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Shimabukuro Zenryo(Nov. 14, 1908 - Oct. 14,1969)
Shimabukuro Zenryo(Nov. 14, 1908 - Oct. 14,1969)
By John Sells
Shorin-ryu karate is like a stout tree with manybranches. Its
base is firmly rooted in the karatethat developed in Okinawas old
Shuri City andTomari Village over a century ago. While mechanically
sharingthe same foundation, each branch points in a
differentdirection, having been guided byvaried influences. One of
the largestbranches, really an elemental divisionof the main trunk
itself, is that linerepresented by the Shorin-ryu stylesthat trace
their l ineage to KyanChotoku (1870-1945), one of thefounders of
Okinawan karate as it isknown today. And it is directly fromKyan
that the karate of ShimabukuroZenryo (Nov. 14, 1908 - Oct. 14,1969)
comes.
Any explanation of Seibukan muststart with Kyan Chotoku, who was
theson of Kyan Chofu, a high-rankingofficial in the Okinawan royal
court.
Chofu was a royal steward,attending to the Okinawan king,Sho
Tai, personally. Though bythe time of Chotokus birth inGibo Vi l
lage, Shuri, theOkinawan kingdom was alreadyin transit ion.
Although theSatsuma samurai from Kyushu,Japan, had
completelysubjugated the Ryukyuarchipelago in 1609, itsmonarchy and
internaladministrat ive bureaucracy(including its civil police and
royalgarrison) had been allowed tocontinue as a puppet
state.However, even this pretense wasabandoned in 1872, when
themonarchy was dissolved by aJapanese Government that haditself
moved out of the feudal eraunder Emperor Meiji's leadershipin 1868.
The now former king
Kyan Chotoku
Kyan Chofu
SEIBTHE SHORINJI-SHIMABUKURO
Phot
o by
Wal
ter D
aile
y
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BUGEISHA: Traditional Martial Artist 15
and his family were subsequently taken toJapan, where they
continued for some timeto live an aristocratic life. Accompanying
theking were some of his old retainers,including Kyan Chofu, who
brought histwelve-year-old son to be educated inTokyo. However,
Chofus service to theformer king ended when Chotoku wassixteen and
the Kyan family moved back toOkinawa to a land where much of the
gentryclass, the people who developed karate,had fallen on hard
times -- their feudallargess having ended when Okinawa wasmade a
prefecture of Japan and thekingdom period ended.
Still, young Kyan Chotoku was to receivea remarkable martial
arts education fromsome of Okinawa's most prominentkarateka. Though
he was a small, slightindividual -- Shimabukuro Zenryo said hewas
only 4'10", he overcame his physicalsize by training arduously,
often devisingtechniques that enhanced the art itself.Techniques
that he perfected under theguidance of such men as his
grandfather,Kyan Oyakata (who was his first martial artsteacher);
Matsumura Sokon, the old leadingkarateka of Shuri from whom he
learned theold karate training routines (kata) Seisan,Naifanchi,
and Gojushiho; Oyadomari Kokanof Tomari-te, another former
high-rankingofficial, who taught him Passai kata; andMatsumora
Kosaku, known as Tomari-tes
leading exponent, taught Kyan Chinto kata.These men had been
secured by Chotokusfather to teach his son from the age oftwenty.
By the time Chotoku was thirty, hehad become well known as askilled
karateka himself. He alsosought out others whoseknowledge and
expertise hecould benefit from. Theseincluded Maeda, anotherformer
official from whomhe learned the Wanshukata; Yara of YomitanVillage
(a descendantof Chatan Yara, whowas contemporarywith
Matsumurasalleged teacher, TodeSakugawa), fromwhom he learned
abeautiful long versionof Kusanku kata; andTokumine, the
banishedShuri officer who is saidto have taught Kyan hisbo kata,
Tokumine noKon (though Tokuminemay have been dead bythe t ime Kyan
visitedYaeyama Island, south ofOkinawa Island, where theold regime
had banishedTokumine).
It has also been said many times thatKyan was a student of
Matsumura Sokonsmost famous protege, Itosu Anko. However,Kyans own
students and Chibana Chosin,Itosus successor, steadfastly
maintainedthat Kyan never studied under Itosu.Nonetheless, Kyan
amassed a wide array ofknowledge from some of the best sources
inold-style Okinawan karate. With thisexpertise and knowledge, Kyan
became asought after and acknowledged master ofthe art. He was
famous for his kicking skills
and fast and l ight but effectivemovements. He was
supposedlychallenged many times and was ableto emerge victorious
throughout it all.
