ABOUT US

Karate Dojo in Florence

The name Yurikukai means "Karate Club del Giglio, identifying the Florentine gym with the name of the flower symbol of Florence. It is a traditional Shotokan Karate school, where the tradition of art prevails over competitive practice.

The Yurikukai was born in 1971 by Master Piero Borgenni.

In the 60s, Karate in Italy was spreading thanks to the work of Master Hiroshi Shirai and his first students, including Luciano PARISI, Rodolfo OTTAGGIO and Ennio FALSONI. Thanks to the encounter with these great Masters, in 1963 Piero Borgenni started practicing karate, and on 1971 April 1st he founded the Yurikukai Karate Club, with his first Dojo located in Via Filadelfia, in Florence. In 1973, due to the increase of number of students practicing the Dojo moved to Via Jacopo Nardi, where it remained until 1988; after that, in 1988 it moved again to the Unione Sportiva Affrico in Viale Manfredo Fanti. From May 2009 the Dojo is located in Via Aretina 217/F in Florence.

Founders

Piero Borgenni

Master Piero Borgenni is the founder of Yurikukai Karate Firenze. Born in 1936 in Florence, he grew up sporting in the fight environment; he started the practice of Karate in 1963 and reached the 7th Dan in 2013, given to him directly by Kancho Hirokazo Kanazawa. Piero passed away on 2013 March 4th. His memory, his dedication and his teachings will always remain alive in all his students.

Rodolfo Ottaggio

Rodolfo Ottaggio has been a direct student of Master Hiroshi Shirai and direct teacher of Piero Borgenni, giving him the inspiration and motivation for the birth of Yurikukai Karate Firenze. It was a constant point of reference for our Dojo, until he retired from the practice. A close bond of friendship and esteem on the part of the whole Yurikukai remains intact.

Luciano Parisi

Luciano Parisi has also been Piero Borgenni's teacher, next to Master Ottaggio. He was co-author with Ennio Falsoni, Rodolfo Ottaggio and Beppe Panada of the famous "Enciclopedia del Karate", the first popular Italian book about karate, in which he shows his perfect technique that brought him to the top of worldwide Karate in the 70s. He has retired for years from the practice of traditional Karate to found a personal style in the way of Budo.

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The Karate

Karate as we practice it today has recent origins: only at the beginning of this century, thanks above all to Master Gichin Funakoshi, karate is known outside Japan. Before that date in fact, the practice of karate was handed down in secret and in anyway never in writing, but only through a series of coded exercises, the KATA and only to a small and select group of students.

Master: Alessandro Gentile

He started karate in 1983 with Master Piero Borgenni at the Yurikukai, dojo to which he is still attached, passionately pursuing tradition and love for this ancient martial art with the same spirit transmitted by his Master. Since 2006 he has been a private member at SKIF's Hombu Dojo (Shotokan Karate International Federation), in Japan, after meeting Soke Hirokazu Kanazawa, founder of SKIF, and Shuseki Shihan Manabu Murakami in 2003, to the latter still linked, as well as by a deep esteem, also by a sincere friendship, consolidated over the years during the numerous trainings.

-1st Dan in 1989
- 2nd Dan in 2003
- 3rd Dan in 2007
- 4th Dan in 2012