Toshiaki Nogiwa
Shijan Toshiaki Nogiwa is the current CEO of Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Shindo-Kan Mexico organization.
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 University of Tokyo introduces him into the Karate-Do discipline under the guidance of the Master Manzo Iwata. Three years later, his ability and skills made him an internal disciple of the master Iwata. The excellent quality of training led him to win first place in the discipline of Kata on the National Championship (International) Shito-Kai Japan in 1975 at the age of 22.
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 was initiated in 1977 the club of Karate-Do of the Universidad Autonoma Agraria "Antonio Narro" (UAAAN), which remains under the his technical direction. The club have made outstanding UAAAN karate fighters, some of them 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 Kushin Karate-Do-Kan organization (1987) and the Union of Martial Arts Saltillo (1988) in 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, in 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 the personal side there was an outstanding event: he went back to his hometown Japan in 1997 after 21 years of absence. In 1998 he was given the task of organizate the first National Tournament "Iwata Cup in Monterrey, NL, being partner with Murayama Master. Toshiaki Nogiwa received the 7th Dan Shito-Ryu Karate-Do Sosei-Kai and 4th Dan Shinkyokuryu Taijitsu degreees. The Pan American Budo Nippon Soseikai appointed him as Technical Advisor in 2005.
Nogiwa's Cup has still organizated every year in different locations. In 2002 it was performed abroad for first time in El Salvador.
Currently, Shihan Toshiaki Nogiwa directs Shindo-Kan organization that has over 50 Dojos in the country. Also he trains Karate Fighters in karate-Honbu Dojo, Uaaan dojo, and the newly opened http://www.nogiwadojo.com Centro de Artes Marciales "La Salle"].