By the 1920's, karate wasentering the modern era. Many
of the old masters who taughtKyans generation were dead,and
times were difficult formany who had belonged tothe old privi leged
class.Quite a few of them beganto work out with each otherand give
demonstrationstogether. Along with others,
Kyan began teaching atvarious schools andinstitut ions of
higherlearning. New territory wasopened up by theexpansionist
JapaneseGovernment, including theisland of Taiwan, whereKyan went
for a t imeaccompanied by at leasttwo other karateka,Kuwae Ryusei
andKudaka Kori (AKAHisataka). Upon returning
Zenryo Shimabukuro and his son Zenpodemonstrating a sukui uke or
scoopingblock with a kick counter.
UKAN RYU KARATE OFZENRYO
The SeibukanPatch
Photo by Walter Dailey
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karate instruction and training did notimmediately begin anew,
but by 1947, a fewof the surviving instructors began to revivetheir
classes. Shimabukuro Zenryo was oneof these, and though he
continued to ply histrade as a baker, he began to give lessonsto
perpetuate his teachers karate to a fewschool-age students, who, by
the 1950's,included his son, Zenpo, and nephew, Zenji.Like most
Okinawan karateka of that era,their dojo was the open air, usually
atZenryos house, but anywhere space couldbe found to train in would
suffice. Gradually,Zenryos group grew as did his reputation asone
of Kyans most senior survivingstudents, a position that he felt
honor boundto continue his mentors karate just as it waspassed on
to him. This meant that studentslearned Kyans curriculum, the kata
Ananku,Wanshu, Seisan,Naifanchi, Passai,Chinto, Kusanku,
andGojushiho. It also meantthat he trained hisstudents in
hard,practical karate.
As the 1950's woreon, Shimabukuro was tobecome anacknowledged
karateleader, though not astrident one. He wasgood friends with
somevery prominent karatepeople such as ChibanaChosin, one of
theislands most senior
16 BUGEISHA: Traditional Martial Artist
Shimabukuro Sensei poses in a movementfrom the Yara Kusanku
which he learnedfrom Chotoku Kyan.
Shimabukuro Sensei overlooking dojo activities. Sempai LarryHall
sits next to him. Photo by Walter Dailey 1963
from Taiwan, Kyan began to teach a newkata called Ananku, which
he had evidentlydevised as a basic kata from techniquesdeveloped
from or inspired by his Taiwanadventures. Kyan also took part in
thefamous meeting in 1936 that essentiallydecided the future course
of karate andchanged the arts name from "China hand"to "empty
hand."
It was during these times that the seedsof Seibukan were sown
when ShimabukuroZenryo, who had moved to Chatan Villageand set up a
bakery shop, became astudent of Kyan. In those days, not justanyone
was admitted into a masters courseof instruction. However, after a
formalintroduction and much persuasion, Zenryobecame Kyan's
student. He was to staywith Kyan for ten years until the
devastationthat punctuated the final years of World WarTwo ended
all training for some time. Notonly did training end, but also many
of theold karate masters did not survive the war.According to
Zenryo Sensei, Kyan died ofstarvation in 1945, after giving what
littlefood there was to children, so that theymight survive.
After the war, karate as we now it todayreally began to take
shape. Of course,
leaders, and they had often demonstratedkarate together,
Shimabukuro representingKyans style and Chibana, Itosus.
Nakamuraand Shimabukuro had been friends for mostof their lives,
each believed that karateshould be real and taught their
studentsaccordingly. Both Shimabukuro andNakamura taught sparr ing,
and hardsparring at that, something many of theother karate leaders
did not agree with. Infact, when the original Okinawan
KarateFederation was formed, Shimabukuro wasnot invited to become a
member even thoughhis longtime friend, Chibana, was a leader ofthat
group. This evidently did not sit well withChibana and would be one
of the contributingfactors to Chibana withdrawing from
theorganization within a few years.
