Gokyoko Wakako
Yamaguchi 6th Dan , in
Australia
1978 circa
Photo
by Alexandra
Starling
Wakako
Yamaguchi Shihan
6th Dan is the 5th child of Gogen
Yamaguchi and the first child with
his second wife Mitsue Yamaguchi.
Kaiso's first wife being Midori
Yamaguchi who resided in the family
hometown on Kyuushu Island.
Wakako Kyoshi was born in approx 1952
and is currently 6th Dan Kyoshi
Shihan. She lives in Tokyo Japan and
is the mother of two adult daughters.
Wakako Shihan was the first All Japan
Karate-do Kata Champion and has been
an inspiration to hundreds of male and
female Karate-ka who have travelled to
Japan and been taught by her, or who
have witnessed her phenomenal power
and presence , and her unique
technique which was un-surpassed
during the era she was a Shihan at the
Zen Nihon Karate do College and Honbu
Dojo in Zenpukuji Suginami Ku.
Wakako Shihan has been the inspiration
of many current Shihan members of the
I.K.G.A and it has been stated by the
most senior members of the association
that Wakako Shihan was in a classs of
her own technique wise and had
inherited the unique and special
powerful abilities of her father Gogen
Yamaguchi . These were enhanced
even further via the dedicated
training regime she undertook with her
brother Yamaguchi Goshi Shihan who
coached her to National All Japan
Champion status over many years.
It was 37 years ago in approx 1978
that Wakako Yamaguchi Shihan came to
Australia with her brother Goshi
Shihan for training with the
Australian members. It was the first
time that she had travelled to
Australia whereby she visited both
Sydney and Melbourne and visited the
various Dojo as well as trained full
time with our members at the National
IKGA Goju Kai summer camp at
Tallangatta Victoria. It was on this
trip that Wakako Shihan had an
unfortunate accident during a Bunkai
Demonstration with her brother and
severely damaged her right knee; an
injury which severely limited her
future training thereafter.
Wakako Shihan has been seriously
ill of late however was re-united with
many of her Australian Shihan admirers
at the recent I.K.G.A. International
Shihan Kai Seminar in Matsumoto and
Tokyo Japan , and is thankfully on the
road to recovery.
To be continued...
