Happy John Uvwiefenigwere
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Happy John Uvwiefenigwere (born January 1, 1954) is a martial artist and the father of the mixed martial art Kandoshin Shinkyotai.
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[edit] Kandoshin Shinkyotai
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Uvwiefenigwere started studying budo in 1962. In 1965, he earned his black belt. After studying various forms of martial arts and combat arts, he was certified by the International Okinawa Shorin–Ryu Seibukan Karate–Do Association in 1973.
Uvwiefenigwere studied and trained in Korean and Japanese martial arts systems, Chinese karate, western forms of combat education such as wrestling and boxing, and African fighting arts. In 1975, he founded Kandoshin Shinkyotai, an amalgam of his martial arts philosophy. The Kandoshin debuted to the Nigerian public in 1986 at the Tafawa Balewa complex in Lagos. The core of this combat science is taken from karate, kobudo, taekwondo, kung-fu, jiujitsu, aikido, boxing, capoiera, savate, and wrestling.
[edit] Karate Association of Nigeria
In 1975, the Nigeria United Kadoshin Union (NUKU) was formed, and became a founding member body of the national official karate organisation in Nigeria, the Karate Federation of Nigeria (KFN). This was formerly known as Karate Association of Nigeria (KAN) and Federation of All-Nigeria Karatedo Organizations (FANKO). KFN obtained official recognition in 1991 by major general Y.Y. Kure, Nigeria's sports minister, who briefly changed the name to KAN. Uvwiefenigwere is the first national coach/technical director of KFN.
