Karate instructor Rod Butler achieved a lifelong ambition when his first ever Karate book was published. The book entitled, Keinosuke Enoeda ~ Tiger of Shotokan Karate, is a pictorial and biographical account of the life and times of karate legend, Master Keinosuke Enoeda. Sensei Enoeda was Rod’s instructor for many years and during that time Rod gained a great insight into the man behind the image and the working of this great international influence on Shotokan Karate.
Master Enoeda travelled the world teaching karate and was largely influential in the popularisation of Shotokan Karate throughout the world in the 1960’s and 1970’s. His influence on the KUGB, the largest Karate organisation in the UK, was immense and through his influence their have been some top competitors and instructors produced. Frank Brennan, Andy Sherry, Bob Rhodes, Billy Higgins are all names that have been around for years – Karateka produced from those early Enoeda times in the UK. He became a resident of this country and regularly came to visit and teach in Rod’s Chingford Karate Club based in North East London. He also came each year to the Wanstead Karate Club, based at Wanstead Leisure Centre. Rod recalls. “We looked forward to his visits. The atmosphere and spirit were fantastic. After two or three hours training we would all go out for a steaming hot curry. I will never forget those terrific times. His incredible power led him to be known as ‘The Tiger’ throughout the world.”
Rod had been putting together information, photos and interviews with master Enoeda for ten years or more, which has resulted in the book being published. “Master Enoeda passed away in 2003 and so I had to complete the book as my own kind of tribute to his life and his memory. My only wish is that I would have liked to finish it earlier so that he could have seen the finished publication. In a way it was my personal tribute to him although some of the world’s top instructors have also contributed their very own thoughts and memories.”
“I considered that the Enoeda lessons were very important and that they may be lost forever and so I got students to re-enact many of Sensei Enoeda’s lessons and include them in the book so that students and instructors could still gain from them and they would not be forgotten.”
There are pictures and history from Sensei Enoeda’s early childhood up to the time he attended University and the famous JKA instructor’s class. His times in the UK are all included with many pictures of his annual courses at Crystal Palace in London and the classes in his very own dojo at Marshall St in London’s West End.
Since publication the book has sold in many of the countries throughout the world from New Zealand to Iceland, from Hawaii to Norway. Rod has travelled to various countries doing book signings and interviews in countries such as Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Monaco and Finland. His book signing in the USA prompted a lot of interest when he attended the ISKF Master Camp with Sensei Okazaki. There was a book signing after which Rod was asked to give a lecture to the hundreds of students and instructors taking part in the camp. Rod explains; “This event was quite nerve wracking but as I love talking I recollected some of the light hearted memories and carried on for more than an hour. The audience loved it and I hade a great time”.
Shotokan Karate England was formed in 1995 by Rod and a large number of Black Belt instructors who became dismayed by the events that took place after the death of Sensei Enoeda. SKE now has clubs throughout London and the South of England and prides itself on its standard of Karate and the fact that SKE continues with the teachings and spirit of Master Enoeda.
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