Matsumura Sōkon was born in Yamagawa Village, Shuri, Okinawa. Matsumura began the study of karate under the guidance of Sakukawa Kanga "Tode". Sakukawa was an old man at the time and reluctant to teach the young Matsumura, who was regarded as something of a troublemaker. However, Sakukawa had promised Matsumura Sōfuku, Matsumura Sōkon’s father, that he would teach the boy, and thus he did. Matsumura spent five years studying under Sakukawa. As a young man, Matsumura had already garnered a reputation as an expert in the martial arts. Matsumura was recruited into the service of the Shō family, the royal family of the Ryūkyū Kingdom in 1816 and received the title Shikudon, a gentry rank. He began his career by serving the 17th King of Ryūkyū's second Shō dynasty, King Shō Kō. In 1818 he married Yonamine Chiru, who was a martial arts expert as well. Matsumura eventually became the chief martial arts instructor and bodyguard for the Okinawan King Shō Kō. He subsequently served in this capacity for the last two Okinawan kings, Shō Iku and Shō Tai. Matsumura traveled on behalf of the royal government to Fuzhou and Satsuma.He studied Chuan Fa in China as well as other martial arts and brought what he learned back to Okinawa.
"Hanshi No Sogo" Chosin Chibana
Chosin Chibana was one of Itosu’s top students. Chibana Sensei was the first to differentiate his system of karate from others by naming it Kobayashi-ryu ("young forest" style), in 1930, instead of Shuri-te or by his own name (e.g. Chibana-te) as had been done in the past within the Shorin-ryu systems. This decision was brought on by the growth and development of te, not only on Okinawa, but also with the foresight of international introduction. Chibana Sensei was one of the founding committee members of karate masters in 1936 that agreed karate should be translated as "empty hand." In addition, he was awarded the Fourth Order of Merit from the Emperor of Japan, in 1969, for his life long contributions to the martial arts. It is attributed by some sources that he passed down the Kusanku Dai and Gojushiho katas. Chibana Sensei’s most influential student of the modern day is Shuguro Nakazato to whom Chibana Sensei presented his personal black belt, which was a great honor and tribute to Nakazato Sensei’s devotion and martial arts skills.
"Kyoshi HachiDan" Nabil Noujaim
Kyoshi (HachiDan) Nabil Noujaim, 8th dan-Karate, 6th dan-Kobudo, is one of Hanshi Judan Nakazato Sensei’s senior students in the U.S.A. and Southern California. Kyoshi Noujaim has been a student of Shorin-Ryu ShorinKan Karate since 1972 and is the head instructor of Noujaim’s Shorin-Ryu Karate in El Centro, CA., U.S.A. His ranking students have Shibo Dojos in Indiana, New York, Chile, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Mexico and various California cities including El Centro, Brawley, Berkeley, San Miguel and Paso Robles. Kyoshi Noujaim travels extensively promoting Shorinkan not only nationally but also internationally including seminars in Israel, Chile, Jordan and Mexico. His travels also take him to Naha City, Okinawa, Japan where he trains under Shugoro Nakazato Sensei, Grand Master Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan Karate & Kobudo. In addition, his annual November Camp, Noujaim’s Cal South International Martial Arts Camp draws from all the martial arts disciplines. The 2003 Camp was honored to have Nakazato Sensei as the Guest of Honor along with his son, Minoru Sensei and several ranking Kyoshis from Okinawa. In 2008 Kyoshi Noujaim was inducted into the Masters Hall of Fame.
