Enoeda Sensei gained a reputation as having the strongest punch in Japan, quite a reputation. I once heard Sensei Tomita, his assistant instructor at Marshall Street, describe how Sensei Enoeda demonstrated punching a tile and instead of breaking the tile he actually punched a hole in it!

Because of his tremendous fighting spirit, awe inspiring skill and dominating ability, he gained the nickname ‘Tora’ or the Tiger.

Enoeda Sensei started his path in the Martial Arts at the early age of seven through judo achieving the grade of nidan by the age of seventeen. After seeing a demonstration by Master Okazaki, and he was highly impressed by karate so joined the Takushoku University – renowned throughout Japan for its karate club – and he studied for a degree in commerce, which he achieved in 1957.

Like many famous competitors before and after him, he was made captain of the karate team, and was enthusiastically encouraged to think about entering the famous JKA instructor’s programme, which he completed over the next three years under the tuition of M. Nakayama and H. Nishiyama. He was a natural winner on the tatami and had taken a clear interest in competition, gaining a reputation for his leg sweeps, gyaku-tsuki, and anything else he decided to throw coupled with a terrifying fighting spirit. He came third in the kumite division of the J.K.A. All-Japan Championships. The following year placing second - losing to Hiroshi Shirai. In 1963, Enoeda returned determined to win and left after defeating Shirai in the kumite as the All-Japan Champion. If you want to see Sensei Enoeda in action, go to Youtube and see the clip “Enoeda kuzushi waza”.

Enoeda's reputation and destructive skill led to him being selected to join Master Nakayama to instruct in Indonesia, teaching the president’s bodyguards, police and military. Soon, Enoeda was sent out to travel the world instructing visiting South Africa and Hawaii, but settling in Great Britain as the Chief Instructor of the KUGB - Karate Union of Great Britain in 1965.

Britain didn’t know what hit them, quite literally, or possibly swept them and with a flat in Percy Street, in Liverpool City Centre and a bright orange Volkswagen Beetle, he instructed full time at the Liverpool Red Triangle Dojo, which created many World Class karateka. I can well remember his awesome presence when he used to come to Leeds University in the late 70s to conduct gradings for Bob Rhodes' Club, where I first started training.

He was an inspiration to all in the world of Shotokan karate, as .M. Nakayama once wrote ‘Keinosuke Enoeda has a reputation for achievements that stir the imagination’, and through his students, and achievements he will forever continue to pass on the way of karate.

See http://www.theshotokanway.com/ for full text



The picture below is how I remember Sensei Enoeda, reproduced with kind permission from Bernard Rose Photography, http://www.bernardrosephotography.co.uk