Draft:Funakoshi Gichin Cup

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Funakoshi Gichin Cup
Competition details
DisciplineShotokan Karate
TypeTriennial
OrganiserJapan Karate Association
History
First edition1975
Final edition2024

The Funakoshi Gichin Cup (also known as the Shoto Cup or the World Cup) is a major international karate tournament organized by the Japan Karate Association (JKA) roughly every three years. Formerly the Shoto World Cup, it is considered to be the successor of the IAKF World Championiships, first held in 1975. The tournament is named after Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan karate, and features elite karatekas from around the globe competing in kata (forms) and kumite (sparring).

History

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Australian athletes line up for the 1970 WUKO World Championships

WUKO and 1972 Controversy

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In 1970, Ryoichi Sasakawa (at the time president of the Federation of All Japan Karatedo Organization) travelled to Paris to meet Jacques Delcourt, who had formed the European Karate Union five years earlier, in an effort to standardize and regulate international karate competition. The result was the creation of the World Union of Karate-do Organizations (WUKO), which would later become the World Karate Federation (WKF) in 1998.[1] The first WUKO World Karate Championship was held later that year in Tokyo, Japan, with delegations from thirty-three nations.[2]

The 1972 WUKO World Karate Championship held in Paris was riddled with controversy. Three countries withdrew in protest of apartheid, because South Africa was allowed to compete. In the middle of the tournament, the teams from the United States and Japan walked out due to complaints with officiating, and were later followed by five other countries.[3] Masatoshi Nakayama, who was Chief Referee for the tournament, Hirokazu Kanazawa, Masahiko Tanaka, Takeshi Oishi and other Japanese athletes and officials were banned from any future events hosted by WUKO, many of whom were members of the Japan Karate Association (JKA) at the time.[4]

1973 Commemoration Tournament

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Gichin Funakoshi, after whom the World Cup named today

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the popularization of karate by Gichin Funakoshi, the JKA hosted a commemorative world tournament. This is the first instance of the Funakoshi name used as a tournament title. Japan dominated the competition, defeating Italy in two finals to win both the kata and kumite titles.[5] Current JKA Chief Instructor Takeshi Oishi won in individual kumite.[6]

IAKF World Championships

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The All American Karate Federation (AAKF), founded by Hidetaka Nishiyama in 1961 after arriving in the United States, had become one of the most influential karate organizations in the country after being called on by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to select the American team for the 1972 WUKO World Karate Championships. However, fearing Nishiyama's rising influence and his goal of usurping the AAU's position as the American representative in WUKO, AAU president David Rivenes severed all ties to Nishiyama.[7]

In response, Nishiyama formed the International Amateur Karate Federation (IAKF) in 1974 and was subsequently named executive director.[8]

In the wake of Nakayama's expulsion from WUKO, the JKA aligned itself with the IAKF, with most of the national representatives made up of the JKA branches in the respective countries.[7][9] With the support of the JKA, the 1975 IAKF World Karate Championship was held in Los Angeles, United States. Over three hundred officials and participants represented twenty-eight countries in front of a crowd of under 6500. Nakayama once again was Chief Judge.[10] Masahiko Tanaka, who won the All Japan that year, took home the gold for men's kumite.[11] Women were not allowed to compete at the first championships. A women's kata division was later created for the 1977 IAKF World Championships, but it was not until 1990 at the 3rd Shoto World Cup that women could finally compete in kumite. [12][13]

The IAKF continued to hold three more World Championships until it's transition to the International Traditional Karate Federation (ITKF) in 1985.[14]

Shoto World Cup

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As the IAKF/ITKF diverged from the JKA to seek Olympic recognition, the JKA moved to continue the series of tournaments by sponsoring its own World Championships. Aptly named after Funakoshi's pen name, Shōtō (松涛), the Shoto World Cup surpassed the JKA's own All Japan Championships as the largest shotokan tournament in the world.[15]