THE BIRTH OF THE SEIBUKANBy the end of the 1950's, the
various
karate groups who traced their lineagesback to Shuri-te and/or
Tomari-te of theOkinawan kingdom period were knowngenerical ly as
Shorin-ryu. The groupChibana headed used a different
Chinesecharacter (kanji) for "sho" than the originalone, which
represented the ChineseMandarin "shao" as in Shaolin
Temple(Shorinji in Japanese; "Young Forest").However, many of the
Kyan-derived groupswere using the term Shorinji-ryu to
describetheir style. This was before Shorinji-ryubecame the
official name of one factionunder Nakazato Joen, another student
ofKyans who was junior to Shimabukuro.Therefore, the end of the
1950's sawseveral groups emerge as Shorin-ryu andShorinji-ryu, but
these terms were often usedinterchangeably as the solidification of
thevarious styles had not yet been completed.The Shorin-ryu of the
Kyan-derived groupswas also known generical ly as"Sukunaihayashi,"
an Okinawan (Hogen)rendering of the same kanji.
Things began to change rapidly around1959, when a group of
Americanservicemen stationed nearby heard of
SEIBUKANTHE SHORINJI-RYU KARATE OF
SHIMABUKURO ZENRYO
Shorin-RyuSeibukan
Zenshu-HaThe Zenshu-Hapromotes andpreserves theKarate-Do
andphilosophies ofSensei ZenryoShimabukuro.
For moreInformation
Please contact:
Walter DaileyZenshu-Ha HombuMorgantown, PA.
610-286-7771email:
[email protected]
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Shimabukuros reputation.They were from the 2/503Airborne Battle
group (whichbecame the 173rd Airborne,which saw heavy action in
theVietnam war), paratrooperswho wanted to learn theOkinawans
karate. Rebuffedat first, the young trooperswere persistent and
finallypersuaded Shimabukuro totake them on as students. Thiswas at
a time when theAmerican forces who hadoccupied the island since
1945were increasing in number andU.S. service personnel werereally
starting to explore theOkinawan martial arts. Beforethe late
1950's, karate waspretty much restricted toOkinawans only, though
therehad been a few exceptions. Also, Okinawansas a rule were not
allowed onto the militarybases, thus there was not as
muchinteraction with Americans as one might thinkgiven their
presence on the island.
It was due to the efforts of an influential
U.S. Army sergeant major named Fuller, thatthe GIs had access to
Shimabukuroskarate. Fuller secured permission for any GIwho wanted
to, to train with Shimabukuro.Fuller also was able to secure, on
occasion,empty barracks or other facilities on the
military base that he couldget for the purpose of
karatetraining.
They were often leftwithout a place to train asother groups with
higherpriority often bumped themout of on-base facil it
ies.However, they did often trainat the field house, an on-base
athletic facility for themilitary. Off base, theytrained wherever
they could,Okinawans and Americanstogether, includinggraveyards.
Included in thisfirst group of Americanswas Walter Dailey,
whojoined Shimabukuros karateat the field house trainings inearly
1960.
By 1962, Shimabukurodecided to take a gamble that wouldbecome
part of his legacy. He arranged toborrow money, purchased land in
Chatanand had a dojo built. Many of the studentsjoined in the
construction efforts andcontributed much time and energy toward
Very rare photos of Shimabukuro Sensei actively teaching in a
classat the Army Barracks in Mashisato, Okinawa. The Seibukan dojo
wasnot yet built at this time. Photo by Walter Dailey 1961
Zenryo Shimabukuro (center) displaying his 10th degree
certificate from theAll-Japan Karate-Do Federation in 1964. Seated
to his right is ShigeruNakamura and to his left is Joen Nakazato
and Seikichi Odo.
Students of Shimabukuro Sensei would often take him to theKadena
Air Force Base Officers Club for dinner. This picture wastaken in
1963 in front of the newly built Seibukan dojo pryor to anevening
dinner at the club. Sensei would always dress up and wearhis
favorite hat. Photo by Walter Dailey 1963
Shimabukuro Sensei and members from the 2/503 Airborne
Battlegroup (which became the 173rd Airborne). The masters son
Zenpois seated to the far left. Photo by Walter Dailey 1961
BUGEISHA: Traditional Martial Artist 17
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Shimabukuro Zenryo Sensei awarding a rank diploma to Mike
Richardson in September1962. Mike Richardson returned to the USA
and opened up a dojo in Texas. Unfortunatelyhe died in a car
accident in the early 70s. Photo by Walter Dailey 1962
The flag for the All Japan Karate DoFederation. The bottom kanji
readsOkinawa regional special headquartersreffering to the Seibukan
dojo.
