Karate Do Traditional

Traditional Karate

The meaning and sprit of TRADITIONAL KARATE comes from the history of the Island of Okinawa, Japan - the birthplace of Karate. The roots of Karate were brought to Okinawa by Masters that traveled to China to learn the Martial Arts. It is believed that a Buddhist Priest, Bodhidharma, developed the first self-defense techniques within the walls of the monastery in China . In this quiet, meditative atmosphere, Karate became a way of life, a spiritual discipline, with a code of honor. Fundamental to this code of honor, non-violence and respect are central to the teaching found at the Authentic Ancient Arts Karate and Kobudo Studios.

THE ART OF KARATE was developed from a combination of southern Chinese martial arts and the native Okinawan art of Te. The word karate is derived from two characters which mean empty and hand; therefore, karate can be translated as the art of the empty hand. The style of karate taught at the Authentic Ancient Arts dojo is Okinawan Shorin-ryu.

SHORIN-RYU is one of the two original karate styles formally systematized in Okinawa and considered by some to have had the most influential impact on the development of all modern karate systems.

TODE SAKUGAWA (1762-1843)

    Recognized as one of the most important figures in the history of Karate, Satunushi "Tode" Sakugawa was among the first to blend elements of the original Okinawan art of te with Chinese boxing (tode) to initiate the development of what we know as Karate today.
    Born in Shuri, Sakugawa began his martial arts training as a youth under Peichin Takahara, a local astronomer and monk. A short time later, he met a Chinese military diplomat stationed on Okinawa named Kusanku and began training under him in Chinese Kempo. During subsequent trips to China , Sakugawa continued his Kempo training and studied bojutsu and other fighting arts as well.
    From Sakugawa comes the kata Kusanku, the bo kata Sakugawa No Kun, and the concept of the dojo kun (dojo etiquette).
    Many historians believe that one of Sakugawa's students was the famous Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura.

MACHU HIGA (1790-1870)

Like many of the leading martial artists of' his time, Machu Higa served as a bodyguard for the Ryukyuan royal family for which he was awarded the title Peichin, signifying membership in the Okinawan Shizoku (equivalent to the Japanese Samurai class).
Higa was an expert in bojutsu, saijutsu, tonfajutsu, and a pioneer in the early development of Karate. According to some historians, among his students was Ufuchiku Kanakushiku (Sanda Kinjo).

SOKON "BUSHI" MATSUMURA (1798-1890)

    The father of Okinawan Karate, Sokon "Bushi" (Warrior) Matsumura was the first to systemize Shuri-te from which the various Shorin-ryu styles have come down to us today.
    Born into a prominent family in Shuri, Matsumura was a good scholar and athlete. He learned the fundamentals of te as a young boy (customary for upper class youths of the time) and later, according to many historians, began his formal martial arts training under Tode Sakugawa. From Sakugawa he is said to have learned use of the bo and the kata Kusanku.
    While serving as a bodyguard and martial arts instructor to the last three Ryukyuan kings, Matsumura made a number of official visits to China and Japan where he studied Chinese boxing and Japanese swordsmanship.
    Following retirement from service to the royal family, Matsumura taught Karate in Shuri. Among his many noteworthy students were Itosu Yatsutsune, Kentsu Yabu, Chomo Hanashiro, Gichin Funakoshi, Chotoku Kyan, and Nabe Matsumura.
    Sokon Matsumura is credited with having originated or having developed important variations of many of the Shorin-ryu katas practiced today: Chinto, Wansu, Passai, Seisan, and others.

