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Sensei Shiroma began to study karate at his birth place, Okinawa in 1963. While a sophomore at the University of Hawaii in 1967, he began his studies of Shotokan karate. (At the time, Tetsuhiko Asai, a direct student of Master Masatoshi Nakayama and a graduate of the JKA instructor training program, was establishing Shotokan in Hawaii).

Mr. Shiroma recalls: “In 1970 after I graduated [from] university, I left Hawaii to travel around the world. After about six months of hitchhiking across the U.S., I came to New York. I had heard of Mr. Mori in Hawaii (he had taught there for two years, but had left before l arrived) and I wanted to meet him, so l visited his dojo on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.”¹

That first meeting with Mori Sensei had a big impact on Mr. Shiroma, who was then in his mid-20s. But being young and adventurous, he had an appetite for travel. For the next six years, Mr. Shiroma traveled through South America and taught karate in Colombia, both at a private club he started, as well as at the Naval Academy of Colombia in Cartagena (Escuela Naval de Cadetes de Colombia). This is where Mr. Shiroma became fluent in Spanish.

In 1977, Mr. Shiroma decided to go back to New York City, where he became a student of Masataka Mori Sensei for 35 years.

Today, Shiroma Sensei is one of the highest ranking JKA instructors in North America, and the Chief Instructor of JKA Karate NY Shiroma. The embodiment of Shogai Budo, Mr. Shiroma keeps training and competing. He organizes training camps and online seminars, keeps a second home in Tokyo and frequently travels to JKA Headquarters, South America and other places to train, study, teach and participate in tournaments.

Images, left to right, top to bottom:
With Kenei Mabuni sensei in the early 1970s.
Isami Shiroma and Kenei Mabuni sensei in Panama, 1974.
Chatting with Nishiyama sensei, Summer Camp New York 1983.
Getting corrected by Nishiyama sensei, Summer Camp, New York, 1983.
Interpreting for Sugiura sensei (right), who was teaching kata Chinte at JKA Summer Camp in New York, 1995.
Translating for the former JKA Chief Instructor, Sugiura sensei at the 8th Shoto Cup in Tokyo 2000.
Practicing sit-ups with JKA Chief Instructor, Ueki sensei at JKA Honbu Dojo, Tokyo.
Shiroma sensei (left) competing at a Senior Tournament in Japan 2008.
Isami Shiroma paying his respects at the memorial for Shotokan Founder Gichin Funakoshi, Kamakura, Japan.

1. Source: Shotokan Karate Magazine, Issue 142 ↩︎

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Ms. Kuroha began her Shotokan training with James Field Sensei at Santa Monica Dojo in 1997. When she moved to Denver, Colorado in 2007, Sensei Field arranged for her to continue her training under the late Yaguchi Shihan. She then became a highly successful international competitor. Following Sensei Field’s return to the JKA, Ms. Kuroha took re-exams to obtain a current JKA dan rank, as well as JKA instructor, judge and examiner licenses.

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More information coming soon.

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More information coming soon.

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More information coming soon.

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