Phot
o by
Wal
ter D
aile
y
18 BUGEISHA: Traditional Martial Artist
Shorin-Ryu Senseis gather at the Seibukan dojo to honor its
grand opening. L-R: third fromleft: Chozo Nakama, Shigeru Nakamura,
Choshin Chibana, Zenryo Shimabukuro, and JoenNakazato . Photo by
Walter Dailey
the building of the new dojo. Duringconstruction, Shimabukuros
mix ofOkinawans and GIs continued to train outside,usually in back
of his house. They often didkata near a grave or tomb that was
right inthe middle of their training area. After the dojowas built,
they continued to train outside onweekends and at night. At that
time,Shimabukuros dojo was one of the biggest inall of Okinawa. He
named it the "Seibukan,""Hall of the Holy Art."
POLITICS AND ORGANIZATIONSHowever, more changes were to occur
in
the first couple of years of the 1960's. Onechange was
represented by Tamotsu Isamu,a former Shimabukuro student who
hadbeen l iv ing in Japan. Tamotsu wasrepresenting a mainland group
called the All-Japan Karate Federation, an organizationheaded by
Toyama Kanken and ChitoseTsuyoshi, two Okinawans who had migratedto
Japan decades before and establishedinfluential karate styles
there. Originally, theAll-Japan Karate Federation (AJKF)
hadincluded Funakoshi Gichin of Shotokan,Mabuni Kenwa of Shito-ryu
and Higa Seikoof Goju-ryu. But by 1960, it was primarily aToyama
and Chitose group.
Tamotsu wanted to organize karate inOkinawa under the AJKF
banner inOkinawa. He held a series of meetings withvarious Okinawan
karate leaders includingShimabukuro, whom he persuaded to take
aleading role. Out of this, the AJKF/OkinawaBranch was chartered in
May 1960. Itsoff icers were Shimabukuro Zenryo aspresident, fel low
Kyan style teacher,Nakazato Joen as vice president, and theactive
participation of Nakamura Shigeru,Kaneshima Shinsuke of Tozan-ryu
(a style
more related to Shuri-te), and SeigyuYonamine of Shorin-ryu.
These karateka,along with some of their senior students whohad
become karate instructors themselves,made up the bulk of the
AJKF/Okinawa,though many others had been invited to join.
It was a somewhat amorphous group assome Okinawan karateka only
participatedinitially but did not continue the relationshipfor
long. All of the Okinawans were invited toJapan proper by Toyama
Kanken topart icipa te in a con fe rence to be"cer t i f i ed" and
to cement re la t ions .However, only Shimabukuro Eizo wentand was
awarded a 10th dan (10thdegree b lack be l t ) by Toyama.
Theorganization soon became embroiled inpolitics and only lasted a
few years.
Many of the Okinawans distrusted themotives of the
mainland-sponsored initiativeand the AJKF competed with the
alreadyestabl ished OKF, which made for anunstable situation.
However, one of thetechnical results of the relationship was
thatsome of the Okinawans adopted the use offull body protective
gear for sparring (bogu),which had been made popular in the
schoolsof southern Japan. Shimabukuro and hisfriend Nakamura
especially liked the gear andadapted it for use in their schools.
By 1962,Shimabukuro and Nakamura formed theirown training group,
the Okinawa KenpoFederation. Not a style, but a
trainingorganization that concentrated on thesparring aspect of
karate with bogu gear.
Gradually, because of bickering and adistrust of the mainland
Japanese, the AllJapan Karatedo Federation, OkinawaBranch withered.