KOSAKU MATSUMORA (1828-1898)

    Like Sokon Matsumura of Shuri-te, the Karate that developed in the vicinity of Shuri, Kosaku Matsumora was a leading practitioner, developer, and teacher of Tomari-te, the Karate that developed around Tomari village. Although Tomari-te has not survived as a distinct system, many of its katas and techniques are incorporated within the Shorin-ryu styles of today.
    It is believed that Matsumora learned the principles of Chinese boxing from a Chinese hermit who'd been shipwrecked on Okinawa and lived in a cave near Tomari. Some historians believe he may also have learned techniques from a student of Tode Sakugawa.
    Among Matsumora's students, who went on to influence new generations through students of their own, were Choki Motobu and Chotoku Kyan.

ITOSU YASUTSUNE (1830-1914)

   Perhaps the greatest teacher in the history of Karate, Yasutsune "Anko" Itosu simplified many of the ancient katas, created several new ones of his own, and pioneered teaching methods that would revolutionize the art by making its study easier and less dangerous for future generations. For this, he is recognized as the father of modern Karate.
    Born in Shuri, Itosu began his Karate training at an early age under Sokon Matsumura and subsequently trained under several other teachers, possibly including Kosaku Matsumora of Tomari. Well-educated in Chinese and Japanese literature, Itosu served as a translator to Sho Tai, the last of the Ryukyuan kings, until Sho Tai's fall from power in 1879.
    In 1901, Itosu first introduced Karate into the physical education curriculum of the Okinawan public school system. This was a crucial step in transforming the public --Perception of Karate as a feudalistic killing art to one in which the emphasis was -in health and spiritual well-being.
    Itosu created the original Pinan (peaceful mind) katas, shodan through godan, practiced today in various forms by virtually all Shorin-ryu styles.
    A list of Itosu's students reads like a who's who of famous Karate masters and includes: Gichin Funakoshi, Chomo Hanashiro, Chotoku Kyan, Chosin Chibana, Kentsu Yabu, Choki Motobu, Kenwa Mabuni, and Shigeru Nakamura.

SANDA KINJO - UFUCHIKU (1841-1926)

    Born in Shuri, Sanda Kinjo was a pioneering Karate and Kobudo expert who served as personal bodyguard to the last of Okinawa 's reigning king's, Sho Tai, until the king's fall from power in 1879.
    Following his service with the royal family, Kinjo was appointed Ufuchiku (police commissioner) of Shuri and taught his techniques to the police force while slowly developing and perfecting his own system known as Ufuchiku Kobujutsu.
    Upon his death, Ufuchiku passed stewardship of his system to his senior student, Shosei Kina.

KANRYO HIGASHIONNA (1851-1915)

    Like Yasutsune Itosu with whom he was good friends, Kanryo Higashionna is regarded as one of the most influential Karate instructors in Okinawan history. As a leading developer and master of Naha-te, Higashionna laid the foundation for Goju-ryu which was subsequently formalized by his senior student, Chojun Miyagi.
    Kanryo Higashionna (also spelled Higaonna) was born in Naha to a very poor family. He learned the basics of te as a youth and began studying tode at the age of 16 under a local teacher named Arakaki. At the age of 22, he went to Fuchou , China where he remained for somewhere between 10-16 years mastering Chinese boxing. Upon his return to Okinawa , he began teaching his art while continuing to develop it into what became known as Naha-te.
    Higashionna is credited with introducing and popularizing the kata Sanchin on Okinawa , as well as the Sanchin method of breathing.
    Among Higashionna's most important students were Chojun Miyagi, founder of Goju-ryu, and Kenwa Mabuni, founder of Shito-ryu.

NABE MATSUMURA (1850?-1943?)

    Little is known of Nabe Matsumura except that he was a prominent Karate master of his time and that, as the grandson of the great Sokon Matsumura, he became successor to the family system when Sokon died thereby serving as a link between the old masters and those of the present day.
    Though born of an upper class shizoku family, Nabe Matsumura was reduced by poverty as an adult to pulling a rickshaw for a living. He was also employed to guard the city of Gaja and its neighboring farmlands against thieves and poachers.
    Nabe Matsumura taught very few students the most important of whom was his nephew, Hohan Soken, who began training under him at the age of 13. Matsumura drilled Soken in the basics of Karate and Kobudo for ten years before finally revealing to the young man, at the age of 23, the secrets of the Hakutsuru (White Crane) kata-a soft form that incorporates deceptive body-shifting and fosters inner Dower not related to muscular strength.

