Goju Ryu I.K.O. Italia

Sensei Gonnohyoue Yamamoto X Dan - Goju Ryu Karate-Do I.K.O.

Master Yamamoto was born on January, 6^th 1938 in Tokyo, Japan. He began practicing Karate when he was fourteen years old at the dojo held back then by the renowned Master Gogen Yamaguchi; at 16 he was already 1^st Dan and instructor at that same dojo. He turned 2^nd Dan at 18 and, since he was especially gifted for fighting, he became champion in Goju Ryu Kata and Kumite twice in a row.

He got his 3^rd Dan at 19 and at that time he won the prestigious "All Japan" national competition, ranking first of his style both in Kumite and Kata and thus becoming the Japanese Champion in the cup dedicated to Master Miyagi and Master Funakoshi.

From 20 to 25 he participated in every Goju-Ryu competition that was held, invariably ranking first; he got his 4^th Dan at 25, and 5^th Dan at 26; he followed Gosei Yamaguchi in the U.S.A. when the latter decided to go there in order to spread his style abroad. The well-known Peter Urban would be later included among his pupils.

When he came back to Japan, Yamaguchi himself entitled him to teach on his own, and consequently Yamamoto, along with more than fifty black belts, founded his own organization, the "Zen Nihon Karatedo Kai", which would later become "I.K.O." (International Karatedo Organization), and whose greatest European representative is currently Master Cancellieri. Several subscriptions to the newly-born organization flooded in from several countries and places, including Hong Kong, New York (Peter Urban, Merriman, Aaron Banks, Bob Tajani), Australia (Brian Mackie, Ian Poteager, Alan Burdett), Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, England, Taiwan and so forth.

He holds a degree in Economics awarded by the Hosei University, and over the years he practiced Judo, Aikido and Kendo as well.

As far as Karate and martial arts in general are concerned, he uses to say: “the most important aspect to develop is one's inner strength, which must run alongside respect - for themselves and for others - and a great will and determination.”

In 2012 Master Gonnoyoue Yamamoto has officially recognized the "Goju Ryu I.K.O. Italia" group, coordinated by Master Mauro Cancellieri, as the authorized organization entitled to work on I.K.O.'s behalf on the Italian national soil.

Honbu Dojo: http://www.iko-goju.com

Group coordinator: Master Mauro Cancellieri Shihan IX Dan - Hanshi

mauro.cancellieri@libero.it