Shurijo Castle | Kenshin Kan Karate and Kobudo

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- HistoryIndex Introduction Early History of Okinawan Karate Development of Styles and Systems of Karate-do Bushi Matsumura/li> Nabi Matsumura Soken Hohan Kise Fusei Our Lineage Chart INTRODUCTION It is estimated that probably 90% of American martial artists know little about there style and, other than the physical aspects, most of those martial artists seem content merely to practice karate, with little interest in studying the origins of their art. Those of us in Okinawa Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito Karate and Kobudo Association are of different mentality. While we enjoy the physical aspects of Shorin-ryu, we also have a burning desire to learn the history and the origins of our art. Generations of secrecy have shed a veil of mystery around the history and origin of Okinawan karate. To a certain degree, this veil of secrecy still exists. This, coupled with the general lack of written records, has created the lack of information on the early years of Ryukyu martial arts. What little information we may have has come to us by scattered bits and pieces that somehow have come into the possession of modern karate historians or from those of you who were fortunate enough to have been told some of…
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Karate
- The 25 BasicsHanshi Kise teaching the Basics! Importance of the 25 Basics The basics are critical for building a strong foundation in your techniques. It is like having a strong foundation on a house. If you have a weak foundation when a storm comes your house falls over just as when you get into a situation when you have to use your skills that you were trained in everything falls apart and you end up being hurt or worse. The 25 Basics 1. Left Forward Stance, Double Punch Hidari Shizen-Dachi Ni Seiken Chudan-tsuki 1. Right Forward Stance, Double Punch Migi Shizen-Dachi Ni Seiken Chudan-tsuki 2. Open Leg Stance, Double Middle Punch Left Arm Out Heiko-Dachi Hidari Ni Seiken Chudan-tsuki 2. Open Leg Stance, Double Middle Punch Right Arm Out Heiko-Dachi Migi Ni Seiken Chudan-tsuki 3. Open Leg Stance, Double Upper Lip Punch Left Arm Out Heiko-Dachi Hidari Ni Seiken Jodan-tsuki 3. Open Leg Stance, Double Upper Lip Punch Right Arm Out Heiko-Dachi Migi Ni Seiken Jodan-tsuki 4. Open Leg Stance, Sweep Foot, Punch Middle, Block Double Bone same arm Heiko-Dachi Ashi Barai Chudan-tsuki Chudan-Uke Trainig Camp in NH working the basics! 5. Left Forward Stance Step Cross Body Block Hidari Shizen-Dachi Uchi-Uke…
- Ippon KumiteIppon Kumite After a student has a fair knowledge of the basics and knows how to put combinations together through kata the student then learns the one step sparring techniques (ippon kumite). This is done empty handed as well as with weapons later on. This utilizes one student attacking while one student defends. This allows the student to feel and see how effective or ineffective their block and counter techniques are. Eventually the student will move onto Kumite both without contact (the punch or kick is stopped inches from its target) or with contact (the strikes and kicks make contact on the opponents body utilizing protective gear). Full contact is not something that is mandatory but it can be a good tool for the student to feel what a real fight is like. Within this system there are also certain Ippon Kumite or One Step Fighting Techniques that the student is required to learn. Below lists the Techniques required: All Ippon Kumite below are done while stepping. Blocking side is always stepping back. Basic Ippon Kumite All Ippon Kumite below are done while stepping. Blocking side is always stepping back. White Belt 10th Kyu Punching Side Blocking Side Left Forward…
- KataThe Importance of Kata After the basics are taught one must learn how to put the techniques together in combinations. The way that this is done is through the practice of kata. A Kata is a series of fighting movements combining breathing, striking, and defensive techniques to suit innumerable situations. These fighting movements are manifested in the form of choreography, which allows the student to fully express the four basic tenets of Karate: speed, strength, technique, and esthetic value (beauty). Each kata has a particular rhythmical sequence (without which it would be mere movement) and is designed for the imaginary fighting of several opponents. Empty Hand Kata Requirements Rank Kata 9th Kyu Fyu Kyu Kata 1 8th Kyu Fyu Kyu Kata 2 7th Kyu Fyu Kyu Kata 3 6th Kyu Wansu 5th Kyu Pinan 1 4th Kyu Pinan 2 3rd Kyu Nahanchi 1, Pinan 3 2nd Kyu Nahanchi 2, Anaku 1st Kyu Nahanchi 3 Shodan Pinan 4, Seisan Nidan Pasai 1, Pinan 5 Sandan Pasai 2 Yondan Chinto, Jion Godan Gojushiho Rokudan Kusanku Nanadan Rohai 1
Kobudo
- Kobudo BasicsImportance of the Kobudo Basics As with empty hand basics kobudo basics play a key role in your developement. It builds strength, endurance and coordination. You learn blocking, trapping and other techniques that can be applied to any type of weapon as well as empty hand! Kobudo Basics! Bo Bascis The Bo Basics / Exercises may be done in either a stationary or stepping; this would depend on whether your student is new and of course how much room you have in your dojo. There are a total of 11 bo exercises Sai Basics The Sai Exercises / Basics may be done in either a stationary or stepping this would all depend on whether your student is new and also if you have enough room for movement. There are 11 Sai exercises that should be taught. Kama Basics These are done in both stationary and during movement. There are 11 Kama exercises. Tonfa Basics There are 11 Tonfa basics.