The 1st Shoto World Cup was subsequently held at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan, in 1985. No longer were third place matches held. Instead, semifinalists were given joint bronze medals.[16] During the Shoto Cup era, championships were held roughly every two years, up until the 9th Shoto World Cup in 2004. The longevity of this name is why many practitioners continue to refer to the tournament as the Shoto Cup today.[17]

1990 Championships

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The 3rd Shoto World Cup, held in Sunderland, England, allowed women to compete in kumite for the first time.[18]

The team kumite final was fought between Japan and England. Since the walk out at the 1972 Championships, the Japanese national kumite team went undefeated at international tournaments. The lineup in 1990 included well-known karateka like Tomio Imamura and Masao Kagawa. However the English team was particularly strong that year as well, including Elwyn Hall and Frank Brennan. The match was close fought, but England ultimately won 3-2 to clinch the title, with victories from Hall, Brennan, and Dean Hodgkin. It was one of the few times Japan failed to win a team event at the Funakoshi Gichin Cup, and showed that the gap between Japan and the rest of the world was closing.[19]

1994 Championships

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The 5th Shoto World Cup was held in the Philadelphia Civic Center, being first time the United States hosted the championships since the first IAKF tournament in 1975.[20] Pavlo Protopapa of South Africa became the first non-Japanese to win a title at the championships. It was a particularly weak year for Japanese men's kumite, where Katsutoshi Shiina was the only member of the team to break into the top four. Japan placed third in team kumite, behind Sweden and Germany.[21]

The 2024 Championships were held at Takasaki Arena, in Gunma, Japan

Funakoshi Gichin Cup

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At the 2006 World Championships the tournament was renamed a final time. Officially now the Funakoshi Gichin Cup, the tournament maintains the name to this day.

Two Funakoshi Gichin Cups have been cancelled, once in 2009 and once again in 2020.[22][23]

The 2024 championships saw a record 1800 athletes compete, and was the first time the tournament returned since 2017, before the COVID-19 pandemic.[24]

Competition

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Participation

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There is no limit to the number of countries able to participate. However, countries must be represented by a single team, hosted by an organization within the JKA World Federation (JKA-WF). National tryouts are conducted by these representative organizations, where athletes typically have to hold recognized ranking from the JKA. Currently, the JKA-WF is affiliated with over 130 countries around the world.[25] The tournament includes two disciplines, kata (forms) and kumite (sparring), further divided into individual and team events. Divisions are separated by age and gender, including junior (ages 9 to 18) all the way to veteran (70+) categories. Each country can only send four athletes for each division.[26] The tournament is conducted under the JKA Rules and Regulations.[27]

Kumite

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Tatsuro Igarashi (left) faces off against Hikaru Hirose (right) in the 2024 kumite finals

The style of kumite practiced is known as shobu ippon kumite. Techniques are scored based on decisiveness and effectiveness, including various punches (tsuki), kicks (keri), and strikes (uchi). The first person to score Ippon or one full point is declared the winner.[27]

The men's individual final match is sanbon shobu style, where a winner must score two ippon to win.[27]

The Funakoshi Gichin Cup is a single-elimination tournament, meaning competitors win matches to continue into the next round, until only one winner remains.[28]

Scoring

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Techniques may be executed to the head (jodan) or abdomen (chudan). To successfully score a point, techniques must be done with proper power, timing, distance, posture, target, control, and spirit. Ippon scores typically consist of kicks to the head or takedowns followed by strikes on the ground.[27]

Techniques that are effective but do not meet all the criteria of ippon are scored as a half-point or waza-ari.[27]

Team Kumite

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Teams are made up of five athletes in the men's division and three in the women's. Each athlete competes once, and the team to win a majority of the matches wins the round.[27]

Kata

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Kata competition consists of multiple rounds. The first group of rounds is judged under the flag system, single-elimination style. Two athletes perform the same kata simultaneously, and a winner of chosen to progress to the next round. A kata is randomly selected for each match, starting with the beginner or shitei kata pool, then transitioning to the intermediate or sentei kata pool later on.[27]

