BIOGRAPHIES

Kuniaki
Sakagami

Kuniaki Sakagami was born in the City of Toyohashi, Japan in 1944. He started, training in Wado-Ryu Karate in May 1959 aged 14 years old, under the tuition of Mr T. Suzuki at the Toyohashi Dojo. After graduating from local High School, he entered Aichi University to study Economics. Such was his eagerness to become more deeply involved in Wado-Ryu he decided to continue training at the City Dojo as well as the University Club; This was considered even byUniversity Students standards, a very austere Way of training.

During his University period he entered many University and All Styles Contests Winning the Tokai University Area Championships and the Tokai Area All Style Championships consecutively (1965-1966), placing in the All Style University Championships of Japan; and finally culminating in becoming University Karate Club Captain, a prestigious position that is only held by the most talented of Karate-Ka.

On graduating from Aichi University in March 1967 he worked for the Fujiki Shipping Company. At that moment in time Wado-Ryu Karate was beginning to expand in Europe. Mr T. Suzuki then offered Mr Sakagami a teaching post in Nuremberg, Germany. He taught Wado-Ryu throughout Germany until May 1970, he was then transferred to Birmingham, England, where he has been resident for over 20 years.

Sakagami Sensei, was awarded 4th Dan in 1968, 5th Dan 1972, 6th Dan 1978 and 7th Dan in 1989 from Wado-Ryu Headquarters in Japan. Over the past years while being resident in England he has trained many Kumite and Kata Champions, some of them going on to win World Championship Titles. The Wado-Ryu Awakai Karate-Do Federation was founded by Mr Sakagami in 1989 and continues to flourish throughout Great Britain under his expert tuition.