This article is reproduced from Bugeisha Magazine issue#5. Printed in the spring of 1998. Publisher: Walter Dailey Editor/Creative Director: Angel Lemus SEIBU KAN THE SHORINJI- RYU KARATE OF SHIMABUKURO ZENRYO By John Sells horin-ryu karate is like a stout tree with many Sbranches. Its base is firmly Photo by Walter Dailey Photo by Walter rooted in the karate that developed in Okinawa’s old Shuri City and Tomari Village over a century ago. While mechanically sharing the Kyan Chofu same foundation, each branch points in a different direction, having been guided by varied influences. One of the largest branches, really an elemental division of the main trunk itself, is that line represented by the Shorin-ryu styles that trace their lineage to Kyan Chotoku (1870- 1945), one of the founders of Okinawan karate as it is known today. And it is directly from Kyan that the karate of Shimabukuro Zenryo (Nov. 14, 1908 - Oct. 14, 1969) comes. Any explanation of Seibukan must start with Kyan Chotoku, who was the son of Kyan Chofu, a high-ranking official in the Okinawan royal court. Chofu was a royal steward, attending to the Okinawan king, Sho Tai, personally. Though by the time of Chotoku’s birth in Gibo Village, Shuri, the Okinawan kingdom was already in transition. Although the Satsuma samurai Shimabukuro Zenryo from Kyushu, Japan, had completely (Nov. 14, 1908 - Oct. 14,1969) subjugated the Ryukyu archipelago in 1609, its monarchy and internal administrative bureaucracy (including its Kyan Chotoku Zenryo Shimabukuro and his son Zenpo demonstrating a “sukui uke” or scooping block with a kick counter. Photo by Walter Dailey The Seibukan Patch civil police and royal garrison) had been allowed to continue as a puppet state. Chosin, Itosu’s successor, steadfastly However, even this pretense was maintained that Kyan never studied under abandoned in 1872, when the monarchy Itosu. Nonetheless, Kyan amassed a wide was dissolved by a Japanese Government array of knowledge from some of the best that had itself moved out of the feudal era sources in old-style Okinawan karate. With under Emperor Meiji's leadership in 1868. this expertise and knowledge, Kyan became The now former king and his family were father to teach his son from the age of a sought after and acknowledged master of subsequently taken to Japan, where they twenty. By the time Chotoku was thirty, he the art. He was famous for his kicking skills continued for some time to live an had become well known as a skilled and fast and light but effective movements. aristocratic life. Accompanying the king karateka himself. He also sought out others He was supposedly challenged many times were some of his old retainers, including whose knowledge and expertise he could and was able to emerge victorious Kyan Chofu, who brought his twelve-year- benefit from. These included Maeda, throughout it all. old son to be educated in Tokyo. However, another former official from whom By the 1920's, karate was entering the Chofu’s service to the former king ended he learned the Wanshu kata; Yara modern era. Many of the old masters when Chotoku was sixteen and the Kyan of Yomitan Village (a descendant who taught Kyan’s generation were family moved back to Okinawa to a land of Chatan Yara, who was dead, and times were difficult for where much of the gentry class, the people contemporary with Matsumura’s many who had belonged to the old who developed karate, had fallen on hard alleged teacher, Tode privileged class. Quite a few of times -- their feudal largess having ended Sakugawa), from whom he them began to work out with when Okinawa was made a prefecture of learned a beautiful long each other and give Japan and the kingdom period ended. version of Kusanku demonstrations together. Still, young Kyan Chotoku was to receive kata; and Tokumine, Along with others, Kyan a remarkable martial arts education from the banished Shuri began teaching at various some of Okinawa's most prominent officer who is said to schools and institutions of karateka. Though he was a small, slight have taught Kyan his higher learning. New individual -- Shimabukuro Zenryo said he bo kata, Tokumine no territory was opened up by was only 4'10", he overcame his physical Kon (though Tokumine the expansionist Japanese size by training arduously, often devising may have been dead Government, including the techniques that enhanced the art itself. by the time Kyan island of Taiwan, where Kyan Techniques that he perfected under the visited Yaeyama Island, went for a time guidance of such men as his grandfather, south of Okinawa accompanied by at least Kyan Oyakata (who was his first martial arts Island, where the old two other karateka, Kuwae teacher); Matsumura Sokon, the old