Richard Amos
Encyclopedia
Richard Thomas Amos 6th dan, was born in Surrey
, England, in 1963 and is well known in the Shotokan Karate world as having completed the three-year Japan Karate Association
(JKA) instructors’ program in Tokyo in 1994, becoming only the second Westerner ever to do so in the JKA’s fifty-year history. He is a former KUGB Under-21 National Champion and former British team member. He is currently Chief Instructor of the World Traditional Karate Organization, headquartered in New York
.
Amos started karate at the age of ten in Essex
under the guidance of Charles Naylor and his wife Dot Naylor. A major influence was Keinosuke Enoeda
, whose Crystal Palace
training camps in the late 1970s and early 1980s Amos attended habitually. They were renowned for the quality of their instruction from such JKA luminaries as Yoshiharu Osaka, Katsuhiro Tsuyama, Hiroshi Shirai and Yasuharu Kase.
From 1981 to 1985, Amos enjoyed several years on the powerful KUGB national team during the boom years of Shotokan Karate in Europe. In 1984 Amos received his 3rd dan under Keinosuke Enoeda
. He left England for the USA in 1986.
In early January 1989 Amos decided to dedicate himself to training at the Headquarters of the Japan Karate Association in Ebisu, Tokyo. There he worked under the daily tutelage of Tesuhiko Asai, Masaaki Ueki, Keigo Abe, Masahiko Tanaka, Mikio Yahara
, Yoshiharu Osaka, Minoru Kawawada and Masao Kagawa.
Training throughout the politically volatile era of the JKA he graduated from their prestigious instructors’ class in the spring of 1994 after a three-year apprenticeship.
Following his arrival in Japan Amos competed and made his mark by placing in the top three in virtually every Tokyo
and Kantō region
tournament. Highlights were an impressive string of victories in the 1989 Tokyo team event and, the following year, winning the Kanto region individual kumite title. 1994 saw him place second in individual kumite at the All-Japan Championships.
In 1998 he placed second in the kata and third in the kumite in the JKA World Championships in Switzerland. He was judged overall Champion.
In 2000, with John Mullin and Fred Serricchio, both senior JKA instructors at the time, Amos formed the World Traditional Karate Organization. The enduring goal of the World Traditional Karate Organization is the propagation of karate ideals through research and constant training.
As the WTKO’s Chief Instructor, Amos teaches daily classes at his Manhattan dojo. Every year he commits to an extensive teaching schedule, giving master classes to all levels, all over the world, notably England, France, Switzerland, Spain, Holland, Portugal, Norway and Iceland.
Eiji Maeda, one of Amos’s fellow graduates at the JKA instructors’ course, is Amos’s assistant in New York.
Richard Amos is married to Yanti Amos, the producer of Shotokan Mastery, his series of instructional DVDs. Together they own and manage Earth Yoganyc, a yoga studio located in Manhattan's Upper East side.
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England, in 1963 and is well known in the Shotokan Karate world as having completed the three-year Japan Karate Association
Japan Karate Association
Japan Karate Association is one of the most influential Shotokan karate organizations in the world...
(JKA) instructors’ program in Tokyo in 1994, becoming only the second Westerner ever to do so in the JKA’s fifty-year history. He is a former KUGB Under-21 National Champion and former British team member. He is currently Chief Instructor of the World Traditional Karate Organization, headquartered in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Amos started karate at the age of ten in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
under the guidance of Charles Naylor and his wife Dot Naylor. A major influence was Keinosuke Enoeda
Keinosuke Enoeda
was a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He was a former Chief Instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain. Enoeda was ranked 8th dan in Shotokan karate, and was widely renowned as a formidable karateka . Following his death, Enoeda was posthumously awarded the rank of 9th dan.-Early...
, whose Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was...
training camps in the late 1970s and early 1980s Amos attended habitually. They were renowned for the quality of their instruction from such JKA luminaries as Yoshiharu Osaka, Katsuhiro Tsuyama, Hiroshi Shirai and Yasuharu Kase.
