying Tenshinkan Karate in 2000 under the guidance of Hanshi Hans Haupt, Chief Liaison Officer for the Western World, in South Africa.
In 2006, he participated to a 7 days international seminar in Hasuda-Shi (Japan) at the HQ of Tenshinkan Karate Federation, conducted by Kancho Mamoru Miwa.
In 2006, he commenced studying kobujutsu with Ryukyu Kobujutsu Hozon Shinkokai (Eisuke Akamine branch) led by Sensei Marius Madgwick in Boksburg.
In 2009, Hanshi Hans Haupt personally trained him on Ryukyu Kobubujutsu Hozon Shinkokai (Inoue Motokatsu branch) and continued training under his guidance and under the Tenshinkan Ryukyu Kobujutsu standards, new and more attractive syllabus.
In 2009 he was appointed Tenshinkan Benoni Honbu Dojo Deputy Chief Instructor and taught Karate and kobujutsu until he left South Africa in 2014.
He attended international seminars held by Kancho Mamoru Miwa in Denmark and South Africa in 2013 and 2016 respectively.
He published a book Karate for over 40, its benefits, he took part to numerous regional, national and international championships placing himself in the top 3 places in kumite and kata.
He is a keen adept of Goshin-Jutsu and developed self-defence training for non-martial artists and introduced disarmament of firearms in their training. He provided many free self-defence seminars.
He graduated Tenshinkan Karate 5th dan in 2017 in Dundee UK and given the title of Shihan Dai,
He joined Budokan 2021 and, while he is still teaching Kobudo and Karate, he is writing a book about the application of the various Sabaki concepts in Tenshinkan karate.
In January 2023 he was invited to join the Budokan Shihankai, assuming the title of Shihan.
On 25 June 2023 he was accredited with his Rokudan Karate by the Budokan Shihankai for certification later in the year.
FURTHER TRAINING NOTES
I have practiced martial arts as a very young man but never got into it until I have gotten bored with just pushing weights and other gym activities. I finally joined Tenshinkan Karate when I was 40 and never looked back. I was fortunate enough to learn karate and later kobujutsu from Hanshi Hans Haupt 9th Dan Karate and 4th Dan Ryukyu Kobujutsu Hozon Shinko Kai obtained with grand master Inoue Motokatsu and founder of Tenshinkan Ryukyu Kobujutsu).
I left as South Africa Tenshinkan Honbu Dojo deputy Chief Instructor. I have gained national and provincial South African style colours for Kumite and Kata for many years and graded in Japan with Kancho Mamoru Miwa, Tenshinkan Karatedo Founder and avid Budo master.
The disciplines I Teach:
Tenshinkan Karate is an offshoot of Shotokan karate as was taught by Gichin Funakoshi. Master Gichin Funakoshi used to address Kancho Mamoru Miwa, then a young boy, “Tenshin” (the sincere one) hence the name of Tenshinkan.
Tenshinkan Karate although retains very strong roots with Shotokan katas and stances it is a karate style focused on defense and attack with the inclusion of goshin-jutsu, self-defence, techniques such as grappling, joint locks and take downs.
The style is very dynamic and effective, it is based and developed on different sabaki (evasion or avoidance) and multiple combination of footwork with blocking and striking techniques.
Each grade or belt (Kyu) training and test is based on a syllabus that incorporates predefined karate and Goshin-jJtsu kata and techniques imparted through the application of specific training methods.
Tenshinkan Ryukyu Kobujutsu was founded by Hanshi Hans Haupt to honour his Sensei.
Both trained and graded with Ryukyu Kobujutsu Hozon Shinko Kai Master Inoue Motokatsu, who in turn had trained with the RKHSK founder Taira Shinken.
For each belt (kyu), the student learns the kata and basics techniques of attack and defence of each weapon that make up the martial art syllabus such as: Bo (six foot staff), Nunchaku (similar to a flail), Tekko (similar to knuckle dusters), Tonfa (similar to police baton), Kama (similar to a sickle), Sai (similar to a 16th century parring dagger) and Katana (famous Samurai’s sword).
This a picture of the entrance to my home Dojo.