Van Weenen was graded to 1st Dan by Moss Hollis in 1966, (his diploma is reproduced in his auto biography 'In Funakoshi's Footsteps'), before travelling to Japan in 1967 to train at the invitation of Masutatsu Oyama at the Kyokushinkai Headquarters. In fact, John decided to train under Hirokazu Kanazawa and registered at the JKA Honbu in Tokyo.
He started the Traditional Association of Shotokan Karate (T.A.S.K.) in Bedford, Bedfordshire, whose guest instructors included Bob Poynton, Ticky Donovan and Sean Roberts.
Van Weenen is the Executive Director of Task Force Albania,[2] a humanitarian organisation that has provided over £7 million in aid to Albania since the end of communism in the country in 1991. In 1993, he was the first person to receive the Order of Mother Teresa in Albania for his work, and this was re-presented by Mother Teresa herself in Calcutta. In 1999, he was awarded the MBE by Prince Charles and the citation read: 'For services to the children of Albania'
Later that year he established the British Children's Library network, and in November the first library was inaugurated in Tirana, Albania's Capital. It was opened by Charles, Earl Spencer in honour of his late sister, Diana, Princess of Wales. A second library was opened in 2001, in Durrës, by Sir Norman Wisdom.
Professor Dr Sali Berisha, Prime Minister of Albania, said that Van Weenen “quite uniquely, turned his martial arts expertise into missionary skills.”[citation needed] In 2001, Berisha was a guest on an episode of This Is Your Life, dedicated to van Weenen. Other guests included Charles Spencer and Anila Bido.[citation needed] Berisha would later request that Van Weenen become the Honorary Consul in Great Britain for Albania He took up this position in 2012.
John Van Weenen stood for election in South West Bedfordshire for United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) in 2015, but was not elected.[3]
Bibliographyedit
Beginners' Guide to Shotokan Karate: Beginner to Black Belt (1983)
Advanced Shotokan Karate Kata Volume 1 (1999)
Task Force Albania: An Odyssey (1998)
Task Force Albania - the Kosovo Connection (2001)
In Funakoshi's Footsteps: The Autobiography of John Van Weenen 8th Dan (2004)
Karate for Children: Vol 1 - Basics (2007)
The Ten Pound Poms (2018)
Walter Hagen's Caddie (2020)
Referencesedit
^Van Weenen, J:In Funakoshi's Footsteps John van Weenen, 2004
^. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
^"Candidate for South West Bedfordshire in 2015". Yournextmp.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
External linksedit
"BBC News - EDUCATION - Pupils donate books for children's library". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
"Stephen Marriott 4th Dan (Shotokan Karate-do International Federation)". Yamakai.org. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
"iowkarate.co.uk". Iowkarate.co.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
"One Man's Dream :: John Van Weenen UKIP". Johnvanweenenukip.co.uk. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
April 18, 2024
john, weenen, this, biography, living, person, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, adding, reliable, sources, contentious, material, about, living, persons, that, unsourced, poorly, sourced, must, removed, immediately, from, article, talk. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources John van Weenen news newspapers books scholar JSTOR March 2010 Learn how and when to remove this template message John Van Weenen MBE born 26 August 1941 Enfield Middlesex England 1 is a 9th Dan karateka and humanitarian Van Weenen was graded to 1st Dan by Moss Hollis in 1966 his diploma is reproduced in his auto biography In Funakoshi s Footsteps before travelling to Japan in 1967 to train at the invitation of Masutatsu Oyama at the Kyokushinkai Headquarters In fact John decided to train under Hirokazu Kanazawa and registered at the JKA Honbu in Tokyo He started the Traditional Association of Shotokan Karate T A S K in Bedford Bedfordshire whose guest instructors included Bob Poynton Ticky Donovan and Sean Roberts Van Weenen is the Executive Director of Task Force Albania 2 a humanitarian organisation that has provided over 7 million in aid to Albania since the end of communism in the country in 1991 In 1993 he was the first person to receive the Order of Mother Teresa in Albania for his work and this was re presented by Mother Teresa herself in Calcutta In 1999 he was awarded the MBE by Prince Charles and the citation read For services to the children of Albania Later that year he established the British Children s Library network and in November the first library was inaugurated in Tirana Albania s Capital It was opened by Charles Earl Spencer in honour of his late sister Diana Princess of Wales A second library was opened in 2001 in Durres by Sir Norman Wisdom Professor Dr Sali Berisha Prime Minister of Albania said that Van Weenen quite uniquely turned his martial arts expertise into missionary skills citation needed In 2001 Berisha was a guest on an episode of This Is Your Life dedicated to van Weenen Other guests included Charles Spencer and Anila Bido citation needed Berisha would later request that Van Weenen become the Honorary Consul in Great Britain for Albania He took up this position in 2012 John Van Weenen stood for election in South West Bedfordshire for United Kingdom Independence Party UKIP in 2015 but was not elected 3 Bibliography editBeginners Guide to Shotokan Karate Beginner to Black Belt 1983 Advanced Shotokan Karate Kata Volume 1 1999 Task Force Albania An Odyssey 1998 Task Force Albania the Kosovo Connection 2001 In Funakoshi s Footsteps The Autobiography of John Van Weenen 8th Dan 2004 Karate for Children Vol 1 Basics 2007 The Ten Pound Poms 2018 Walter Hagen s Caddie 2020 References edit Van Weenen J In Funakoshi s Footsteps John van Weenen 2004 Task Force Albania a British Charity registration No 1015236 Archived from the original on 13 May 2008 Retrieved 25 November 2009 Candidate for South West Bedfordshire in 2015 Yournextmp com Retrieved 18 August 2017 External links edit BBC News EDUCATION Pupils donate books for children s library news bbc co uk Retrieved 18 August 2017 Stephen Marriott 4th Dan Shotokan Karate do International Federation Yamakai org Retrieved 18 August 2017 iowkarate co uk Iowkarate co uk Retrieved 18 August 2017 One Man s Dream John Van Weenen UKIP Johnvanweenenukip co uk Retrieved 18 August 2017 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John van Weenen amp oldid 1208550249, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