- Kobudo KataImportance of Kobudo Kata Kobudo Kata is so important in any system. You learn how to combine different techniques and movements together with the weapon you are training on. It allows one to bring harmony between oneself and the weapon. The weapon becomes and extension of your body! Within Kenshin Kan we have a variety of Kobudo Katas that we are required to learn based on rank. We also ensure that each student learns the bunkai (practical application) of each technique within the kata. Kobudo Kata Requirements Rank Kata 6th Kyu Bo Shodan 5th Kyu Bo Nidan 4th Kyu Sai Shodan, Bo Jitsu 3rd Kyu Sai Nidan 2nd Kyu Sai Jitsu 1st Kyu Bo Sandan Sho Dan Kama Shodan, Syushi no Kon Sho Ni Dan Bo Yondan, Sai Sandan San Dan Tonfa Shodan, Tokumine No Kon Yon Dan Kama Nidan, Syushi no Kon Dai Godan Soken no Nunchaku, Teco Rokudan Sakugawa No Kon Sho Nanadan Tsuken Sunakakai no Kon
- Kobudo HistoryThe History Interest in unarmed fighting arts increased during the 14th century when King Sho Hashi of Chuzan established his rule over Okinawa and banned all weapons. A more rapid development of tode followed in 1609 when the Satsuma Clan of Kyushu, Japan occupied Okinawa and again banned the possession of weapons. Thus Tode or Okinawan-Te, as the Satsuma Samurai soon called it, became the only means of protection left to the Okinawans. Thus it was this atmosphere that honed the early Karate-like arts of Okinawa into a weapon, enabling the island people to conduct a guerrilla-type war with the Japanese Samurai that later into the late 1800′s. The okinawan people developed their farming tools into weapons that were very effective against the samurai. The Kama, Sai, Nunchaku, Bo, and Tonfa are the most common that were utilized. The Oar and Okinawan Brass knuckles are just a couple more. The Bo History The Bo is one of the five weapons systematized by the early Okinawan developers of the style known as te (hand). In feudal Japan it was part of the bugei (early Japanese martial arts) and was used by samurai, priests, and commoners alike. It is six foot length…
Self Defense
- Child Abduction Prevention and Awareness Abduction Facts Child Safety Tips As a society, things are becoming more violent and crimes against children are continually increasing. In our efforts to prevent theses crimes we are not keeping up with the violence, abductions, and rapes being done to our children. This section of the home page will not reach as many of the parents and children that I would like it to, but if it helps at least one child so as not to become a statistic it will have done its job. Approximately 4,600 children are abducted by strangers (non family members) each year in the United States. There are approximately 120,000 attempted abductions per year. There are 300 long term abductions per year where the children are either murdered, never found, or returned to their families months or even years later. There are 354,000 children abducted by family members. There are 450,700 children who ran away There are 127,100 children who were thrown away There are 438,200 children who were lost, injured, or otherwise missing Prevention and Awareness Don’t let it Happen In Maryland, a intruder went into a home through an unlocked back door, took a…
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- Rape Prevention and Awareness
- Stalker – Awareness & Self DefenseBy Shihan Craig F Hodgkins There has been an every increase in stalking through out. I am involved in a very dangerous stalking situation as I write this article. My wife has a stalker and now we are taking all the precautions that must be done to keep her safe. Our situation involves a incident while my wife worked as a cocktail waitress 16 years ago and this stalker just showed up again 16 years later. We have had to work directly with multiple law enforcement agencies in multiple states, private investigators, attorneys and security companies. Becuase of our unique situation we have taken the time to do the research on how to deal with a stalker. While legal definitions of stalking vary from one jurisdiction to another, a good working definition of stalking is “a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear”. So how common is stalking? Stalking statistics: 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are stalked annually in the United States. 1 in 12 women and 1 in 45 men will be stalked in their lifetime. 77% of female and 64% of male victims know their stalkers. 87% of…
Training