However, not before itsboard of directors conferred the 10th dan
onZenryo Shimabukuro as one of its leading
SEIBUKANTHE SHORINJI-RYU KARATE OF
SHIMABUKURO ZENRYO
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Shimabukuro has been described as aquiet man, not one to call
attention tohimself. And for that reason, not much hasbeen
published about him in the West.However, he was highly respected in
his owntime, even by those who originally ignoredhim in the old
Okinawa Karate Federation.After the demise of the AJKF on
Okinawa,Shimabukuro began to quietly lobby for theformation of a
new, more inclusiveorganization to unify Okinawan karate. Inthe
interim, he maintained his relationshipwith Nakamura as part of the
somewhatinformal Okinawa Kenpo Federation, but by1967, Shimabukuro
and many of the islandsmainstream karate leaders formed the
newAll-Okinawa Karatedo Federation (AOKF)and Shimabukuro was named
as one of itsvice presidents. This was a significant eventas the
AOKF became the leading
Sensei Uragami seated in front. Behind him(l-r) are Zenpo
Shimabukuro, Walter Daileyand Zenji Shimabukuro. Uragami and
Zenjifounded the Renshinkan Dojo in Osaka,Japan in 1961. Uragami
was the All-Japan fullcontact (Bogu) Karate champion during thelate
50s and early 60s. Photo by Walter Dailey
Sensei Yoshimitsu Takenouchi controls a fullcontact Bogu match
at the Seibukan inthe early 60s. Photo by Walter Dailey
BUGEISHA: Traditional Martial Artist 19
exponents. While the organization declinedon Okinawa, it
continued on in Japan underToyama and Chitose. Tamotsu Isamu,
whohad lead the organization effort on Okinawa,organized what he
called the Shorinji-ryuRenshinkan in Kyushu, billing Nakazato
Joenas his instructor rather than Shimabukuro.Of course, Tamotsu
had trained underShimabukuro, but Zenryo had sent him toNakazato to
learn the bo kata, Tokumine noKon, which Nakazato had taken pains
topreserve exactly as Kyan taught it to him.
This was also the era that saw the riseand normalization of many
familiar groupnames. While all of the groups descendedfrom Kyan
still looked virtually identical, andmost still used the general
name of Shorinji-ryu to label their style, each group began tospin
off on its own and adopt new names. Bythe mid-1960's, Nakazato had
taken thename Shorinji-ryu as his own andShimabukuros group was
sometimes referredto as Sukunaihayashi-ryu. However, by
1966,Shimabukuros school was known as Shorin-ryu Seibukan, by which
it is still called.
organization of the so-called "mainstream"Okinawan karate styles
and includedrepresentation from Kobayashi Shorin-ryu,Uechi-ryu,
Sukunaihayashi Shorin-ryu, Goju-ryu, and related groups. In this
affair,Shimabukuro showed the strength of hislow-keyed leadership
style. Zenryo Senseireceived his 10th dan from the AOKF,making it
his second such award.
As part of this AOKF, Shimabukuro alsoled another effort to form
smaller, constituentgroups within the AOKF consisting of thevarious
Shorin-ryu groups. At first twogeographically organized
associationscoalesced: the Nambu (Southern Okinawa)Shorin-ryu
Association, headed by JoenNakazato and the Chubu (Central
Okinawa)Shorin-ryu Association, headed byShimabukuro himself. These
were politicalconstructions involving---at first---all thedifferent
kinds of Shorin-ryu, not just Kyan style.
Eventually, the Nambu and Chubu groupsmerged into the Chubu
Shorin-ryu KaratedoRengokai ("confederation"), but predictably,this
was not to last. It's history is ratherconvoluted, but essential ly
this ChubuShorin-ryu group would, after Zenryopassing, evolve into
a federation of fiveaffiliated Shorin-ryu schools that included
theSeibukan and would be headed byKatsuhide Kochi, who traced his
own lineageultimately to Zenryo-sensei. EventuallyKochi's school
would simply be called theChubu-Shorin-ryu Karatedo
Kyokai(Association), teaching the Shorin-ryu ofZenryo-sensei.
SEIBUKAN IS EXPORTED TO THEOUTSIDE WORLD
Seibukan began to grow by the mid-1960's. This era saw
Shimabukuro adopting
A typical Kampai Party at the Seibukan dojo. This one took place
in 1962 to celebrate the grand opening of the dojo. This photo
clearlyillustrates a strong camaraderie and that there was also a
time to let your hair down and have a good time. Back row far left:
BenSchwartz, Walter Dailey, Zenryo Shimabukuro, Shigeru Nakamura
and Joen Nakazato . Front row seated: second from left Chozo
Nakama,third from left Zenpo Shimabukuro and fifth from left a very
young Fusei Kise. Photo by Walter Dailey
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The first Seibukan dojo in the UnitedStates was founded by
Walter Dailey in
1962 at Norwood, PA. Photo by Walter Dailey
Walter Dailey and Zenpo Shimabukuro in the summerof 1965 at the
Dailey residence in Pennsylvania. Photoby Walter Dailey
20 BUGEISHA: Traditional Martial Artist
the off icial emblem or patch of hisorganization that is known
today. It wasdevised in Japan by a fr iend ofShimabukuros who was
part of a dojoorganization run by someone affiliated withTamotsu.
