Takayuki Kubota

File:SokeKubotaTakayuki.jpg

Soke Kubota Takayuki

Soke Kubota Takayuki (窪田孝行, Soke Kubota Takayuki) is a Grand Master 10 Dan, founder of the Gosoku-ryu style of karate, and founder and president of the International Karate Association Inc.

Kubota holds the title of Soke for his development of the Gosoku-ryu style of karate. He was a self-defense instructor for the Tokyo Police department in the 1950s where he was noted for his expertise in practical style karate. He has devoted his life to learning, creating and teaching the application of self-defense techniques to military, law enforcement and civilian personnel. He has earned black belt degrees in karate, judo, aikido, and kendo.He is also the inventor of the Kubotan self-defense keychain which bears his namesake. He is the founder and president of the International Karate Association Inc.

Beginning of the way

Takayuki Kubota was born 20 September 1934 in Kumamoto, Japan, where the famous and legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi spent the last six years of his life. Kubota began studying his first formal Karate training under the guidance of the two Okinawan refugees, who were experts in the martial art of "Tote". There was no formal emphasis about dojo rules and disciplined training during Kubota's time. The, "Refrain from violent behavior" or "each respect others", rules that are now taught in his school, were unknown during that time. They had no formal karate gis to wear either.

The training was intense. A very hard training, as he recalls. His training was not for tournament or a sport. It was for survival, pure and simple. His whole body was conditioned for real combat. From head to toe, his fingers, knuck¬les and shins, all these he used as weapons. The makiwara was an early part of Kubota's life. And the ultimate purpose of his training was to become tough and fearless. Master the art, face off the foreign invaders, and kill. In Kubota's own words "All my childhood training was how to kill. We were taught that when we fight the enemies, they must be killed or it will be the other way around. That was the Second World War though", he continued.

Tokyo

At the age of thirteen he decided to go to Tokyo. With a heavy heart and over his father's objection, Kubota bid his family good-bye. His father told him, "If you go, you can't come home anymore". But Kubota was so determined than ever. The next day he boarded a train and took the three-day trip to Tokyo to seek his fortune. Sadness and suffering were Tokyo's welcome to Kubota. He found out there was no job and place to stay. He slept in temples and train stations. Because of his skill in taihojutsu (arresting technique), he was given a place to stay and food to eat by a Tokyo policeman, who later became his friend. In return, Kubota taught him the technique.

Because of his unquenchable desire to learn every aspect of the arts, he continued to train hard every day in the courtyard of a Shinto temple. Kubota was to elevate himself by training advance Black Belt rankings in Karate, Judo, Aikido, Kendo, Jiujitsu, Giyaku Te Jitsu and several other arts. He began his teaching career at the age of 14. Since then his name in the world of martial arts became well known all over the world. He is now a tenth degree black belt in Karate. It is the highest rank in Karate that is rarely achieved by a karate-ka.

Gosoku Ryu

His newborn karate style became Kubota's masterpiece in martial arts and he named it Gosoku Ryu, hard-fast style. It was indeed for the same reason why he is now called Soke, meaning founder or creator of Gosoku Ryu. Gosoku style gave an impressive attention to the Tokyo Police. At the age of nineteen Kubota was commissioned to teach and train the Kamata Police Department. He taught them how to defend themselves with their bare hands. Hard, fast, tough and practical. That's what he taught them. Because of the unknown circumstance that the law enforcement officers face every day, the relatively unconventional style of Kubota was recognized by the police force as fit for the street self-defense application and apprehending suspects.

Teaching and improving Gosoku Ryu

He participated in daily police activities, like going to Tokyo's heavy crime infested areas with the Police. It was in this era that Kubota's Gosoku Ryu's techniques were developed, refined, tested and proven effective against adversaries. Police forces around the world have afterward benefited from the techniques that were proven in the tough testing ground, the Tokyo suburbs. Kubota taught at the Kamata Police Department for ten years.

As he became famous, the U.S. military and government personnel at the American military bases stationed there invited him to teach self defense and show demonstrations. From 1958 to 1960 he taught the U.S. Military Police and other personnel at Camp Zama, Kanagawa. Also, from 1959 to 1964 he taught self-defense to the U,s. Army personnel at Kishine Barracks in Yokohama. At the same, during 1961 to 1963, he was teaching the American Personnel at Grand Heights Air Force Base in Tokyo and U.S. Air Force Police at Fuchu Air Force Base. He also worked as a body guard to the Edwin O. Reischauer U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Through 1964, Kubota taught self-defense to other government personnel, including the Central Intelligence Agents at the U.S. military bases throughout Japan.

USA

On 2 August 1964, Kubota was invited by the late Ed Parker, the father of American Kenpo Karate, to give a demonstration at Ed Parker's First Annual International Karate Tournament in Long Beach. And in late 1964, when he came back to America to relocate permanently. Kubota was hired by the Los Angeles Police Academy to teach self-defense. He taught at the Academy for several years.

Inventions

It is the invention of his famous five and half inches plastic Kubotan key chain that Kubota will be most remembered. It is handy, easy to use for self-defense and inexpensive. It was primarily used for controlling suspects, designed for female Los Angeles Police Department. But because of its widespread popularity. Kubota approved its public access. In 1990, Kubota was awarded the Black Belt Hall of Fame as weapons expert. Today tens of thousands of people carry this famous Kubotan Key Chain. Kubota has been teaching other law enforcement agencies from different places for decades now, some of the well-known agencies are the F.B.I., LAP.D., N.Y.P.D., L A SHERIFF'S DEPT.. D.E.A. and the Highway Patrol. He also taught the Stanford University's football team on defense strategies. The courses he teaches the Law Enforcement Agencies are from simple handcuffing, the pain compliance techniques that are applied to aggressive suspects, to his now famous Police baton techniques, the well-known Police Side-Handled Baton. It's a Tonfa-like weapon used by the Police Department.

Books

Kubota also has written several books on the martial arts. Among his most famous works are:

• The Art of Karate. Fighting Karate (Gosoku Ryu - Hard-Fast Style)
• Close Encounters {The Arresting Art of TaihoJutsu)
• Kubotan - Instruments of Attitude Adjustment and Weapons Kumite.

The VHS Tapes he produced that are now available for sale are, Kumite (Gosoku Style Fighting), Kubotai (A weapon used for striking and a restraining device), Kubotan (A key chain uses for self defense) and Gosoku Ryu Katas. To be released soon are Anso No Kata & Kubojitsu (Cane Kata).

Other occupations

Ever since Kubota came to the United States his martial art's skills were never confined to the dojo. Aside from teaching martial arts, he was also a frequent technical advisor for fight scenes in the movies, like the Gold Finger, Doc Savage and Shaft in Africa. He also appeared in over 300 feature films and television programs. Among the TV shows he appeared on were The Gong Show; the Operation Petticoat, and the award winning USC student film, Sensei. And in the movies, he appeared on the Killer Elite, with James Caan, who is now his long time student; Baa-Baa-Baa Black Sheep, with Robert Conrad and the rock star Peter Frampton; The Mechanic, with Charles Bronson, where he won some feature roles; The Rising sun, with Sean Connery and the latest one, Kubota's favorite of them all, The Hunted, with Christopher Lambert and John Long.