Brief Overwiew
Karate, as we know it today, originated on the Ryukyu Archipelago, more commonly known as the Island of Okinawa, (Birthplace of Karate), Japan. The major sites were the villages of Naha, Shuri and Tomari. The traditional Kata (forms) have been handed down from instructor to student. To quote Chibana Sensei, "Karate is teaching Kata (form) we have taken from forefathers without changing it at all." There are 15 traditional Katas and in Kobudo (Okinawan Art of Weaponry) there are 6 weapons with individual Katas for each weapon. Okinawan Karate dates to the sixth century when Bodhidharma's (Daruma), born in India, travels took him to China where he settled at a Shao-lin (Shorin in Japanese) Monastery. The introduction of ch’uan-fa ("fist way") occurred in the late 1300’s with the expansion of trade and cultural exchanges between Okinawa and China. Evidence suggests that te ("hands"), in fact, was indigenous to Okinawa, (the birthplace of Karate), developing in the villages of Shuri, Naha and Tomari. Thus begins the lineage of Shorin-Ryu Kobayashi Karate from the Shuri-te system. Karate is a system on unarmed combat which can be traced back over 1000 years from Okinawa, Japan. Although Okinawa-Te, originated in Okinawa, Japan, birthplace of modern day Karatedo (empty hand combat), and Kobudo (weapons), it developed from both Te, and Chinese boxing principles.
For many years the martial arts was studied in secrecy. Government instability, and oppression forced Okinawa, Japan to develop their martial arts as a means of survival. Three main villages from Okinawa (Shuri, Naha, and Tomari), are credited with the main styles that emerged from Okinawa-Te. Through Kusanku-sensei, a Chinese diplomat who moved to Okinawa for 6 years, Shuri-Te and Tomari-Te formed the basis for Shorin-Ryu, while Naha-Te formed Goju-Ryu, and Nechi-Ryu.
As Shoryin-Ryu began to branch out, other styles evolved from Itosu-sensei’s teachings. An attempt was made by one of Itosu- Sensei’s students to preserve the art. Itosu-sensei’s most dedicated student, Chibana-sensei, renamed the style Kobayashi-Ryu (Shorin-Ryu--Young Forest Style), to indicate that he taught Itosu-sensei’s original style. Chibana-sensei’s most notable student, Nakazato-sensei, became and is presently head of Shorin-Ryu Shorinkan branch of Kobayashi. Chibana-sensei’s other most notable student, Miyahira-sensei became the head of Shorin-Ryu Shidokan branch of Kobayashi.
Shorin Ryu Shorinkan
Kobudo
It is a popular story and common belief that Okinawan farming tools evolved into weapons due to restrictions placed upon the peasants by the Satsuma samurai clan when the island was made a part of Japan, which forbade them from carrying arms. As a result, it is said, they were defenseless and developed a fighting system around their traditional farming implements. However, modern martial arts scholars have been unable to find historical backing for this story, and the evidence uncovered by various martial historians points to the Pechin Warrior caste in Okinawa as being those who practiced and studied various martial arts, rather than the Heimin, or commoner. It is true that Okinawans, under the rule of foreign powers, were prohibited from carrying weapons or practicing with them in public. But the weapons-based fighting that they secretly practiced (and the types of weapons they practiced with) had strong Chinese roots, and examples of similar weapons have been found in China, Malaysia and Indonesia pre-dating the Okinawan adaptations.
Kobudō traditions were shaped by indigenous Okinawan techniques that arose within the Aji, or noble class, and by imported methods from China and Southeast Asia. The majority of modern kobudō traditions that survived the difficult times during and following World War II were preserved and handed down by Taira Shinken (Ryūkyū Kobudō Hozon Shinkokai), Chogi Kishaba (Ryuku Bujustsu Kenkyu Doyukai), and Kenwa Mabuni (Shito-ryū). Practical systems were developed by Toshihiro Oshiro and Motokatsu Inoue in conjunction with these masters. Other noted masters who have kobudō kata named after them include Chōtoku Kyan, Shigeru Nakamura, Kanga Sakukawa, and Shinpo Matayoshi.
