Sensei Keinosuke Enoeda, one of the masters of Shotokan karate-do, passed away on March 29 2003. He was the chief instructor of the Karate Union of Great Britain and of JKA Europe and JKA Africa.
Enoeda was born on July 4 1935 in Fukuoka, Japan. When he was seven years old, he began training in judo. By the age of seventeen, he had a second dan black belt. However, he then saw a karate demonstration in Tokyo. Much like Nakayama sensei, who had originally trained in kendo, he was impressed by what he saw and switched to karate.
Enoeda trained under Sensei Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan karate, in the Takushoku University Karate Club in Tokyo. In two years time, Enoeda had a first degree black belt. After graduating in 1957, Enoeda entered the JKA instructor training programme, where he was taught by Nakayama sensei.
Enoeda had a succesful career in karate competitions. At one competition, Indonesian president Sukarno was in the crowd, and was thoroughly impressed with Enoeda's fighting abilities. He therefore hired him to teach karate to his personal bodyguards, beginning Enoeda's teaching career. Enoeda sensei took part in the JKA's programme to send instructors all over the world, and ended up in Liverpool, and started teaching for the KUGB. Eventually, he was made chief instructor. His influence on British karate and the successes that many karateka from the UK have attained can hardly be disputed.
Enoeda sensei was renowned for his fighting spirit, and was given the nick name, 'Tora' or 'Tiger'. Sensei Willy J. Ortiz of the Finnish Shotokan karate-do Association wrote of him: "Enoeda sensei was the inspiration for many to begin karate, we all wanted to be as strong as he was, to have his devastating fighting spirit and to have the talent that over the years he changed from a ferocious tiger into an understanding sensei."
Sources:
http://www.beckenhamkarate.co.uk/enoeda.html
http://www-users.york.ac.uk/~socs235/town/history/enoeda.htm
http://www.jkafinland.org/Enoeda.htm