Upon reaching the semifinals (top 16), judging changes to the points system. Athletes in the semifinal round perform a kata individually, picking one of the four sentei katas to perform. In two pools of eight athletes, the highest scoring four from each pool continue to the final round (top eight). In the final round athletes perform a tokui or favorite kata, which is self chosen. The highest scoring athlete in the final round wins the championship.[27]

1975 silver medalist Carlo Fugazza demonstrates kata at a seminar

All katas performed must be one of the 25 approved by the JKA.[29]

Kata List
Shitei Sentei Tokui
Heian Shodan* Bassai Dai Jitte Unsu Gojushiho Dai
Heian Nidan Kanku Dai Hangetsu Meikyo Tekki Nidan
Heian Sandan Jion Gankaku Wankan Tekki Sandan
Heian Yondan Enpi Bassai Sho Sochin
Heian Godan Kanku Sho Nijushiho
Tekki Shodan Chinte Gojushiho Sho

*Oftentimes, the first kata (heian shodan) is not drawn for competitions.

Japanese athlete Ukyo Tatsumi performs the jump in the kata Enpi at the 16th Championships

Scoring

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Athletes are judged on correct stance, posture, timing, spirit, and knowledgeable execution of the kata. In competition, all kata must end at the same point at where it starts (embusen), so correct stance length is critical.[27]

Under the flag system, judges watch two performances simultaneously and designate one of the two athletes as the winner. A draw can also be called, in which the athletes compete again, this time drawing a different kata.[27]

Under the points system, a "median score" is chosen by the Chief Judge, and deductions or additions to the median score are made based off of the perfomance of the kata. The highest and lowest scores are removed, and the remaining scores are added to result in the total score for the performance.[27]

Team Kata

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Team kata is performed by teams of three for both women's and men's divisions. A team is judged not just on good performance of the kata, but synchronization between team members as well. Team kata is only judged under the points system, where teams elect a sentei kata until the final round (top eight), where a tokui kata is chosen.[27]

List of World Championships

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Year Tournament name Location
1975 1st IAKF World Championships United States Los Angeles, USA
1977 2nd IAKF World Championships Japan Tokyo, Japan
1980 3rd IAKF World Championships Germany Bremen, West Germany
1983 4th IAKF World Championships Egypt Cairo, Egypt
1985 1st Shoto World Cup Japan Tokyo, Japan
1987 2nd Shoto World Cup Australia Brisbane, Australia
1990 3rd Shoto World Cup England Sunderland, England
1992 4th Shoto World Cup Japan Tokyo, Japan
1994 5th Shoto World Cup United States Philadelphia, USA
1996 6th Shoto World Cup Japan Osaka, Japan
1998 7th Shoto World Cup France Paris, France
2000 8th Shoto World Cup Japan Tokyo, Japan
2004 9th Shoto World Cup Japan Tokyo, Japan
2006 10th Funakoshi Gichin Cup World Karate-do Championships Australia Sydney, Australia
2009 11th Funakoshi Gichin Cup World Karate-do Championships† Japan Tokyo, Japan
2011 12th Funakoshi Gichin Cup World Karate-do Championships Thailand Pattaya, Thailand
2014 13th Funakoshi Gichin Cup World Karate-do Championships Japan Tokyo, Japan
2017 14th Funakoshi Gichin Cup Karate World Championship Republic of Ireland Limerick, Ireland
2020 15th Funakoshi Gichin Cup Karate World Championship‡ Japan Takasaki, Japan
2024 16th Funakoshi Gichin Cup Karate World Championship Japan Takasaki, Japan

†Cancelled due to the 2008 financial crisis.[22]

‡Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23]