Another member of Tamotsusgroup was Uragami, who ran the
OsakaRenshinkan and was the 1960 All-Japan full-contact (using
bogu) kumite champion.Uragami also maintained strong ties
toShimabukuro and hosted Walter Dailey in1962 when the latter had
been sent toOsaka with Zenryo Shimabukuro's sonZenpo as Seibukan
representatives.
The Seibukan emblem is steeped insymbolism and has significant
meaning tothe "old timers" of the organization.
Dailey actually received his black belt fromthe AJKF in Japan.
Shortly afterward, Daileyreturned to the States and opened up
thefirst Seibukan school outside of Okinawa inPennsylvania. It was
to remain the only otherschool for years afterward. Dailey
returnedto Okinawa in 1966 and found that the termsShorinji-ryu and
Sukunaihayashi had beensupplanted by Seibukan Shorin-ryu.
In 1963, Shimabukuro Zenryo sent a giftto Dailey, whom he had
given the adopted
name of Yoshihide (also pronouncedZenshu) -- Dailey also now
representedShimabukuro and was the East Coast U.S.Headquarters of
the AJKF. This "gift" wasShimabukurus 19-year-old son, Zenpo.Zenpo
was to live with Dailey for three years,helping to organize and
teach his fatherskarate. During his stay in the United States,Zenpo
also successfully competed in severalkarate tournaments, including
the 1964
Pennsylvania State Championship, the 1964National Kata
Championship, and the 1965Canadian International
Championship.Finally, after a highly successful stay in theUS,
Zenpo returned to Okinawa in 1966 tohelp his father run the
Seibukan dojo.
Another American who was training inOkinawa at this time was
Edward Takae,originally from Hawaii. Significantly, Takaewon the
All-Okinawan Karate Championshipheld in Nago on May 17, 1964. This
eventwas a rough affair and showcased bogusparring. Takae went on
to serve multipletours of duty with the American ArmySpecial Forces
in Vietnam and laterestablished another Seibukan branch in
theUnited States.
By 1969, Shimabukuro Zenryo and hisSeibukan karate were
continuing to gainrecognition and influence. In October1969, Zenryo
Sensei was invited to theJapanese main land to g ive ademonstrat
ion of his karate. He wasscheduled to perform Seisan kata.
However,on the ship from Okinawa, Shimabukuro wassuddenly stricken
with appendicitis, and onOctober 14, 1969 he died. He was buried
inan old-style Okinawan tomb in Jagaru,Okinawa, near his dojo.
Succeeded by hisyoung son and the senior members ofSeibukan, the
sty le has f lour ishedworldwide ever since. Zenpo became notonly
the leader of the style, but a successful
SEIBUKANTHE SHORINJI-RYU KARATE OF
SHIMABUKURO ZENRYO
Edward Takae bows at the grave of ZenryoShimabukuro which is
located near the dojoin Jagaru, Okinawa. Photo by Angel Lemus
1993.
Okinawa Shorinji-Ryu Zentokukai Karate-Do
The Zentokukai is a Karate-do Associationcreated for the sole
purpose of preservingand promoting the teachings passed downto us
by Kyan Chotoku and Shimabukuro
Zenryo. This association provides a mediumto unite dojos as a
family, to practice and
share the same beliefs, common interests.
TM
Kyan Style Karate(Shorinji-Ryu/Sukunaihayashi)
Advanced TrainingDojo AccreditationBunkai AnalysisPower
Generation &
Body Dynamics
Okinawan KobudoInstructors Yearly Gashuku
For more information:East Coast:
Saichian KanSensei Tim Rodgers
305-623-3352West Coast:
Nincho KanSensei Angel Lemus
310-479-5141
Kyan Chotoku
ShimabukuroZenryo
Chartered Zentokukai Dojos & SenseisSensei Tim Rodgers
Miami, FLSensei Angel Lemus
Los Angeles, CASensei Jim PiziiWestchester, PA
Sensei Lola HammerMorristown, TN
Sensei Steve HammerMorristown, TN
Sensei Nobu KajiSan Francisco, CASensei Jane Joyce
Morristown, TNSensei Jay Setser
Morristown, TN
Sensei Greg DillonDunbar, WV
Sensei Keith A. PrewittAustin, TX
Sensei Eric StewartAtlanta, GA
Shidoin Chad GracyOrlando, FL
http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/pagoda/3460
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Dailey, the most senior sensei in the UnitedStates, has taught
O-Senseis teachingsunder the Zenshu-ha rubric. This branch
ofSeibukan has maintained the integrity of notonly the physical
aspects of the art but thespiritual ones, which were paramount
toZenryo Sensei over and beyond the physicalones. Walter Dai ley is
st i l l active andteaching out of Morgantown, Pennsylvania.
