KARATE's PATH of SENSEI FERNANDO PRIETO

Sensei Fernando Prieto began his career in Martial Arts at the beginning of 1963, training Judo and Self Defense in the Christian Youth Association. This incursion in Judo gave him the possibility of meeting Juan Carlos Ríus Viglianchino (Sensei Pa Chi), who at that time was a prominent judoka of our country.
A couple of years earlier, Sensei Pa Chi had met a Karate Sensei (Seiichi Akamine), in San Pablo (Brazil), and - with the support of this Japanese Master - he begun training and teaching karate at the Circle of Arms, where Sensei Fernando Prieto attended some classes, although as guest but not as effective student. It was at the beginning of 1967 when Sensei Fernando Prieto became a direct student of Sensei Pa Chi, receiving his first private trainings at his home, and later in the first Dojo (Rambla´s Dojo), of Kenshin Kan Uruguay Karate-Do School, that today became in Toku In Kan Karate-Do and Kobudo School.
Although he trained with several Masters of various karate styles, Sensei Fernando always remained loyal to Sensei Pa Chi --with who he achieved a great friendship- and to the Kenshin Ryu style, initially created by Master Seiichi "Shikan" Akamine with the name Shikan Ryu.
In 1987 Sensei Fernando accepted the offer of Japan Karate Federation Goju Kai to be Representative and President, in Uruguay, of this organization, although in parallel he continued training Kenshin Ryu Style in Toku In Kan. Because of the request of this international organization, he accepts to integrate the Technical Council of the Uruguayan Confederation of Karate, and also to be Technical Director of the Uruguayan team of Katas, remaining for eight consecutive years in both positions, and he also becomes in international arbitrator of katas and kumite , with the recognition of Sensei Julius Thiry.
Having passed away Master Seiichi Akamine, because of request of Sensei Pa Chi, at the end of 1995 --after have participated in a International Tournament in Argentina, where he was the Coach of Katas, and also of Kumite-- he resigns to the Technical Council and also to the Technical Direction of the Uruguayan Confederation of Karate, in order to train, and to teach, only in Toku In Kan.
His participation as Technical Director of the Uruguayan Confederation of Karate allowed him to participate in every international tournament (South American, Pan American and World tournaments) that took place in different countries, and also establish Branches of Toku In Kan in Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto) , USA (Miami and Michigan), Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), India (Sonari Town, Jharkhand), Argentina (Berazategui), Chile (Santiago de Chile) and Colombia (Bogota).
Ending the 90s, Sensei Pa Chi and Sensei Fernando established contact with the Ryukyu Traditional Okinawa-te Federation and with the Ryukyu Traditional Kobudo Association, and both becoming personal members and Representatives of these organizations for South America.
Since July 16, 2011, after the death of Sensei Pa Chi, Sensei Fernando became the leader of Toku In Kan Karate-Do and Kobudo School, and he is also confirmed by Ryukyu Traditional Okinawa-te and Kobudo Federation as personal member and as Representative for South America.
Sensei Fernando Prieto has contributed a lot, and in many things, with Toku In Kan School, but without any doubt his greatest achievements were the development of the School towards the rest of the world, and the technification of nomeclature and Japanese terminology, in names of postures, katas, and different techniques of karate.