YABU KENTSU (1865-1945)

    A prominent Shorin-ryu master, Kentsu Yabu was known for his fighting ability. It is said that he never lost a fight, beating even the great Choki Motobu in a famous challenge match.
    Yabu began his Karate training under Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura and later continued under Matsumura's top student, Yasutsune Itosu. His classmates under these two teachers included such future masters as Chomo Hanashiro, Gichin Funakoshi, and Chotoku Kyan. Yabu was one of the first ever to teach Karate in the Okinawa school system (under Itosu's supervision) and, in 1927, traveled to Hawaii where he taught Karate for almost a year before returning to Okinawa .
    During the Sino-Japanese war (1894-95), Yabu fought on the Chinese mainland as a sergeant in the Japanese army. From this experience came his ferocious fighting style as well as the nickname "The Sergeant" which remained with him for the rest of his life.
    Though Yabu was never defeated, he never hurt an opponent except in war. Among his students was Shigeru Nakamura, founder of Okinawa Kempo.

CHOYU MOTOBU (1867-1930)

Choyu Motobu, the first-born son of a ranking lord and a descendent of the Ryukyuan King Sho Shitsu (reigned 1648-1669), was trained in go-ten-te (palace hand), the secret martial art of the royal family which had been handed down within the Motobu family from father to first-born son for eleven generations. it was a soft art incorporating many throws and grappling techniques and lacking formal stances, blocks, and katas.
Born in Shuri, Choyu Motobu served as a martial arts instructor to the last of the Okinawan kings, Sho Tai, who reigned from 1848 until 1879 when the Japanese deposed the Ryukyuan imperial family. Choyu's own first-born son had died early, his second-born had no interest in preserving the art, so, with the end of the Okinawan royal lineage, Choyu broke with tradition and taught his system to a family outsider, Seikichi Uehara, who named it Motobu-ryu.

CHOMO HANASHIRO (1867-1944)

    Another Shorin-ryu master, Chomo Hanashiro was a classmate of Kentsu Yabu, Gichin Funakoshi, and Chotoku Kyan under Bushi Matsumura and Yasutsune Itosu.
    Like Yabu, Hanashiro was one of first to teach Karate in the Okinawa public school system under Itosu's supervision. It was during this time that he taught Shigeru Nakamura at the Prefectural Number One School.
    As a Karate practitioner, Hanashiro was known for his strength and flawless technique. As a teacher, he was known for his emphasis on fundamentals. His favorite kata was Jion.

GICHIN FUNAKOSHT (1868-1957)

    Called the father of Japanese Karate, Gichin Funakoshi founded Shotokan, one of the most popular styles of Karate in the world today.
    Born in Shuri, Funakoshi began his Karate training under Yasutsune Asato and later Yasutsune Itosu, both students of the great Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura. Funakoshi himself also occasionally trained with Matsumura.
    Unlike most Karate masters of the time, Funakoshi was well-educated and brought a refined, philosophic approach to Karate that attracted the attention of intellectuals and educators on the Japanese mainland. In 1922, he gave a demonstration at the Butokuden (Martial Virtues Hall) in Kyoto after which he remained in Japan to spread his art. At the age of 53 he embarked upon what he came to consider his destiny.
    In his teaching, Funakoshi emphasized basic technique, kata training, and perfection of the individual through "do" or "the way". He is credited with the famous saying: "Karate ni sente - There is no first attack in Karate."

