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A Brief History of Shito-Ryu Karate
Karate was forged by the Samurai ( Bushi or Peichin ) class of Okinawa as a
means of both Self-defense and law enforcement. Its development was substantially influenced by the Chinese boxing arts, especially those around
Fukien, China. Shito-Ryu Karate is unique in that its lineage descends directly from both Itosu and Higashionna as its founder Mabuni Kenwa (1889-1952) was a direct student of both of these great masters. Mabuni Kenwa started his training at age 13 with Itosu where he quickly absorbed many of the Shuri |
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Kenzo, after only one and a half years of intense training, Itosu recommended that Mabuni seek out
Higashionna. From that time, every day Mabuni would go to Itosu and train after school and then it was off to Higashionna for training until midnight. Mabuni was around 27 years of age when both Itosu and Higashionna died, both dying within one year of each other. According to John Sells in his book "
Unante, The Secrets of Karate", Mabuni was so saddened by Itosu's death "that he built a small shrine in front of his teacher's grave and stayed nearby for a full year". After the death of his two primary teachers, Mabuni trained with a number of other martial artists including Arakaki and Gokenki and over time became one of the most respected martial artists of the time. During the 1920's, when Karate was gaining interest and support on mainland Japan, Mabuni ventured to Osaka, Japan at the request of the Japanese government. In 1927 he moved to Osaka, never to return to his homeland. There he established a small dojo and began teaching his unique art. As time proceeded, his students began to call his Karate Hanko Ryu or Half-Hard Style. In the early 1930's, when pressed by the Japanese government to formalize a name for his Karate, Mabuni chose the name Shito Ryu which has no literal meaning. Instead, Mabuni formed this name by taking the first character (kanji) from the names of his two primary teachers, Itosu and Higashionna. When viewed in this context, the characters take on the ' on-yomi' or Chinese rendering so that Ito-Higashi becomes Shi-toh. In this way, Mabuni chose the name of his style to honor and respect his great teachers. Mabuni Kenwa taught many great practitioners who in turn taught other well known and respected modern practitioners, including Demura Fumio, Hayashi Teruo and Kuniba Shojyo, and the spread of Shito Ryu Karate is now worldwide. However, Mabuni Kenwa only issued five Shihan Menjo in his life and died without naming an inheritor. When he died, Mabuni had two of three sons survive him, Kenei and Kenzo ( no information on the third son). Mabuni Kenei had long left the family and lived in Tokyo where, although he had no formal karate training with his father, had established the Shito Kai with Iwata Manzo ( one of the five to receive a Shihan Menjo from Mabuni Kenwa). Mabuni Kenzo had begun his karate training with his father at the age of 14 and continued diligently until his father's death in 1952. After his father's death, it was his mother that came to Mabuni Kenzo and requested that he take over the style. Mabuni Kenzo could not decide at the time and went into seclusion for two years to contemplate this great responsibility. Of course as we all know, he decided to accept this responsibility and is the inheritor of his father's lineage. From that time, Mabuni Kenzo dedicated his life to preserving the true lineage of his father's karate. He was not concerned with politics or image and remained unknown to the outside world while his older brother and others were spreading their influence in the name of Shito Ryu Karate. In 1993, upon the request of his good friend Ozawa, Mabuni Kenzo traveled to the Las Vegas and exposed the world to Seito (pure) Shito Ryu, the true karate of his father, Mabuni Kenwa. In April of 1994, Mabuni Kenzo conducted seminars in Albany, New York and Phoenix, Arizona. Subsequent to these seminars, Mabuni Kenzo established the Shito Ryu Karate Do Kai of America and Shito Ryu Karate Do of Canada comprised of dojo that had requested of his consideration as his direct students and received formal acceptance by his senior instructors, the Nihon Karate Do Kai Shihan Kai. |
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