Anko Itosu
Itosu was born in 1831 and died in 1915. Ethnically Okinawan, Itosu was small in stature, shy, and introverted as a child. He was raised in a strict home of the keimochi (a family of position), and was educated in the Chinese classics and calligraphy. Itosu began his tode (karate) study under Nagahama Chikudun Pechin. His study of the art led him to Sokon Matsumura. Itosu served as a bodyguard to the last king of the Ryukyu Islands until Japan abolished the Okinawa-based native monarchy in 1879. In 1901, he was instrumental in getting karate introduced into Okinawa's schools. In 1905, Itosu was a part-time teacher of To-te at Okinawa's First Junior Prefectural High School. It was here that he developed the systematic method of teaching karate techniques that are still in practice today. He created and introduced the Pinan forms (Heian in Japanese) as learning steps for students, because he felt the older forms (kata in Japanese) were too difficult for schoolchildren to learn. The five Pinan forms were created by drawing from two older forms: kusanku and chiang nan. Itosu is also credited with taking the large Naihanchi form (tekki in Japan) and breaking it into the three well-known modern forms Naihanchi Shodan, Naihanchi Nidan, and Naihanchi Sandan. In 1908, Itosu wrote the influential "Ten Precepts (Tode Jukun) of Karate," reaching beyond Okinawa to Japan.
"Hanshi JuDan" Shuguro Nakazato
Hanshi JuDan Nakazato has spent most of his life in the martial arts and in 1967, after nearly twenty years of training, was awarded 9thDan by his eminent instructor Chosin Chibana. Upon Chibana Sensei’s death in 1969, Nakazato Sensei became the president of the Okinawan Shorin-Ryu ShorinKan Karate-do Kyokai and was promoted to 10thDan in 1980. Nakazato Sensei is one of the most influential living karate Grand Masters in Okinawa and travels many times a year to promote the traditional Okinawan Shorin-Ryu ShorinKan Karate (Kobayashi-ryu) system. Hanshi JuDan headed the Okinawan karate delegation and was asked to give a special performance at the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia. Most recently in May 1999, he led an Okinawan seminar delegation of Grand Masters to the United States promoting The 1st Okinawa Traditional Karatedo & Kobudo World Tournament. In addition, Hanshi JuDan Nakazato is credited for the introduction of the Gorin kata. In August 2000, the Okinawan Prefecture Board of Education bestowed upon Hanshi Nakazato the title of "Kenmukei Bunkazi" - Intangible Cultural Asset. Hanshi JuDan Nakazato's recognized current influential first generation students in the United States are Kyoshis: Nabil Noujaim, Doug Perry, Patrick Haley, Eddie Bethea, Raymond Keller , Eberhard Welch, Noel Smith, C.D. Williamson, Chris Estes, Sean Riley, Kevin Roberts and Cheech Luzzi to name a few.
"Renshi Godan" Salvatore Cirincione
My Sensei
Shihan Cirincione, 5th Dan karate, 3rd Dan Kobudo, has been training in the martial arts since 1989. Renshi Cirincione was inducted into the Masters Hall of fame in 2008 and was recognized by the United States Congress. Sensei graduated top of his class in the United States Army earning the "Trailblazer" award, and served our country with dignity, courage, and gallantry. Sensei donates his time teaching at the Boys and Girls Club of Vista, and serves as the President of the Board of Directors (former). The Boys and Girls Clubs hold a special place in his heart being an alumni and former Youth of the Year. Sensei Cirincione regularly instructs our Police officers, firefighters, and Armed Forces in Karate and Self Defense. He has competed in many tournaments and has earned national and international champion titles. He is the director of Team KKIA (Karate Kids in America) which competes in tournaments and gives demonstrations regularly in the Vista area. He was the Shorinkan Karate-Ka of the year 2008-2009, has been awarded the Channel 10 News Leadership Award, Sensei was inducted into the 2008 Masters Hall of Fame, and he was recognized by congress. Sensei Sal has traveled all over the world in his studies of Karate including El Centro, Paso Robles, Washington D.C, Las Vegas, Okinawa Japan, Italy, Denmark, Argentina, Israel, and Korea. He travels every year to Okinawa to further enhance his training with Kyoshi Noujaim to study under Hanshi Nakazato.
"The Ryukyu Archipelago"
Okinawa Prefecture 沖縄県, is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū (the southwesternmost of Japan's main four islands) to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island. Okinawa is the undisputed birthplace of karate-do.