- Custom & ProtocolCustom, Courtesy & Protocol Understanding Custom, Courtesy and Protocol is very important part of our style. Definitions Custom: Custom as defined by Webster is a usual practice or habitual way of behaving or a social convention carried on by tradition . Courtesy: Courtesy as defined by Webster as an act or usage intended to honor or compliment. Protocol: Protocol as defined by Webster is a code of ceremonial forms and courtesies, of precedence, etc. accepted as proper and correct in official dealings. Discussion Within our style we are very concerned with how we continue to utilize the Customs that were handed down from Master to Master. The bows we do at the beginning and end of class, the way we hold our glasses when we toast (Kampai) our seniors, how we show respect towards our seniors as well as our juniors and the other customs that we continue to entertain within our system. In our Customs we have certain Courtesies and Protocols that we follow. In the following sections we will go over some standard Customs, Protocols and Courtesies. I have listed a few different areas such as The Main Dojo in Okinawa, Common Practices, and Greeting Outside the Dojo.…
- Finding a SchoolFinding a School Today throughout the world there are many legitimate martial arts school but unfortunately there are even more illegitimate schools. These schools want nothing more than to make as much money as they can off the student and become nothing more than a black belt factory. These schools have given Karate, Taekwondo, and other Martial Arts systems a bad name. So with all these illegitimate or unqualified schools out there how can one find a quality school. What to look for! The first thing to do is to find every school within your area that you are willing to commute to. Remember the quality school may not be in your immediate area and you may have to travel a little to get to it. You can find these schools via The Yellow Pages, Local Newspapers or even better The Internet Search Engines The Yellow Pages: Don’t be overly impressed by The Yellow Pages add. Just because an add is bigger does not make a school better. The Local Newspaper: These are usually promotional adds to bring in students and maybe worth checking in to. The Internet Search Engines Most cities have some kind of service that provides a…
- FlexibilitySTRETCHING AND FLEXIBIliTY Version: 1.13, Last Modified 94/03/21 Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 by Bradford D. Appleton Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of this document provided the copyright notice and this permission notice are preserved on all copies. This document is available in ascii, texinfo, postscript, dvi, and html formats via anonymous ftp from the host `cs.huji.ac.il’ located under the directory `/pub/doc/faq/rec/martial.arts’. The file name matches the wildcard pattern `stretching.*’. The file suffix indicates the format. For WWW and Mosaic users, the URL is in `http://archie.ac.il:8001/papers/rma/stretching.html’. Introduction This document is a modest attempt to compile a wealth of information in order to answer some frequently asked questions about stretching and flexibility. It is organized into chapters covering the following topics: Physiology (as it relates to stretching) Flexibility Types of Stretching How to Stretch Although each chapter may refer to sections in other chapters, it is not required that you read every chapter in the order presented. (It is important, however, that you read the disclaimer before reading any other sections of this document. See section Disclaimer.) If you wish to skip around, numerous cross references are supplied in each section to help you find the concepts you…
- Heat Injuries
- Physical Fitness Training
- Warm-Up Exercises
Leadership
- Hanshi-Sei Fusei KiseHanshi Fusei Kise Grand Master Kise has been training for well over 45 years. He holds a 10th Degree Black Belt in Kenshin Kan Shorin-Ryu and is the President of the All Okinawan Shorin Ryu Kenshin Kan Karate and Kobudo Federation. He is also a 9th Degree Black Belt in Okinawan Kempo and a 10th Degree Black Belt in Shorinji Ryu Karate. Grand Master Kise has Dojo’s (Schools) all over the world. His headquarters is located in Okinawa City, Okinawa Japan. Grand Master Kise makes trips to the United States once a year and also travels to other countries as well to teach the art of Kenshin Kan Shorin Ryu as well as Kobudo (Weapons) Training. Kise Fusei, Hanshi Bio MASTER FUSEI KISE was born on May 4, 1935. He began his study of Karate in 1947 from his Uncle Master Makabe. In 1955 Master Kise became a student of Master Nobutake Shingake and receive his SHO DAN. In 1958 Master Kise began studying under Grand Master Hohan Soken, the third successor of Shorin Ryu Matsumura Seito Karate-Do. In 1960 he was a student of Grand Master Shigeru Nakamura, Okinawan Kenpo Karate-Do Federation and qualified for his 7th Degree Black…
- Hanshi Isao KiseKaicho Isao Kise Kaicho (President) Isao Kise is the President of the All Okinawan Shorin Ryu Kenshin Kan Karate and Kobudo Federation. Kaicho Isao teaches at the Main Dojo, Okinawa City, Okinawa Japan, military bases on Okinawa and has his on Dojo in Okinawa City. Kaicho is the All Okinawan Kata, Kobudo, and Kumite Grand Champion. Kaicho teaches Traditional Karate, Sport Karate, Sport Kumite as well as full contact Karate. He is a senior judge for tournaments throughout the Island of Okinawa. Kaicho has been training since the age of 4 and was born July 27, 1957. Kaicho believes in hard demanding workouts and trains his students to be champions. Kaicho was promoted to the rank of Hachi Dan (8th Dan) on January 18th 1998. [slideshow id=3]
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Dojos

