Ulf Laurang

It is with heavy hearts that we must announce the passing of Ulf Laurang on November 1, 2023, at the age of 67, in his own home. Ulf had been a pillar in Bærum Shotokan Karate Club since its inception eight years ago, and his contributions have been irreplaceable.

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His dedication and enthusiasm were of immense importance to everyone in the club, especially children and youth. Beyond his involvement in our club, Ulf was also deeply engaged in JKA, the club's federation, where he served as a valuable member of the board.

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Ulf once shared his journey in the world of karate with us:

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"I started with combat sport karate in the early 70s with Wolgang Wedde in Oslo. After a couple of years there, I moved to Spain which became my home for the next 10 years. In Marbella, I trained for 3 years with del Blanco Sensei.

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Then, I moved to Rome, Italy, where I began training at Kyoto Club Ostia with Sensei Yamada and Sensei Buratti under the supervision of Sensei Shirai. Soon after, I bought the premises and the club, and a few years later, I also started up two new clubs, Centro Studi Karate Shotokan Lido di Ostia 1 and 2, which resulted in training every single day. I was deeply committed as a coach for the youth in the clubs and also made a deal with one of Italy's police agencies, Carabinieri, where we provided courses in both self-defense and pure karate. Furthermore, I was very engaged in getting different branches of karate to work together, instead of against each other. The result of my and many others' work resulted in us building our own national center in Lido di Ostia, namely Palazzetto di Arti Marzial.

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I resumed training when I discovered Bærum Shotokan Karate Club and have enjoyed seeing it grow, and especially flourish with many dedicated and hard-training children of all ages. Through my involvement as an instructor in the club, I hoped to inspire members to become skilled practitioners in karate, but also to carry with them important baggage further in life with all the positives that karate has to offer."

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Ulf was more than just karate. His big heart reached far beyond the dojo, and he had a burning commitment to those who needed help and support in the local community. His passing leaves a void that will be hard to fill. We are eternally grateful for everything he has done for the club, and he will always be remembered as the inspiring and caring person he was.

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May his memory live on in our hearts.