From 1981 to 1985, Amos enjoyed several years on the powerful KUGB national team during the boom years of Shotokan Karate in Europe. In 1984 Amos received his 3rd dan under Keinosuke Enoeda
Keinosuke Enoeda
was a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He was a former Chief Instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain. Enoeda was ranked 8th dan in Shotokan karate, and was widely renowned as a formidable karateka . Following his death, Enoeda was posthumously awarded the rank of 9th dan.-Early...
. He left England for the USA in 1986.
In early January 1989 Amos decided to dedicate himself to training at the Headquarters of the Japan Karate Association in Ebisu, Tokyo. There he worked under the daily tutelage of Tesuhiko Asai, Masaaki Ueki, Keigo Abe, Masahiko Tanaka, Mikio Yahara
Mikio Yahara
is a Japanese Shotokan karateka and Chief Instructor of the Karatenomichi World Federation. He is famous for his performance of the Unsu kata.After graduating from Kokushikan University, he became Kenshusei in the Japan Karate Association and had a competitive career from 1974-84.In April 2000 he...
, Yoshiharu Osaka, Minoru Kawawada and Masao Kagawa.
Training throughout the politically volatile era of the JKA he graduated from their prestigious instructors’ class in the spring of 1994 after a three-year apprenticeship.
Following his arrival in Japan Amos competed and made his mark by placing in the top three in virtually every Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
tournament. Highlights were an impressive string of victories in the 1989 Tokyo team event and, the following year, winning the Kanto region individual kumite title. 1994 saw him place second in individual kumite at the All-Japan Championships.
In 1998 he placed second in the kata and third in the kumite in the JKA World Championships in Switzerland. He was judged overall Champion.
In 2000, with John Mullin and Fred Serricchio, both senior JKA instructors at the time, Amos formed the World Traditional Karate Organization. The enduring goal of the World Traditional Karate Organization is the propagation of karate ideals through research and constant training.
As the WTKO’s Chief Instructor, Amos teaches daily classes at his Manhattan dojo. Every year he commits to an extensive teaching schedule, giving master classes to all levels, all over the world, notably England, France, Switzerland, Spain, Holland, Portugal, Norway and Iceland.
Eiji Maeda, one of Amos’s fellow graduates at the JKA instructors’ course, is Amos’s assistant in New York.
Richard Amos is married to Yanti Amos, the producer of Shotokan Mastery, his series of instructional DVDs. Together they own and manage Earth Yoganyc, a yoga studio located in Manhattan's Upper East side.
Important instructors
- Charles Naylor
- Keigo AbeKeigo Abeis a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate who founded the Japan Shotokan Karate Association in 1999 and is its Chief Instructor. He holds the rank of 9th dan in karate, is a direct student of Masatoshi Nakayama , and was a senior instructor in the Japan Karate Association.-Early life:Abe...
- Keinosuke EnoedaKeinosuke Enoedawas a Japanese master of Shotokan karate. He was a former Chief Instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain. Enoeda was ranked 8th dan in Shotokan karate, and was widely renowned as a formidable karateka . Following his death, Enoeda was posthumously awarded the rank of 9th dan.-Early...
- Mikio YaharaMikio Yaharais a Japanese Shotokan karateka and Chief Instructor of the Karatenomichi World Federation. He is famous for his performance of the Unsu kata.After graduating from Kokushikan University, he became Kenshusei in the Japan Karate Association and had a competitive career from 1974-84.In April 2000 he...
- Tetsuhiko AsaiTetsuhiko Asaiwas a prominent Japanese master of Shotokan karate who was a former Technical Director of the Japan Karate Association , founder and Chief Instructor of the International Japan Martial Arts Karate Asai-ryu , and founder of the Japan Karate Shoto-Renmei .-Early life:Asai was born on June 7, 1935, in...
External links
- WTKO http://www.wtko.org