Shuri Castle

Located 1-2 Kinjo-cho, Shuri, Naha City, Okinawa Japan

The original Shurijo Castle is believed to have been constructed between the 13th and 14th centuries by King Satto of Urasoe Castle. After expanding the grounds, King Sho Hashi later consolidated the power base of the Ryukyu Kingdom at Shuri. The king of the Ryukyus and the local government occupied the Shuri site until 1879, when the Meiji emperor brought about an end to the kingdom and made Okinawa a prefecture of Japan. The original buildings of Shuri Castle were completely destroyed by fire during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. The reconstruction project began in the late 1980s after Ryukyu University was relocated from the castle grounds. Replicas of the original castle were constructed, and the two main gates and parts of the main wall restored.

Documentary records show that Shuri Castle was completely destroyed by fire and rebuilt four times in its history. The first devastating fire occurred in 1453. Sho Hashi’s fifth son, Sho Kinpuku, the fifth king of the first Sho dynasty, died after only four years on the throne. His son Shiro went to war with Sho Kinpuku’s brother Furo over succession and both were killed. In the course of this turmoil, the castle was burned. The records do not reveal the details of its destruction and reconstruction. However, its rebuilding took place only after some years had passed.

The second conflagration occurred in 1660 and seems to have been an accidental fire. The Seiden and other buildings were burned, necessitating a move of the king’s residence for some years to the Omi Palace, adjacent to the Ouchibara, where Shuri High School is now located. The visit of Sappo envoys – always the most important event in the kingdom – in 1663, during the reign of King Sho Shitsu, was also hosted at the Omi Palace. The royal finances were in tatters at the time, so not surprisingly no progress was made on rebuilding the castle. When Haneji Choshu (Sho Shoken) became regent and restored the kingdom to solvency, reconstruction work began and was completed in 1671, eleven years after the castle’s destruction. At that time, Haneji Choshu himself, during the “Haneji austerity” said, “I rebuilt the castle grander than before,” according to records.

Shuri-Te

Shuri-Te, was a style that developed mainly in the ancient city of Shuri, the ancient capital of Okinawa. This is where the king and members of the nobility lived. Actually
another style known as Tomari-Tewas a closely related system and was considered to be an off shoot of Shuri-Te. Tomari-Te was practiced in TomariVillage. This village was located close to Shuri and was populated mostly by farmers and fishermen. Tomari-Te eventually blended back into Shuri-Te. Ultimately Shuri-Te developed into Shorin Ryu (Young Forest Style). Of the two styles of Okinawan Karate, it should be noted that the Shuri-Te system is characterized by speedy movements rather than the more forceful movements of the Naha-Te system. Shuri-Te was a more offensive style while Naha-Te was a more defensive one. The differences of style are really only surface differences as both styles are derived from similar Chinese martial traditions. Naha-Te seems to have more of the soft-techniques and emphasis on breathing and control of Ki (intrinsic energy) influenced by Taoist philosophy. While Shuri-Te appears to be derived from the Shaolin Kenpo Style. The Shuri-Te style was practiced by the samurai of the court at Shuri Castle. The original Shuri-Te and its evolved counterpart Shorin Ryu traces its history back over two hundred years in Okinawa.