CHOTOKU KYAN (1869-1945)

    A legendary master even during his own lifetime, Chotoku Kyan was an important teacher who fathered a long line of Shorin-ryu styles.
    Kyan was born in Shuri and learned the basics of Karate from his father. Around the age of twenty, he sought additional instruction from a number of prominent masters including Sokon "Bushi" Matsumura and Yara Chatan of Shuri- and Kokan Oyadomari and Kosaku Matsumora of Tomari-te. Nicknamed "Chan Mi-gwa" (small-eyed one) because of his permanent squint, Kyan was small and thin but became an expert in techniques such as side-stepping and bodychanging that would be most advantageous for a small man.
    Kyan taught Karate at his home, at the Okinawa Prefectural Agricultural School , and at the Kadena Police station. Among his students were Shoshin Nagamine, founder of Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu; Zenryo Shimabukuro, who carried on Kyan's art; and Tatsuo Shimabuku, founder of Isshin-ryu.
    Kyan's favorite katas were Passai, Chinto, and Kusanku. He was known for his evasive tactics and, though often challenged, was never defeated in a fight.

CHOU MOTOBU (1870-1944)

    Choki Motobu is perhaps the most controversial of all the great Karate masters. He first gained notoriety as a bully and a braggart, and, though in later life he adopted a more humble attitude, he was never able to outlive his earlier reputation.
    Like his brother Choyu, Choki Motobu was born in Shuri, but, being his father's third son, was never taught the family's martial arts system. Instead, he picked up the basics of te by peeking through dojo fences and trained himself on the makiwara. He lifted rocks to develop strength and earned the nickname "Saru" (monkey) for his exceptional leaping ability. He also practiced fighting by brawling in the streets every night with anyone who'd accommodate him. Though he briefly trained with Itosu and Kosaku Matsumora, his over-aggressiveness caused both associations to be short-lived.
    Late in life, Choki underwent a profound change in attitude. Seeking the true meaning of Karate-do, he dedicated himself to a serious study of kata under Yabu Kentsu, one of the few men who'd ever beaten him in fighting.
    Choki's favorite kata was Naihanchi which he claimed was the only kata required for a mastery of Karate. He remains best known for his kumite however, and, up until his death, other masters sent their students to him specifically to learn his free-fighting techniques.
    Choki Motobu's famous students include Shoshin Nagamine, founder of Matsu bayashi-r y u; Shigeru Nakamura, founder of Okinawan Kempo; and Tatsuo Shimabuku, founder of Isshin-ryu.

CHOSIN CHIBANA 1885 - 1969

                             Choshin Chibana was born on June 5, 1885, at Tottori-cho in Shuri City , Okinawa . He began his karate training with Yasutsune "Ankoh" Itosu in 1900 with whom he studied until Itosu's death on January 26, 1915.
    In 1920 Chibana opened his first dojo in Tottori-bori and later a second in Kumo-cho Naha where he instructed until he suspended his teaching during WWII.
    After the war Chibana resumed formal teaching in Giho-cho which is a section of Shuri City . During the 1950's he maintained his dojo as well as a position as the Chief Karate Instructor for the Shuri City Police Dept. and in May 1956 his accomplishments were recognized by his appointment as the first president of the Okinawa Karate-Do Association.
    Chibana's reputation as a karate master continued to spread, not only in Okinawa but also in mainland Japan . By and in Prior to his death in Ohama Hospital on 26 February 1969 from cancer Sensei Chibana was recognized with honors such as:
      1957- Title of Hanshi (High Master) from the Dai Nippon Butokukai (The Greater Japan Martial Virtue Association)
      1960- received the First Sports Award from the Okinawa Times Newspaper for his accomplishments in the study and practice of traditional Okinawan Karate-do
    1968- awarded the 4th Order of the Sacred Treasure (KUNYONTO) by the Emperor of Japan in recognition of his devotion to the study and practice of Okinawan karate-do.

