Stage in memory of Iwao Yoshioka with Stefano Del Nero

The stage is presided over by Stefano Del Nero, who was taught by Iwao Yoshioka since his childhood through his own karate teachers, Gianni Del Nero and Alberto Schiavoni, direct students of the karate master.

Iwao Yoshioka is and remains unique - trying to copy him would be an unattainable goal; Rather, this stage was about delving more and more into his understanding of karate, especially the karate style “Wado Ryu” - “and the deeper you go, the more the uniqueness of Iwao Yoshioka becomes apparent,” says Stefano Del Nero.

A snapshot from training. © KARATE MUHLBACH

Yoshioka, a fighter through and through, is known not only because he won the world championship in 1969, but because he played a key role in shaping the karate style “Wado Ryu” in Italy since the 1970s.

In the footsteps of Iwao Yoshioka Stefano Del Nero found an impressive method for this course in Mühlbach: On the one hand, the participants were able to train on the focal points that were important to Iwao Yoshioka and which he had repeatedly pointed out during his stages; On the other hand, Del Nero was able to use videos and photos to introduce Yoshioka's personality and use quotes and explanations to point out the principles of Wado Ryu that make this karate style so unique.

Yoshioka connects Thanks to the “In memoriam Iwao Yoshioka” initiative, a joint stage between the three South Tyrolean karate schools that practice the “Wado Ryu” style and whose teachers were influenced by Iwao Yoshioka was held for the first time. “I see it as a fruit of Iwao Yoshioka's tireless commitment to more togetherness, to growing together, that this course could be offered in memory of one of the greatest karatekas,” says Stefano Del Nero.

About the person: Iwao Yoshioka Iwao Yoshioka was born on September 18, 1946 in Kumamoto (Japan). In his childhood he trained first in judo and kendo and later in karate. In 1965, Iwao enrolled at Nippon University in Tokyo, where he met Hironori Otsuka, the founder of Wado Ryu, and was trained by him from then on. Otsuka took Yoshioka to tournaments around the world. Iwao won the Japanese championships several times, and in 1969 he became world champion in kumite (dueling).

On May 6, 1969, Iwao Yoshioka came to Italy to popularize karate. In Rome he soon met some young athletes who, like him, practiced karate - including Gianni Del Nero, the father of Stefano Del Nero. Iwao Yoshioka became coach of the Italian national team, but had to return to Japan in 1984 because his father had died. He set up a karate school there, but remained in close contact with his friends in Italy and repeatedly came to the peninsula for stages. Iwao Yoshioka died on January 9, 2023.

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Stage in memory of Iwao Yoshioka with Stefano Del Nero

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