3) North American Branch. EdwardTakae runs the "North American
Branch"of the ISKA. This was the original USbranch from the time
the association wasformed in 1978 in Philadelphia (Takae wasthe f i
rst president of this branch andShimabukuro Zenpo was the
supremeinstructor under the ISKA). In 1992, Takaetook over complete
control of the NorthAmerican Branch and became supremeinstructor.
At this t ime, ShimabukuroZenpo assumed the position of
"chairman"and no longer has any controlling powerover it, other
than at the ceremonial level.
Takae now runs h isorganization from Tampa,Florida.
4) Zentokukai. TheZentokukai is anindependent, Seibukan-based
organization formedby T im Rogers (a formerstudent of Ed Takae)
andAngel Lemus (student of TimRodgers). The name"Zentokukai" comes
fromborrowing elements from thenames of ShimabukuroZenryo and Kyan
Chotoku.Tim Rogers (president) runsthe Zentokukai Hombu Dojo
Edward Takae and Zenryo Shimabukuro after Takaewon the
All-Okinawan Karate Championship in1964.
SENSEI SHIMABUKURO ZENPO 1998 VISIT TO THE USA
Shimabukuro sensei will be teaching at the USANKF National
Championships inNew Orleans on July 29th and then will be giving a
demonstration at the finals on
Sunday August 2nd. He will also be in the USA forthe Seibukan
World Cup Championships October 9,10 & 11. He will teach a
seminar on the 9th for allSeibukan people. The event will be in
Atlanta. We arehaving our 4th Seibukan National Championships onthe
10th. The world cup will be hosting nine foreigncountries with
black belt teams. All Seibukan peopleare invited to attend.
If anyone is interested in more information orspecific details
they can contact Dan Smith at 770-844-0999, or e-mail (ussska@aol
orwww.seibukan.org)
Sensei Shimabukuro will be teaching in thefollowing cities
during July and August.
L-R: Tim Rodgers, Walter Dailey (Zenshu-Ha) and AngelLemus
during 1st annual Zentokukai training in 1997.
Zenryo Shimabukuro and Choshin Chibanaat Chibanas backyard in
October 1966.They were always very close friends. Thisphoto was
taken after Chibana Senseiunderwent cancer treatment in Japan
forthe mouth and throat.Photo by Walter Dailey
BUGEISHA: Traditional Martial Artist 21
real estate developer and leader within theOkinawan karate
community.
SEIBUKAN TODAY ANDTOMORROW
Organizationally, the modern Seibukan"movement" is dominated by
four groups.These groups are representative of three"ha" (from
ryu/ha -- style/branch) or stylistic-branches and one independent
branch:
1) Seibukan International KaratedoAssociation. The hombu
(headquarters)dojo located in Jagaru (Chatan) Okinawa, isheaded by
the late masters son,Shimabukuro Zenpo. Zenpo is also thehead and
supreme instructor of theSeibukan Internat ional
Karate-doAssociation (ISKA), which has branch dojoin over sixteen
foreign countries, includingtwo separate branches in the
UnitedStates, one run by Edward Takae and oneby Dan Smith, who is
the president of theUS branch.
2) Zenshu-Ha. Since 1962, Walter
located in Miami, Florida. Angel Lemus isthe associations vice
president and runs hisdojo in Los Angeles, California.
