Kancho Joko Ninomiya

Long before Kancho Ninomiya arrived in the United States in 1974, he had a dream. From the days in his youth when he first began training, Ninomiya wanted to bring the spirit and technique of real karate to this country.

After devoting himself for many years to reaching the top in competitive karate, Ninomiya won the All-Japan Tournament in 1978. As one of Japan’s most popular champions, he realized that his life in karate was leading him beyond the mat of tournament competition. He returned to the U.S. and rededicated himself to his art, developing and teaching the strategy and technique he believed in.

In 1988, Ninomiya started his own style, Enshin Karate. In an effort to bring authentic fighting karate to the United States, Ninomiya established the Sabaki Challenge, which has become this country’s premier karate-tournament. Because he felt that his training for the All-Japan helped him grow stronger both physically and mentally, Ninomiya wants to offer this opportunity to martial artists of all ages.

Today Kancho Ninomiya is the Grandmaster of Enshin Karate and its growing network of schools throughout the United States and the world. He feels a strong personal commitment to maintaining a close organization and offering his logical, practical system of karate to anyone who is interested in what it has to offer.