CHOJUN MIYAGI (1888-1952)

    A Karate pioneer and innovator, Chojun Miyagi built upon the Naha-te of his teacher, Kanryo Higashionna, to develop his own style: Goju-ryu.
    Born the son of a wealthy shop owner in Naha, Miyagi began his training at age It under Ryuko Aragaki through whom he later met Higashionna. He began training with Higashionna, at age 14 and stayed with him for 15 years until the master's death in 1916. Shortly before Higashionna, died, Miyagi followed in his footsteps by going to China to study Kempo for a year.
    After Higashionna's death, Miyagi began to take on students and develop Higashionna's karate into his own style blending in new elements he'd learned in China. He taught at the Prefectural Police School dojo, at the Naha Courthouse, the Prefectural Physical Culture Association, the Prefectural Teachers' Training College, and at numerous colleges and universities on the Japanese mainland. In addition, he taught in Hawaii and in Shanghai.
    During a demonstration at the Butokuden on the Japanese mainland in 1937, Miyagi named his style Go-ju, meaning hard-soft.
    Miyagi created the katas Gekisai ichi and ni and the kata Tensho. Among his top students were Jinan Shinzato, Meitoku Yagi, Eilchi Miyazato, Seikichi Toguchi, and Seiko Higa. Though he lost everything, including three children, in an air raid on Naha in WWII, he continued teaching Karate until his death.

KENWA MABUNI (1890-1952)

    Among the first Okinawan masters to teach on mainland Japan, Kenwa Mabuni founded Shito-ryu, one of the four main styles of Karate studied in Japan today.
    Born into the shizoku (samurai) class, Mabuni began training at the age of 13 under Shuri-te master Yasutsune Itosu Naha-te master Kanryo Higashionna.
    Mabuni combined elements of the two styles to form Hanko-ryu (half-hard style) which he later renamed in tribute to his teachers, using the Chinese character shi ("ito" in Itosu) and to ("higa" in Higashionna), to form Shito-ryu.
    Mabuni taught throughout Okinawan and, in 1929, moved permanently to Japan where he taught regularly at Japanese universities and police departments.

SHIGERU NAKAMURA (1892-1969)

    Founder of Okinawa Kempo, Shigeru Nakamura was a living legend and one of Okinawa's all time great Karate masters.
    Born in the northern town of Nago, Nakamura learned the basics of te from his father who, unfortunately, died when Shigeru was only ten. He then trained under his uncle and his uncle's good friend, Choki Motobu. From Motobu, Nakamura learned free fighting and the kata Naihanchi.
    Nakamura studied under Kentsu Yabu and Chomo Hanashiro, two of Itosu's students, at the Prefectural Number One School, and, upon entering the Prefectural Teachers' Training College, was able to study with Itosu himself.
    Eventually, Nakamura opened his own dojo, simply calling his style Okinawa-te as he disliked the idea of Karate being divided into separate styles. Later, in an attempt to unite all Okinawan Karate and raise its status to that of Japanese kendo and judo, he formed the Okinawa Kempo Association and served as its president. Though the association disbanded upon Nakamura's death, his students retained the name Okinawa Kempo for their style.

TATSUO SHIMABUKU (1908-1975)

    Another important innovator, Tatsuo Shimabuku developed Isshin-ryu to correct what he felt were deficiencies in the Karate styles he had studied.
    Born in Shuri, Shimabuku began his study of the martial arts under Choki Motobu. Shortly thereafter, Shimabuku also began training with Chotoku Kyan and, within a few short years, had become highly proficient in Shorin-ryu. Still eager to learn, he then sought out Goju founder and teacher Chojun Miyagi with whom he trained for another several years.
    As his reputation grew, Shimabuku began teaching students of his own. With the bombing of Okinawa in WWII, Shimabuku lost everything he owned and Red to mainland Japan where he worked as a farmer and continued to train privately. It was during this time that he first thought about his own Karate style.
    After the war, Shimabuku returned to Okinawa and resumed teaching Karate to a small group of students. As he taught, he combined what he felt were the best elements of Goju-ryu (as learned from Miyagi) and Shorin-ryu (as learned from Kyan) to found Isshin-ryu in 1953.
    Isshin-ryu, meaning "one-heart" system, is one of the most popular styles practiced in the United States today.

