Biografie in deutscher Sprache

Firstly, to all internet users, welcome to Dojo Taiyo website. We hope that the information you are looking for shall be well sufficient and to your satisfaction. Even when one's just browsing through Dojo Taiyo internet pages, we hope it will generate some sort of good interest to you. We wish you some fun in enjoying the display of information and finally thank you for taking up the good interest shown upon us.

The aim of this page is to recall how Dojo Taiyo came to existence. Well! I would like to introduce myself, Jean-Claude Carmagnole, born on the Island of Mauritius. At my early teens, I immigrated to England and finally through a military career, I landed in Germany.

Through my activities in practicing marshal arts, I started to experience Shotokan Karate through friendly training in the late 70's with a friend and Sensei called Roy Cadeau, born Seycelloir. After experiencing the powerful elements that Shotokan Karate style has, beside its natural philosophy, I joined a club in the early 80's under a Sensei called Wolfgang Henning and furthermore trained with Sensei Domenico Palopoli and Sensei Michael Schönbeck.

As Sensei Henning's club closed down in the mid-80's, I was left solely to train where I possibly could. During that spell I eventually left the Armed Forces and found myself an occupation in the district of Soest, in the Sauerland region of Germany. Determined not to give up my karate, I was found training alongside the Belgium Army, under Sensei Willy Walraedt and Sensei Danny Decloed , where I obtained Sensei Walraedt's self-defense concept for women.

During that particular period I came across Sensei John Gilliland, who is the chief instructor of Gashushuin Karate, and through him I met Sensei Robert Curtis from Ryoshin Karate. Both Senseis were great contributors to my karate knowledge and served as good international ties for myself and my pupils. Also, I trained under Sensei Geraldo Laginestra in Warendorf, district Muenster. Many thanks goes along to Sensei Geraldo who contributed to my Shodan (1st Dan black belt in April 1987).

Beside my membership with Shotokan Karate International Deutschland Association since 1983, I was also involved with S.K.I. Africa under Sensei Mohammed Dion, who gave me a lot of inspiration in the aspect of Shotokan Karate-Do. Even though I was working and living in Soest, I still had a lot of ties with karate and my private life in the district of Herford. During the year 1988, Dojo Bushido, an S.K.I.D. karate dojo under Seinsei Roy Cadeau, closed down and since I was an honored guest at that Dojo, Bushido members approached me for help in giving training at another location, but after a short while their organization had a breakdown. Luckily, during that period I was residing in Schweicheln, on the outskirts of Herford. From then on I decided to approach the Sport Club Schweicheln (SG Schweicheln) for their permission to form a karate section within their football association, as they were the only main sport association in the nearest vicinity where I was eventually residing.

On the 7th of July 1990, Andreas Ebeling, a member of SG Schweicheln, had arranged with me to make an appointment to speak to Hermann Tölle, who at the time was the manager of SGS football club. From the 6th to the 13th of September 1990 the discussing was finalized and the set date for the first training session was Friday, the 5th of October 1990.

In late 1991, as the karate members grew in numbers, I decided to approach our national trainer, Big Master Akio Nagai, now an 8th Dan, to ask and obtain a Dojo name for our karate section, a name that would fit my philosophy and way, that meant having the meaning of a close bond to nature and the universe. In fact the ideologic meaning of the Kata Kanku Dai in all its different aspects of interpretation fitted my way in the sense of Karate-Do.

The name Taiyo was passed to me from our national trainer Akio Nagai Shihan, by S.K.I. Germany Sport Attendant Sensei Reinhard Nawe. Taiyo, meaning sun, is a popular name used in Japan, which covers a wide range of spectrum, even to the samurai era. After receiving the name Taiyo, I set to work with my pupils, at that time with Miguel Manceras, Thomas Aleth, Thomas Stieber, Robert Child and his mother Sue Child to finally bring the design of an emblem to light. The visual performance of Kata Kanku Dai at its beginning stage of looking at the sky through both open hands, brought me the enlightenment to express the meaning of opening one's heart to others with a welcome in exchanging, learning new experiences, making friendships, developing oneself physically and mentally and finally leaving with a gathered knowledge and with the feeling of a happy harmony with oneself and others. Architect Schäffer finalized the design on our emblem to what it is today. Looking compactly to the emblem, you have the sun as the Dojo piercing towards you, the Kanku Dai hands signifies the roof of the Dojo and under the roof is the universe representing people from all walks of life.

• 1987- Received first Dan Diploma
• 1993- First Intern Dojo Karate Championship
• 1994- Karate Demo at the Westfalen Schau 94
• 1994- Dojo Emblem available to the Members
• 1994- Participated in the 5th SKIF World Championship in Tokyo, reaching Semi-Final in the Veteran Category
• 1995- Karate Demo for the German District National Sport Body Trimmfestival 95
• 1995- First Dojo Course under SKID National Trainer
• 1996- Received second Dan Diploma
• 1996- Authorized Self-Organization from SG Schweicheln Main Board
• 1997- Participated in the 6th SKIF World Championship in Milan, reaching the Final
• 1998- Dojo Taiyo participated in an open Karate Championship in London
• 1999- Received Title Sportsman of the year from the Sport Community Association of Hiddenhausen
• 1999- Received third Dan Diploma
• 2000- Demo at Gut Bustedt, Hiddenhauser Treff
• 2000- Organizer of the 5th Shotokan Open Karate Championship in Herford District in Partnership with Herford PSV Karate Section
• 2001- Received forth Dan Diploma
• 2002- Dojo Taiyo on line www.dojo-taiyo-schweicheln.de
• 2003- First Pupil to obtain a Dan Grade within Dojo Taiyo
• 2004- Dojo Taiyo as Delegation in Partnership Exchange visit with Poland through Community Sport Association of Hiddenhausen
• 2006- Received fifth Dan Diploma
• 2007- Presentation of the Silver Pin (15 Years membership service to SG Schweicheln assoc.)