“Shotokan’s Power House and Role Model”

Taiji Kase 1929 – 2004

“Shotokan’s Power House and Role Model”

Shihan Taiji Kase was a Japanese master of Shotokankarate who was one of the earliest masters responsible for introducing this martial art into Europe. He taught his style of karate, Shotokan Ryu Kase Ha, in France from the late 1960s to the mid-1980s. In his later years, he travelled across the world teaching karate, but Paris remained his home.Kase held the rank of 9th dan in karate.

In March 1945 during the closing stages of World War II, Kase enlisted in the Imperial Japanese Navy and joined the Kamikaze corps. The war ended before he was called to duty. Finding the Shotokan dojo (training hall) destroyed by bombing, and unable to find another karate dojo, he returned to training in judo. When Shotokan students regrouped under Funakoshi, he rejoined them.

In 1946, Kase graded to Shodan in Shotokan karate.He studied economics at Senshu University and, in 1949, became captain of the university's karate team. That same year, he graded Sandan. He graduated from Senshu University in 1951 as a captain, along with Takagi, captain of Chu University, and Simamura, captain of Takushoka University. Kase then joined the newly formed Japan Karate Association (JKA) with the aim of becoming a professional karate instructor. He later became Chief Instructor for the European branch. JKA was the first ever properly constituted karate body with a stated purpose.

In 1964, the year of the Tokyo Olympic Games, Kase left Japan to introduce karate overseas.

In his early days in Paris, Kase Sensei had to prove himself in several direct physical challenges. Henry Plee, the pioneer of French Karate, spoke about this and said once you saw Kase in action, you admired and respected him: “he goes directly to the essential Shotokan karate. Techniques for him are only the means—what is important is the result”.

In 1989 he co-founded the World Shotokan Karate Academy, dedicated to the education of black belts and professionals of Shotokan karate. He was known to share his techniques and knowledge, studied the old books of Budo, and was an authority on Shotokan karate history. Once asked for general advice, he replied: “My advice for students of Karate-Do is very simple. Remember what Gichin Funakoshi said: ‘Karate Ni Sente Nashi,--There is no first attack in Karate.’ Understand the idea mentally and technically. Do everything possible so that the attacker feels, understands, and accepts that it is better for him not to attack.”

Shihan Kase had a deep affection towards the Japanese samurai tradition. He practiced karate as a Budo martial art, believing budo karate was a level above competitive karate. He is considered one of the last samurai of modern times. With his passing in November, 2004, the world lost another first generation JKA Karate Master and founder of a unique Ryu-Ha that was clearly outside of the mainstream.