The Eighties

Double Gold presentation by Sensei Toru Takamizawa & Sparring Demo with Eugene Codrington at 1980 Tera Nationals.

The eighties started well with a Gold Medal in Kata at the Wado and Open Style Tera Karate Kai Nationals. His hard work continued to pay off with a successful grading to 3rd Dan by the Tera Karate Kai Panel in Birmingham in 1980.   His Clubs were far & wide covering Cumbria & North East, so he decided to re-brand the clubs to bring under one banner & “Chojinkai Karate” was born.

 

1980 – the first course in Carlisle under the ‘Chojinkai’ banner, front row l to r, Tim Bird, Graham Solon, Tom Armstrong (emigrated to Perth, Australia), Ged Carr, Doug, Jim Thompson, Steve Greenwood, Richard Bird.

As his interest in competition flourished, Doug became more interested in refereeing and trained under Barry Tatlow who was the Tera Karate Kai Chief Referee.

The decade progressed with 5th Annual Cumbria Open Karate Championships in Carlisle and then Doug went on to found the Newcastle Upon Tyne Open Championships at the Lightfoot Stadium, Walker.

In 1982 he made the decision to leave the Tera Karate Kai & Toru Takamizawa to form his own association, to concentrate on furthering & developing the Clubs with the foundation of the British Karate Do Chojinkai Association within the English Karate Federation – later named FEKO.

I early/mid 80’s he opened a full time professional dojo & martial arts retail shop in Newcastle – Chojin Martial Arts – photo with Club Instructor Paul Jackson then 2nd Dan (Newcastle Club first Black Belt).

BELOW: 1983 Summer Course movie clip @ Prestatyn Sands, North Wales

BELOW: 1983 Summer Course @ Prestatyn with Rita, Michael, Doug, Steven.

BELOW: 1985 Summer Course @ Skegness – front row, l to r, Simon Crow 1st Dan (Morpeth Club first Black Belt), Ian McCranor 3rd Dan (Chojinkai Coventry affiliated Club), Doug, Steve Byfield (Suzuki 3rd Dan now with Chojinkai Newcastle), Robert Toole 2nd Dan, Ian Wood 1st Dan.

In 1983 he qualified with the English Governing Body as a National Judge status under Brian Smith. Doug retired from competing in Karate at the age of 35 to concentrate on & developing competition officiating.

He was awarded 4th Dan, endorsed by the World Governing Body WUKO and achieved National Referee in 1984 & his first International qualification in 1986, allowing him to Judge at the European Senior Champs in Spain.

European Judge in Madrid in 1986.

Perth Australia Course 1986 & met up with former Carlisle student Tom Armstrong

Doug was a founding member & Chief Referee of the British Karate Grand Prix along with Roy Stanhope, Abdu Shaher, Unel Wellington, Victor Charles. Following on from this he was Invited to Australia to teach and formed the International Karate Do Chojinkai, with affiliated Groups in Southern Ireland and Wales.

1986 Summer Course at Minehead – Son Michael (11) 2nd left front row & Son Steven (13) 2nd right back row – next to Doug is Instructor Simon Crow 3rd Dan.

1987 Summer Course at Ayr – Front Row l to r – Andy Goodwin 1st Dan, Jon Little 1st Dan, Simon Crow 3rd Dan, Doug, Steve Chaplow 1st Dan (Kendal Club first Black Belt), Ian Abernethy 1st Dan (Cockermouth Club first Black Belt).

The age of Video was firmly upon us, and Doug recorded ‘Wado Ryu Karate’ – ‘Beginner to Black Belt’, Pioneering the first Comprehensive Video on the Wado Ryu Curriculum, with Video Producer Tim Eyrl.

The success of this top selling training video inspired him to form the Video Martial Arts International Production Company (with business partner Tim Eyrl), more universally known as VMA International. This pioneered the first ‘Magazine on Video’ in 1988.

The company went on to produce Instructional and Training tapes with Ticky Donovan, Terry Pottage, John Richards and other leading British Karate Instructors of the day and became the first company to record Championship Videos of English and British National Karate Events plus the European and World Karate Championships. By the end of the 80’s VMA had been appointed the Official Video Team to both EKU European and the WUKO World Championships and Chojinkai continued to flourish.

Cover photo & main feature in 1988 Fighters Magazine, with Hexham & Prudhoe Instructor Jimmy Hague, then 3rd Dan (Hexham Club first Black Belt)

His international refereeing continued and he went on to Officiate at the European Senior Championships in Italy and Scotland and the European Junior Champs in Spain.

More qualifications followed with an International Referee qualification at the European Championships in Yugoslavia and the prestigious award of a 5th Dan Black Belt under WUKO.

Relaxing at hotel in Titograd 1989 after qualifying as European Referee, with England Judge Jeff Pearson & National Coach Ticky Donovan

1989 Cumbria Open Karate Championships – VMA Tournament Report

Link to The Nineties –>

This section leads you through 7 decades of an outstanding Martial Arts Career, by following the footsteps of the Chojinkai Karate Founder and Chief Instructor, Sensei Doug James 9th Dan.

A Brief Synopsis – Sensei James  started training in 1967 and is regarded as one of Britain’s Senior and Most Respected Professional Instructors.  For 21 years he was an International Karate Referee (1986 to 2007), officiating at the highest level – European and World Championships within the World Karate Federation (WKF).  In 2009 he retired as a member of the English & British Karate Referee Commission after a domestic refereeing career spanning over 30 years, awarded the rank of 8th Dan by the English Karate Federation, subsequently endorsed by the WKF.  In January 2022 he was awarded 9th Dan by the Board of the English Karate Federation, acknowledging his 55 years training in Karate – the promotion was endorsed by the Secretary of the WKF Technical Commission.

Sensei James is a Founder Member of the EKF – the Governing Body for Karate in England recognised by the World Karate Federation.  He is President of the Association and very much a ‘hands on’ Chief Instructor maintaining the renowned High Technical Standards within the Chojinkai Karate Clubs.

This section tracks in detail his route through the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, the noughties, then 2010 to the present day, through Karate from Beginner to Master, from a time when the art was for the UK at least in its infancy, to now when Karate is a worldwide established Art and Sport enjoyed by millions and recognised as a most effective form of self defence.  Included are archive photos & magazines covers that featured articles on Doug James through the decades.

The Chojinkai Lineage Section shows the “Doug James/Chojinkai Karate” direct link to the early pioneers of oriental unarmed combat prior from the 1800s through to the founders of modern day karate in early 1900s through to Doug James and Chojinkai Karate’s inception in the late 1900s.

Traditional Karate Magazine 

Doug James Interview 2003

The Video Documentary here is entitled “Chojinkai – The Story So Far”, and is a fascinating visual biography as told by Doug James, covering the first 35 years in Martial Arts & was recorded in 2002 with a running time of approximately 13 mins.

Link to The Sixties –>