Of the four modern branches of Seibukan,
Phot
o by
Edw
ard
Taka
e
Phot
o by
Ang
el L
emus
Zenpo Shimabukuro
JULYAtlanta, GA July 17 & 18Witchita, KS July 19 &
20Huntsville, AL July 22nd Jacksonville, FLA July 23rd Vero Beach,
FLA July 24 & 25Jackson, MS July 26 & 27
AUGUSTGrand Junction, CO Aug 5 & 6 Denver, CO Aug 8
&9,Portland, OR Aug 12 & 13Seattle, WA Aug 15 & 16
-
A treasured historical photo of Shorin-Ryu Senseis at the
Seibukan dojo. Front row left toright: Shinsuke Kaneshima, Tatsuo
Shimabukuro, Zenryo Shimabukuro and Chozo Nakama.Back row left to
right: Zenji Shimabukuro, Isamu Tamotsu and Joen Nakazato.
At the Seibukan after a testing and promotion session. It was
this day that Walter Dailey was awarded hisYondan (front row
wearing a headband next to Zenryo Shimabukuro). Visiting that day
and participating inthe testing panel was Shosei Kina 10th dan (a
close friend of Shimabukuro). The wearing of the headbandhas a
special meaning in Okinawa, it promises the sensei and everyone in
the dojo that you are devotingyourself to train very hard. Photo by
Walter Dailey
22 BUGEISHA: Traditional Martial Artist
EDITOR'S NOTEIn an attempt to bring together
all the major branches active inSeibukan today and to
contributein part to the writing of this articlein honor of the
late ZenryoShimabukuro, all representativeswere contacted and
invited toparticipate. Bugeisha did nothear from Zenpo
Shimabukuro,and Edward Takae declined toparticipate.
only the Zenshu-ha and the Zentokukaiexclude sport karate and
moderncompetition from their core curriculum.Instead these two
branches focus on old-style combative karate principles as well
asintrospective and spiritual aspects.
THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OFSEIBUKAN
As a karate system, Seibukan representsthe Sukunaihayashi branch
of Shorin-ryu: thekarate of Kyan Chotoku. As such the kataare a mix
of Shuri-te and Tomari-te asinherited from Kyan directly to
ZenryoShimabukuro. It is based on the katataught by Kyan: Ananku,
Naifanchi, Passai,Seisan, Kusanku, Chinto, Wanshu,Gojushiho, and
one bo staff form, Tokumineno Kon. These were the kata taught
byZenryo-sensei from the late 1940s on.However, Zenryo-sensei did
not emphasizethe Tokumine no Kon bo kata and wasknown to have sent
students, includingTamotsu, to Nakazato Joen for
advancedinstruction on that bo form. Kyan was knownfor his
legendary kicking abilities and his fluidTai Sabaki (body
movements). He was saidto have been untouchable. These
principlesare in Seibukan as taught by ZenryoShimabukuro and are
inherent in the katasSuri Ashi or foot sliding movement.
Seibukankata reflect their own unique flavor that is quitedifferent
than other Shorin-ryu branches.
In 1962, Shimabukuro Zenryo gatheredprinciples that hed learned
from Kyan and
placed these into an or ig inal kata hecreated called Wanchin.
This kata displaysvery advanced concepts, not seen in otherkata
such as blocking and striking, orpunching and kicking
simultaneously. It is avery challenging kata to perform due to
itsunique timing and footwork. One can seeKyans karate and
Shimabukuros owncreative genius blended into one. This katais
considered a family kata and is onlytaught within the Seibukan
schools.
Shimabukuro devised this kata when theAJKF was just getting
started and the oldOKF had not recognized. However, in theworld of
the AOKF that Zenryo Shimabukuro
helped organize, non-contact and lightsparring became the
dominant influence.
Shimabukuro had many, highly competentfriends who were leaders
in their own right,such as the aforementioned Chibana Chosinand old
time Chibana student and associateNakama Chozo, who was a very
close, familyfriend of Zenryo Sensei. From Nakama,Shimabukuro Zenpo
adopted the Pinan,Passai-gua, Naifanchi 2 and 3, and a sai
kata.These kata were added to the Seibukancurriculum in the years
just before Zenryo-sensei died.
However, regardless of branch or faction,the Seibukan still
holds to Zenryo's principles.
This very quiet, humble, and self-effacing man was a proponent
of strongkarate developed through sol idbasics; an attention to the
detail ofkata (practiced with an emphasis oneach individual
movement and hard,sharp, and powerful execution); andhard, strong,
power-oriented, head-to-head fighting. In stature, Shimabukurowas a
small man, but in character andtoughness, he was a giant in
thekarate world.
SEIBUKANTHE SHORINJI-RYU KARATE OF
SHIMABUKURO ZENRYO