Past Results

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Male Kumite

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Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place
1975[30] Japan Masahiko Tanaka Japan Takeshi Oishi United Kingdom Billy Higgins
1977[30] Japan Masahiko Tanaka Italy Bruno De Michelis Germany Jürgen Willrodt
1980[30] Japan Toshihiro Mori Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dusan Dacic Germany Jürgen Hoffmann
1983[30] Japan Hideo Yamamoto Italy Claudio Guazzaroni Egypt Hosny Gabr
1985[30] Japan Minoru Kawawada Japan Masaaki Yokomichi Japan Takayuki Tsuchii Japan Masao Kagawa
1987[30] Japan Tomio Imamura United Kingdom Frank Brennan United Kingdom George Best Belgium Marco Barone
1990[30] Japan Masao Kagawa United Kingdom Ronnie Christopher Belgium Fillipo Allata Sweden Leslie Jensen
1992[30] Japan Tomio Imamura United Kingdom Frank Brennan Japan Kunio Kobayashi Japan Tatsuya Naka
1994[30] South Africa Pavlo Protopapa Belgium Jeannot Mulolo South Africa Colin Smith Japan Katsutoshi Shiina
1996[30] Canada Don Sharp Japan Toshihito Kokubun Japan Kunio Kobayashi Japan Takuya Taniyama
1998[30] Japan Toshihito Kokubun Japan Koji Ogata Switzerland Pierre Toudjip Belgium Jeannot Mulolo
2000[30] Japan Toshihito Kokubun South Africa Johan LaGrange Japan Takuya Taniyama Japan Koji Ogata
2004[31] Japan Koji Ogata Sweden Miroslav Femic Japan Koichiro Okuma South Africa Johan LaGrange
2006[32] Japan Koji Ogata Brazil Chinzo Machida Japan Keisuke Nemoto Japan Koichiro Okuma
2011[33] Japan Rikiya Iimura JapanKoji Chubachi Japan Keisuke Nemoto Russia Andrey Mazurov
2014[34] Japan Koji Chubachi JapanRikiya Iimura Japan Keisuke Nemoto Thailand Supa Ngamphuengphit
2017[35] Chile Rodrigo Rojas Japan Okada Yasunori Japan Daisuke Ueda Japan Yusuke Haga
2024[36] Japan Hikaru Hirose Japan Tatsuro Igarashi Japan Yuya Oosawa Japan Yusuke Haga

Male Kata

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Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place
1975[30] Japan Yoshiharu Osaka Italy Carlo Fugazza Germany Michael Strauch
1977[30] Japan Yoshiharu Osaka Japan Mikio Yahara Italy Carlo Fugazza
1980[30] Japan Yoshiharu Osaka Japan Mikio Yahara Greece Efthimios Karamitsos
1983[30] Japan Yoshiharu Osaka Japan Mikio Yahara Egypt Saedd El Herem
1985[30] Japan Minoru Kawawada Japan Masao Kagawa Japan Akira Fukami
1987[30] Japan Takenori Imura Japan Masao Kagawa Japan Okazaki Hiroyoshi
1990[30] Japan Tomoyuki Aihara United Kingdom Frank Brennan Japan Masao Kagawa
1992[30] Japan Tomoyuki Aihara Japan Imura Takenori Japan Yuji Hashiguchi
1994[30] Japan Takenori Imura Japan Okazaki Hiroyoshi Japan Tomoyuki Aihara
1996[30] Japan Takenori Imura Japan Yuji Hashiguchi Japan Tomoyuki Aihara
1998[30] Japan Yuji Hashiguchi Japan Seizo Izumiya Japan Takuya Taniyama
2000[30] Japan Takuya Taniyama Japan Seizo Izumiya Japan Katsutoshi Shiina
2004[31] Japan Katsutoshi Shiina Japan Takuya Taniyama Japan Kobayashi Kunio
2006[32] Japan Kurihara Kazuaki Japan Kobayashi Kunio Japan Saitoh Yuki
2011[33] Japan Kurihara Kazuaki Japan Naoto Maruoka Japan Hideki Hukuhara
2014[34] Japan Hidemoto Kurihara Japan Daisuke Ueda Japan Kurihara Kazuaki
2017[35] Japan Kurihara Kazuaki Japan Hidemoto Kurihara Japan Yushi Hakizume
2024[36] Japan Kaishi Hakizume Japan Hidemoto Kurihara Japan Yushi Hakizume