leading regime had banished Ryusei and Kudaka Kori karateka of Shuri from whom he learned the Tokumine). (AKA Hisataka). Upon old karate training routines (kata) Seisan, It has also been said returning from Taiwan, Naifanchi, and Gojushiho; Oyadomari Kokan many times that Kyan Kyan began to teach a of Tomari-te, another former high-ranking was a student of new kata called Ananku, official, who taught him Passai kata; and Matsumura Sokon’s most which he had evidently Matsumora Kosaku, known as Tomari-te’s famous protege, Itosu devised as a basic kata leading exponent, taught Kyan Chinto kata. Anko. However, Kyan’s own from techniques These men had been secured by Chotoku’s students and Chibana developed from or BUGEISHA: Traditional Martial Artist 15 Shimabukuro had been friends for most of SEIBUKAN their lives, each believed that karate should THE SHORINJI- RYU KARATE OF be real and taught their students SHIMABUKURO ZENRYO accordingly. Both Shimabukuro and Nakamura taught sparring, and hard inspired by his Taiwan adventures. Kyan sparring at that, something many of the also took part in the famous meeting in 1936 other karate leaders did not agree with. In that essentially decided the future course of fact, when the original Okinawan Karate karate and changed the art’s name from Federation was formed, Shimabukuro was "China hand" to "empty hand." not invited to become a member even though It was during these times that the seeds his longtime friend, Chibana, was a leader of of Seibukan were sown when Shimabukuro that group. This evidently did not sit well with Zenryo, who had moved to Chatan Village Chibana and would be one of the contributing and set up a bakery shop, became a factors to Chibana withdrawing from the student of Kyan. In those days, not just organization within a few years. anyone was admitted into a master’s course of instruction. However, after a formal THE BIRTH OF THE SEIBUKAN introduction and much persuasion, Zenryo By the end of the 1950's, the various became Kyan's student. He was to stay karate groups who traced their lineages with Kyan for ten years until the devastation back to Shuri-te and/or Tomari-te of the that punctuated the final years of World War Okinawan kingdom period were known Two ended all training for some time. Not generically as Shorin-ryu. The group only did training end, but also many of the Chibana headed used a different Chinese old karate masters did not survive the war. character (kanji) for "sho" than the original According to Zenryo Sensei, Kyan died of one, which represented the Chinese starvation in 1945, after giving what little Mandarin "shao" as in Shaolin Temple food there was to children, so that they Shimabukuro Sensei poses in a movement (Shorinji in Japanese; "Young Forest"). from the “Yara” Kusanku which he learned might survive. from Chotoku Kyan. However, many of the Kyan-derived groups After the war, karate as we now it today were using the term Shorinji-ryu to describe really began to take shape. Of course, of these, and though he continued to ply his their style. This was before Shorinji-ryu karate instruction and training did not trade as a baker, he began to give lessons became the official name of one faction immediately begin anew, but by 1947, a few to perpetuate his teacher’s karate to a few under Nakazato Joen, another student of of the surviving instructors began to revive school-age students, who, by the 1950's, Kyan’s who was junior to Shimabukuro. their classes. Shimabukuro Zenryo was one included his son, Zenpo, and nephew, Zenji. Therefore, the end of the 1950's saw Like most Okinawan karateka of that era, several groups emerge as Shorin-ryu and their dojo was the open air, usually at Shorinji-ryu, but these terms were often used Zenryo’s house, but anywhere space could interchangeably as the solidification of the Shorin-Ryu be found to train in would suffice. Gradually, various styles had not yet been completed. Zenryo’s group grew as did his reputation as The Shorin-ryu of the Kyan-derived groups Seibukan one of Kyan’s most senior surviving was also known generically as students, a position that he felt honor bound "Sukunaihayashi," an Okinawan (Hogen) to continue his mentor’s karate just as it was rendering of the same kanji. Zenshu-Ha passed on to him. This meant that students Things began to change rapidly around learned Kyan’s curriculum, the kata Ananku, 1959, when a group of American The Zenshu-Ha Wanshu, Seisan, Naifanchi, Passai, Chinto, servicemen stationed nearby heard of Kusanku, and Gojushiho. It also meant that Shimabukuro’s reputation. They were from promotes and he trained his students in hard, practical the 2/503 Airborne Battle group (which preserves the karate.