In Memory to the Sensei Taiji Kase (1929-2004)
The past November 24th, 2.004 at the age of 75 the great master of Karate-Dô Taiji Kase died in Paris. All we were conscious of the problems of health to those that the sensei was confronting. Everything began, when in May of 1.999 it suffered an heart attack and after some months of recovery I recapture their activities. Later on, by the middle of September of 2.003 it suffered a serious infectious problem and complications that affected to their spinal cord, their movement capacity and once again to their heart. However, their situation was improving in a stable way. And little before their death he made plans with the senior of the “Shôtôkan Ryu Kase Ha Instructor Academy” your group. However, their karma was different. On Friday 19 November of 2004, the sensei suffered a cerebral accident. It was taken to the hospital in coma situation and interned in the intensive care unit. He didn’t recover of the coma and while it was in intensive cares, he also had heart problems. On Wednesday 24 November 2.004, at the 17:25 hours the sensei Kase left for its last journey.
On Sunday 28 and Monday 29 November, friends and students could carry out a last visit to the sensei in their house in Paris.
Their funeral and cremation took place on Tuesday 30 November 2004 in the cemetery of Père Lachaise, in Paris. Three hundred fifty people among, family, students and friends were meditating there, they prayed and they said good-bye to a great man.
On Sunday 5 December, 2.004 the family of the sensei organized a lunch in its memory, in Paris, attending about 100 family members, friends and its nearest students approximately from the oldest to the youngest, all for invitation of the family.
Regrettably he has left us physically, although, it will spiritually always be with us, cheering up to give a little more than what we believe to be able to. Their art and imprint will last in those that have followed it with sincerity and they will speak of him with the same passion that he spoke of their masters and of those that served him as inspiration.
Good-bye sensei, you have shown us the correct road that now we should travel and when we have doubts or alone depressions we will have to remember your example to continue ahead.
Their students, friends and the direction of the magazine give their felt condolence to the master’s family. May he rest in peace.
Brief biography of Taiji Kase.
By Martin Fernández, 5º Dan and member of the SRKHIA.
Taiji Kase was born in Chiba, Japan on 9 February 1.929 and it died in Paris 24 November 2.004 with 75 years of age. With six years old he practiced Judo, ending up obtaining the 2º Gives in 1.944. This same year, he began practicing Karate-dô in the Shôtôkan-Dôjô under the direction of Funakoshi Gichin sensei (1.868-1.957). But, it also attended the classes of Karate of the University of Senshu with different instructors as: Yoshitaka, Hironishi, Kamata, Okuyama, Hayashi, Uemura, Kubota and others.
At the end of March 1.945, when he was only 16 years old, he enrolled in the Navy, concretely in the Kamikaze special force. However, the war ended up in August of that same year; before arriving him their shift. When it finished the war, the Shôtôkan-Dôjô it was destroyed; for what renewed the practice of Judô, until Funakoshi Gichin joined again to the group of the Shôtôkan.
In 1.946 he obtained the Shodan in Karate-dô and in 1.949 the Sandan ending up being the captain of its university, Senshu. He graduated from the University on Senshu with a degree in Economic Sciences, in March 1.951.
Master Kase Joined the JKA (Japan Karate Association) in order to be a professional instructor, although it always kept their bond with the NKS (Nihon Karate-Dô Shôtôkai). Due to her technical excellence and combative spirit ended up being the instructor of the instructors’ of the JKA Kumite., among those that were: Enoeda, Ochi, Shirai and many others.
In 1.964 he left Japan to teach in multitude of countries and continents. Until in 1.967 he arrived to France and he settles permanently in Paris; becoming the Head Instructor of the J.K.A in Europe.
The Karatekas of the moment was fascinated by his leg techniques especially the Ushiro Geri and Kaiten Geri, he created. His open hand techniques, his rapids and precise displacements, his Kamaes and his ôyô-bunkai another of his specialties. But that that more it impressed it was his naturalness and effectiveness and his easiness to transmit the subtlest aspects in the Budô.
In the year 2001 founds the Shôtôkan Ryu Kase Ha Instructor Academy with the objective of to form its students and followers from all over the world and to assure his legacy for the posterity.
He always spoke to us of three stages of evolution of the Karate: the Okinawa, the Japanese and the Yoshitaka. And although he had never said it -for modesty, their students and anyone that has known their Karate will add a more, Kase sensei stage (Kase Ha).
But, above all Kase sensei was a simple and affable man that irradiated a human warmth and an unfathomable knowledge of the Budô that very few they could reach.