Female Kumite

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Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place
1990[30] Japan Yuko Hasama Netherlands Lisette Zelissen United Kingdom Karen Findley Japan Keiko Kawano
1992[30] Japan Yukiko Yoneda Japan Yoshimi Naoko Japan Sakurako Sasaki Japan Keiko Kawano
1994[30] Japan Hiromi Hasama Japan Mayumi Baba Japan Kimiyo Nakamura Indonesia Daud Nilawati
1996[30] Japan Hiromi Hasama Japan Mayumi Baba Japan Shoko Sakuragi Japan Yuko Okuda
1998[30] Japan Mayumi Baba United Kingdom Caroline Quansum United Kingdom Colette Glynn Japan Hiromi Hasama
2000[30] Japan Hiromi Hasama Japan Okuda Yuko South Africa Christy Cauvin Japan Mayumi Baba
2004[31] Japan Okuie Satomi Japan Takahashi Yuko Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Tatjana Nikolic Hungary Krisztina Zsigmond
2006[32] Japan Yuko Takahashi Japan Okuda Yuko Australia Tracy Pearce Australia Storm Wheatley
2011[33] Japan Asumi Isiduka Sweden Glusa Akdag Russia Alla Sergeeva Venezuela Josmaira Quiroz
2014[34] Japan Taguchi Satoshitama Japan Mai Shiina Japan Yuki Ito Czech Republic Petra Cifkova
2017[35] Japan Mai Shiina Japan Amano Minori Argentina Jeanette Castaneda Japan Kyoko Akiyama
2024[36] Japan Hinako Kitagawa Japan Moe Yoshida Japan Kyoko Akiyama Canada Alessandra Longo

Female Kata

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Year Champion Runner-Up 3rd Place
1977[30] Japan Hiromi Kawashima Japan Keiki Hayakawa United States R. Senior
1980[30] Japan Hiromi Kawashima Japan Hiroko Moriya Germany Schweiber
1983[30] Japan Hiroko Moriya Japan Yuko Sakada Japan Yoko Nakamura
1985[30] Japan Yoko Nakamura Japan Kikue Yamamoto Japan Yurika Yoshida
1987[30] Japan Yuki Mimura Japan Yoko Nakamura Japan Hiroe Sekimori
1990[30] Japan Yuki Mimura Sweden Lena Svensson-Pyrée Japan Maiko Asano
1992[30] Japan Yoko Nakamura Japan Miyo Gunji Japan Miwa Akiyama
1994[30] Japan Yoko Nakamura Indonesia Ompi Omita Japan Haruna Ikutake
1996[30] Japan Yoko Nakamura Japan Miyo Gunji Japan Nakata Terumi
1998[30] Japan Miyoko Fujiwara Japan Miyo Gunji South Africa Karin Prinsloo
2000[30] Japan Nakata Terumi Japan Miyo Gunji Japan Chiharu Azuma
2004[31] Japan Nakata Terumi Japan Misako Aragaki Japan Oshima Nozomi
2006[32] Japan Misako Aragaki Japan Nozomi Oshima Japan Shirota Takaki
2011[33] Japan Nozomi Oshima Japan Miki Nakamachi Japan Serino Fukasaku
2014[34] Japan Miki Nakamachi Japan Ayano Nakamura Japan Hikawa Nao
2017[34] Japan Ayano Nakamura Japan Yuna Sato Japan Rio Hayakawa
2024[36] Japan Saori Ishibashi Japan Tamaki Shimura Japan Airi Sekizawa

References

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