ZENRYO SHIMABUKURO (1909-1969)

     A bulwark against the tides of change, Zenryo Shimabukuro strived to preserve the classic Karate of Chotoku Kyan and, in so doing, became one of the most respected masters of modern times.
    Born in Shuri, Shimabukuro began training under Chotoku Kyan at the age of 24 and remained with him until Kyan's death in 1945. After WWII, Shimabukuro opened a dojo in order to preserve Kyan's teaching. One of his early students, a member of the US Army, arranged for Shimabukuro to teach Karate to US Paratroopers, many of whom took Shimabukuro's Karate back to the United States.
    In 1960, Shimabukuro became president of the Okinawan branch of the All-Japan Karate-do Federation, though, due to internal politics, the Okinawan branch withdrew and formed the Okinawan Karate-do United Association of which Shimabukuro remained president. In 1967, the All-Okinawan Karate-do Federation was formed with the aim of preserving karate as a cultural tradition, and Shimabukuro served as vice president of this organization.
    Shimabukuro named his dojo the Seibukan which means Holy Art School.

SHUGORO NAKAZATO

Shugoro Nakazato was born in Nahn-city Okinawa on August 14, 1919. While attending normal school in Osaka Japan in 1935, he began his study of Karate at the age of 16 under the instruction of Ishu Selichl. Nakazato studied under Sensei Ishu for 6 years. During the war, he was in the Japanese Calvary.
    After the war was over, Nakazato returned to his home in Okinawa to find his family a casualty of war. In June of 1946, he began his study of Karate under Choshin Chibana, who was the Menkyo inheritor of Anko Itotsu. In 1948 Chibana's Shuri dojo closed but Nakazato continued his study with Master Chibana. For one year Chibana gave Nakazato personal tutoring at Chibana's home.
    In 1951 Nakazato was instrumental in helping Chibana open his new DAI ICHI DOJO in Naha City at Matsuo. Chibana continued his personal tutoring of Nakazato at the Dai Ichi Dojo until January 10, 1954 when Nakazato received his Shihan Menkyojo at which ti me he became Master Chibana's Shihan Dai (assistant). After work as the Shihan Dai in the Dai Ichi Dojo under Chibana for one and half years, Nakazato was commissioned by Chibana to find the Shorin-Ryu. ShorinKan Nakazato dojo in Naha City at Aza.
    Nakazato was appointed as one of the directors of the Okinawan Karate Federation when it was formed in 1956 with the four major (shiryuha) systems of Karate in Okinawa Goju-Ryu; Uechi-Ryu, Shorin-Ryu, Matsubayshi-Ryu. All during this time Nakazato devote d all of his time and energy to teaching and perfecting Shorin-Ryu Karate-do. In 1960 the Okinawan Karate Federation promoted him to Eight Degree Black Belt and Kyoshi. Seven years later Nakazato continued his climb to the top of the Shorin-Ryu hierarch y when Master Chibana and the Okinawa Shorin-Ryu Karate-do Kyokai promoted him to Hanshi and 9th Degree Black Belt.
    Nakazato began his study of weapons almost from the beginning of his training in 1935. He was trained in the sai, bo, nunchaku, tonfa, and nicho kama, but he specialized in Bojutsu for 4 years. Throughout his career he has given of his knowledge very wi llingly. He has demonstrated his technique of Karate all over the world, in Europe, India , Africa, mainland Japan , and he has made at least 8 trips to America . He has appeared on television many times and is often a guest on the "Tokyo T.V. Afternoon Show." When Master Chibana passed away, Shugoro Nakazato inherited the Leadership of Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate-do, thus becoming a (10) TENTH DEGREE BLACK BELT.

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