Toshiaki Nogiwa

Early life

He was born on April 14, 1952 in the Japanese province of Tottori-ken. He is the second son of the Nogiwa Heike samurai descent.

At age of 18, his admission to the University of Tokyo introduces him into the Karate-do discipline under the guidance of Master Manzo Iwata. Three years later, his ability and skills made him an internal disciple of Master Iwata. The excellent quality of training led him to win first place in the discipline of Kata on the National (International) Shito-Kai Japan Championship in 1975 at the age of 22.

Career

In 1976, Shihan Toshiaki Nogiwa was sent to Mexico as a coach of Japan Shito-Kai in the cities of Monterrey, Piedras Negras, and Saltillo, Coahuila, where the club of Karate-Do of the Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro (UAAAN)was initiated in 1977, which remains under his technical direction. The club has trained outstanding UAAAN karate fighters, some of whom have established dojos that are now part of the Shindo-Kan Mexico organization.

In 1978 he married Alicia Valdez in the city of Saltillo, Coahuila. The couple had three children: Akemi (1980), Harumi (1984) and Kisei (1986).

In the lates eighties, Shihan Toshiaki Nogiwa founded the Kushin Karate-Do-Kan organization (1987) and the Union of Martial Arts Saltillo (1988), of which he was named head coach.

In 1991, he began the most remarkable sporting event of the organization: the National Championship "Copa Nogiwa". In the following years there were important events for Nogiwa Shihan. In 1994 he completed the construction of the Main Dojo (Honbu Dojo) in Saltillo City, named "Shindo-Kan" by the teacher Genzo Iwata (Manzo Iwata's son).

This was how the National Organization of Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Shindo-Kan began, of which Nogiwa Shihan was appointed Director General "Kancho." In 1996 he was certified as "Shihan" by the World Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Shito-kai.

On a personal note, there was an outstanding event in his life: he went back to his home country, Japan, in 1997 after 21 years of absence. In 1998 he was given the task to organize the first National Tournament "Iwata Cup" in Monterrey, NL, in partnership with Murayama Master. Toshiaki Nogiwa received the 7th Dan Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Sosei-Kai and 4th Dan Shinkyokuryu Taijitsu degrees. The Pan American Budo Nippon Soseikai appointed him as Technical Advisor in 2005.

Nogiwa's Cup is still held every year in different locations. In 2002 it was celebrated abroad for first time, in El Salvador.

Currently, Shihan Toshiaki Nogiwa directs Shindo-Kan organization, which has over 50 Dojos around the country. He also trains Karate Fighters in karate-Honbu Dojo, UAAAn dojo, and the newly opened Centro de Artes Marciales "La Salle"