Sensei Maurice started karate in 1972 at the age of 16, in a Shotokan club in the northern districts of Marseille, where in 1981 received his Shodan.
In August 1976, Sensei Maurice met Master Chinen at an Okinawan Kobudo workshop in Port Leucate (France). He was inspired by Bruce Lee, as most of the youngsters of these day, so he attended a two-week Kobudo workshop with Master Chinen and since then he regularly participated on summer camps in in Thonon-les-Bains.
In January 1984, Sensei Maurice earned his Shodan in Kobudo directly from Master Chinen.
In 1986 Sensei Maurce received Nidan in Shotokan. At the same year, he decided to follow Master Chinen’s complete training in Karate and Kobudo. According his own words, Shorin Ryu Karate seemed richer and better suited to his body as Shotokan. Sensei Maurce also joined Word O Shu Federation, organization founded by Master Chinen Kenyu.
In August 1986, Master Chinen introduced Sensei Maurice to Okinawa, and he was able to train for two months in the dojos of Master Matayoshi and and Master Miyahara.
After his return, Sensei Maurcie obtained a state diploma to be able to teach and train and he opened his own club, Okinawa Te Club Phocen, in Marseille.
In 2019, Sensei Maurice moved to from Marseille to Nîmes and recreated a club Okinawa Te Club Nimes.
In present days, Sensei Maurice is the President of O-Shu France France and Vice President of the Woerld O-Shu Federation, organization founded by Master Chinen Kenyu, 10th dan Hanshi.
He started martial arts in 1991. He started with Goju Kai Karate, but already there he was looking for traditional Budo values and became acquainted with the beauty and variety of weapons.
During his studies at the university, in addition to intensive study and training in Karate, he also trained in Aikido, Iaido, Ju Jutsu and to some extent also in Chinese style. Since 2000, he began to work as an instructor in his own Karate group, over time he took over other Dojos. In 2003, he began to systematically train Gendai Kobudo and founded the club Kobudo Kai.
In 2004, he fulfilled his search for traditional Karate and for the first time attended a seminar of traditional Okinawa Goju Ryu under the IOGKF. In 2006, he successfully passed the Shodan gradings directly under the world Chief Instructor of the IOGKF, Sensei Higaonna Morio (10th Dan). Since 2007, Sensei Igor has been the official representative and since 2019 the chief instructor of the IOGKF for Slovakia. In 2022, Sensei Higaonna founded the
Traditional Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate Do Federation (TOGKF) and Sensei Igor decided to follow his Senseis and join the TOGKF. Since 2023, he has been the chief instructor of the TOGKF for Slovakia.
He also sought traditional Kobudo and in 2009, intensive cooperation was established with the Czech Okinawa Karate and Kobudo Federation, which is a member of the World O-Shu Federation. In 2010, Sensei Igor met the world chief instructor of WOF, Sensei Kenyu Chinen (10th Dan Shorin Ryu Karate Do, 9th Dan Okinawa Kobudo) and from that moment on he firmly decided to follow this style. In 2013, Sensei Igor Vakoš was appointed chief instructor of the WOF Okinawa Kobudo style in Slovakia.
Sensei Igor is a co-founder and current chairman of the Slovak Union of Okinawa Karate and Kobudo. He continues to train regularly and participate in Karate and Kobudo seminars around the world. He passes on his knowledge at trainings and seminars in Slovakia and abroad.
